Edmonton Oil Kings
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| Edmonton Oil Kings | |
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| City: | Edmonton, Alberta |
| League: | Western Hockey League |
| Conference: | Eastern |
| Division: | Central |
| Founded: | 2007–08 |
| Home Arena: | Rexall Place |
| Colours: | Red, white, blue and gold |
| Head Coach: | Steve Pleau |
| General Manager: | Bob Green |
The Edmonton Oil Kings are a Major-Junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They play in the Western Hockey League and are owned by the Edmonton Investors Group, also owners of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers.[1] The 2007–08 season is the team's inaugural season in the WHL.
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[edit] WHL history in Edmonton
The newest incarnation of the Oil Kings are the fourth WHL team to play in Edmonton, preceded by the first Edmonton Oil Kings (1950–76), the second Oil Kings (1978–79) and the Edmonton Ice (1996–98). The original Oil Kings franchise predated the WHL, winning two Memorial Cups prior to jumping to the new Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966. The Oil Kings were also initially successful in the WCHL, capturing two President's Cup titles. However, with the arrival of the World Hockey Association and the Oilers in 1972, the junior club's attendance began to plummet. Approximately 150,000 fans went to Oil Kings games in 1971–72. That number dropped to 90,000 the next year, and 68,000 the year after. [2]. The original Oil Kings would move to Portland, Oregon in 1976, becoming the Portland Winter Hawks.
An attempt at reviving the Oil Kings in 1978 would last only one season, as the juniors were once again unable to compete with the pros. Bill Hunter purchased the Flin Flon Bombers and brought them to Alberta's capital. However, the team only averaged about 500 fans per game, and rumours that the team would again relocate began to swirl before the first season was even complete. [3] The second Oil Kings would relocate again to become the Great Falls Americans, where the team would only last 28 more games before folding.
Despite the long held belief that major-junior hockey could not survive against the pros, the WHL returned to Calgary in 1995, and Edmonton in 1996. At the time, the Oilers were struggling on the ice, and at the gate. The Oilers refused to work with the Edmonton Ice, blocking them from playing in Northlands Coliseum, thus relegating them to the substandard Northlands Agricom. The Ice would relocate to Cranbrook, British Columbia after two underwhelming seasons.
[edit] The WHL returns to Edmonton
With the Flames owned Hitmen leading the WHL in attendance the past four seasons, and the Vancouver Giants also proving to be a major success at the gate, the Oilers ownership group had spent the last three years attempting to purchase a WHL team, even going so far as to put out an open offer of $5 million - well over market value - for any WHL franchise in 2004. [4] With no takers, and with the 2004–05 NHL lockout looming, the Oilers chose to relocate their AHL team to Rexall Place as the Edmonton Roadrunners. Despite finishing third in the AHL in attendance, the Oilers suspended the Roadrunners after only one season rather than have their minor league team competing against themselves. The Oilers then resumed their quest for a WHL team.
When the aborted sale of the Tri-City Americans to Chilliwack, British Columbia interests forced the league to place an expansion team in Chilliwack, the door for Edmonton was finally reopened. While the WHL had previously refused to consider further expansion, believing 20 teams was enough, the addition of the Chilliwack Bruins left the league with an odd number of teams. Preferring an even number of teams, the WHL announced its return to Edmonton on March 16, 2006 with the granting of a conditional expansion franchise, named the Edmonton Oil Kings in homage to the former team.
The team began play in the 2007–08 WHL season and finished with a record of 22–39–11, good for 55 points, but not enough to make the playoffs.
[edit] Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2007–08 | 72 | 22 | 39 | 4 | 7 | 162 | 241 | 55 | 5th Central | Out of playoffs |
[edit] Current roster
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| # | Player | Born | Place of Birth | Drafted | |
| 1 |  |
Alex Archibald | 1987 | Ottawa, ON | Free Agent |
| 31 | |
Dalyn Flette | 1990 | Calgary, AB | Eligible 2008 |
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| # | Player | Born | Place of Birth | Drafted | |
| 2 | |
Adrian Van de Mosselaer | 1990 | Kelowna, BC | Eligible 2008 |
| 3 | |
Mark Pysyk | 1992 | Sherwood Park, AB | Eligible 2010 |
| 4 | |
Matthew Swaby - C | 1987 | Prince Albert, SK | Free Agent |
| 5 | |
Tyler Hlookoff | 1990 | Castegar, BC | Eligible 2008 |
| 7 |  |
Cameron Cepek | 1987 | Huntington Beach, CA | Montreal Canadiens 2005 |
| 8 | |
Drew Nichol | 1989 | Edmonton, AB | Eligible 2008 |
| 11 | |
Brandon Lockerby | 1988 | Douglas, MB | Eligible 2008 |
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| # | Player | Position | Born | Place of Birth | Drafted | |
| 9 | |
Brent Raedeke | C | 1990 | Regina, SK | Eligible 2008 |
| 10 | |
Jeff Lee | LW | 1988 | Calgary, AB | Eligible 2008 |
| 12 | |
Shayne Neigum | LW | 1990 | Kindersley, SK | Eligible 2008 |
| 14 | |
Brennan Sonne | LW | 1987 | Maple Ridge, BC | Free Agent |
| 15 | |
Brenden Dowd | C | 1988 | Saskatoon, SK | Eligible 2008 |
| 16 | |
J.P. Szaszkiewicz | LW | 1988 | Edmonton, AB | Eligible 2008 |
| 17 | |
Michael Burns | RW | 1991 | Edmonton, AB | Eligible 2009 |
| 18 | |
Karey Pieper - A | LW | 1987 | Coronation, AB | Free Agent |
| 20 | |
Rhett Rachinski | LW | 1991 | Edmonton, AB | Eligible 2009 |
| 21 | |
Braeden Adamyk | C | 1990 | Neepawa, MB | Eligible 2008 |
| 22 |  |
Tomas Vincour | RW | 1990 | Brno, Czech Republic | Eligible 2009 |
| 23 |  |
Robin Figren - A | RW | 1988 | Stockholm, Sweden | New York Islanders 2006 |
| 24 | |
Craig McCallum | RW | 1989 | Canoe Narrows, SK | Eligible 2008 |
| 25 | |
Clayton Cumiskey | C | 1990 | Abbotsford, BC | Eligible 2008 |
| 27 | |
Logan Proulx | LW | 1991 | Trail, BC | Eligible 2009 |
| 28 | |
Brent Henke | RW | 1990 | Edmonton, AB | Eligible 2008 |
| 29 | |
Brett Breitkreuz | LW | 1989 | Springside, SK | Eligible 2008 |
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Official WHL Website ::
- ^ Official WHL Website ::
- ^ Official WHL Website ::
- ^ CANOE - SLAM! Sports - Columnists - Brownlee: What the WHL?
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