Events in Sport
Sports History
1978-11-02 Wayne Gretzky is sold to the Edmonton Oilers after just 8 games with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA (scoring 6 points); scores 104 points in 72 games (both teams combined) and is named WHA rookie of the year
Sports History
1981-03-03 NHL New York Islanders Mike Bossy 9th & final hat trick of season, in his 4th career 4-goal game, an 8-8 tie with visiting Edmonton Oilers
- 1981-03-03 NY Islanders & Edmonton Oilers play to an 8-8 tie
- 1981-04-17 New York Islander Dennis Potvin's 3 playoff power-play goals vs Edmonton Oilers tie NHL record
- 1981-12-27 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 point in a season (his 38th game), with 4 goals and an assist in 10-3 win over visiting Los Angeles Kings
- 1983-02-08 35th NHL All-Star Game, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale: Campbell Conference beats Wales Conference, 9-3; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers, C
- 1983-05-03 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Chicago Black Hawks, 4 games to 0
- 1983-05-17 Stanley Cup Final, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY: 4 consecutive titles for NY Islanders; sweep Edmonton Oilers in 4 games with a 4-2 Game 4 win
- 1983-11-19 Edmonton Oilers beat NJ Devils, 13-4, Wayne Gretzky calls the Devils "a Mickey Mouse organization"
- 1984-05-19 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Wayne Gretzky scores twice as Edmonton Oilers beat NY Islanders, 5-2 for a 4-1 series win; Oilers first SC title
- 1985-01-26 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky scores 50th goal in 49th game of season
Kurri's 100th Point
1985-01-29 Jari Kurri of Edmonton Oilers scores 100th pt of season in game 39
- 1985-05-16 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Chicago Black Hawks, 4 games to 2
- 1985-05-30 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Edmonton Oilers take back-to-back titles; beat Philadelphia Flyers, 8-3 for a 4-1 series victory; Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri each post a goal and 3 assists
38th NHL All-Star Game
1986-02-04 38th NHL All-Star Game, Hartford Civic Centre: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 4-3 (OT); MVP: Grant Fuhr, Edmonton Oilers, G
NHL Record
1986-04-02 Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers scores his 47th and 48th goals of the season in an 8-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks to break Bobby Orr's NHL record for most goals by a defenseman
- 1986-11-22 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes the 13th NHLer to score 500 goals
- 1987-05-13 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 1
- 1987-05-31 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Edmonton Oilers beat Philadelphia Flyers, 3-1 to win title 4 games to 3: Oilers' 3rd SC
- 1988-05-11 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 1
- 1988-05-26 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Edmonton Oilers beat Boston Bruins, 6-3 for 4 game series sweep
- 1988-08-09 Edmonton Oilers trade Wayne Gretzky to LA Kings for $15-$20 millions
- 1988-10-01 Bradley Center in Milwaukee opens with an exhibition hockey game between Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers; construction cost $90 million; closed 2018
- 1989-04-02 Calgary Flames right wing Joe Mullen sets new NHL record for most points in a season by a American-born player, with a goal and 2 assists in a 4-2 win over Edmonton Oilers gives him 110 points
- 1990-05-12 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 2
- 1990-05-15 Edmonton Oiler Petr Klima scores to defeat Boston Bruins in third overtime period, the longest Stanley Cup Finals game in history
- 1990-05-24 Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Edmonton Oilers beat Boston Bruins, 4-1 for a 4-1 series win; Oilers' 5th Cup win in 7 years
- 1990-12-27 Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames, 4-1 to record their 500th all-time NHL victory; set in just 915 games for a record of 500-295-120, good for a winning % of .612; best in history upon reaching milestone
- 1991-02-18 Edmonton Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr returns to NHL after season-long suspension for substance abuse & shuts out NJ Devils 4-0
- 1991-05-10 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Minnesota North Stars beat Edmonton Oilers, 4 games to 1
NHL Trade
1991-10-04 Edmonton Oilers trade captain Mark Messier (on the team for all 5 Stanley Cups) to the NY Rangers in exchange for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice & Louie DeBrusk; Messier leads Rangers to Cup 2 seasons later
- 1992-05-22 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Chicago Blackhawks beat Edmonton Oilers, 4 games to 0
- 1995-01-25 Chicago Blackhawks beat Edmonton Oilers, 5-1 in the first NHL game in their new home, the United Center; defenseman Chris Chelios leads scoring with a goal and 2 assists
- 1997-10-23 Les Alexander, owner of Houston Rockets buys NHL's Edmonton Oilers
- 1999-10-01 Edmonton Oilers retire Wayne Gretzky's #99 in a pre-game ceremony before a 1-1 tie v NY Rangers, the last team for which 'The Great One' suited up in an NHL game
- 2001-10-03 After a 21-season career, Paul Coffey officially retires from the NHL, having won 4 Stanley Cups with Edmonton Oilers, finishing 2nd on all-time list for points by defensemen (1,531 in 1,409 games), and playing in 14 All-Star Games
- 2004-01-01 St. Louis head coach Joel Quenneville records his 300th NHL win with the Blues, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Savvis Center, St. Louis; Quenneville is Blues coaching games and wins leader
- 2004-01-11 Washington Capitals' German goaltender Olaf Kölzig records his 32nd NHL career shutout in a 1-0 win against the visiting Edmonton Oilers
- 2006-05-27 NHL Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Anaheim Ducks, 4 games to 1
- 2006-06-19 Stanley Cup Final, PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC: Carolina Hurricanes beat Edmonton Oilers, 3-1 for a 4-3 series victory; Hurricane's first Championship
- 2007-02-27 Mark Messier's #11 jersey is retired by the Edmonton Oilers
NHL Record
2008-10-23 Joe Sakic scores his final career goal (#625) against the Edmonton Oilers
- 2010-06-25 NHL Draft: Windsor Spitfires (OHL) left wing Taylor Hall first pick by Edmonton Oilers
- 2011-06-24 NHL Draft: Red Deer Rebels (WHL) center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first pick by Edmonton Oilers
- 2012-02-02 NHL player Sam Gagner becomes the first player to scores eight points in one game for the Edmonton Oilers against the Chicago Blackhawks since 1989
- 2012-06-22 NHL Draft: Sarnia Sting (OHL) right wing Nail Yakupov first pick by Edmonton Oilers
- 2015-06-26 NHL Draft: Erie Otters (OHL) center Connor McDavid #1 pick by the Edmonton Oilers
Birthdays in Sport
- 1934-04-13 John Muckler, Canadian ice hockey coach (Stanley Cup Edmonton Oilers 1990; Buffalo Sabres, NY Rangers) and executive (GM Ottawa Senators), born in Midland, Ontario (d. 2021)
- 1941-09-05 Dave Dryden, Canadian ice hockey goaltender (designer first mask-cage combination goalie mask; Chicago Black Hawks, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers), born in Hamilton, Ontario (d. 2022)
- 1941-11-18 Peter Pocklington, Canadian NHL team owner (Edmonton Oiler), born in Regina, Saskatchewan
- 1943-09-02 Glenn Sather, NHL coach (Edmonton Oiler)
- 1954-08-10 Cameron Connor, Canadian WHA and NHL ice hockey forward, 1974-83 (Phoenix Roadrunners, Edmonton Oilers, and 3 other teams), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
- 1959-04-15 Kevin Lowe, Canadian NHL defenceman, coach and executive (Edmonton Oilers; Stanley Cup x 6), born in Lachute, Quebec
- 1960-04-01 Reijo Ruotsalainen, Finnish ice hockey defenceman (Stanley Cup 1987, 90; Edmonton Oilers; Olympic silver 1988), born in Oulu, Finland
Jari Kurri (63 years old)
1960-05-18 Finnish NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Helsinki, Finland
- 1960-10-02 Glenn Anderson, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (6 Stanley Cup wins; Edmonton Oilers [5]), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
Wayne Gretzky (63 years old)
1961-01-26 Canadian ice hockey HOF center (Stanley Cup 1984, 85, 87, 88; Hart Memorial Trophy [MVP] 1980–87, 89; Art Ross Trophy [scoring champion] 1981–87, 90, 91, 94; Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings), born in Brantford, Ontario
- 1962-03-02 Raimo Summanen, Finnish ice hockey left wing (World C'Ships gold 1995; NHL: Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks) and coach (Finland; HIFK), born in Jyväskylä, Finland
- 1963-04-30 Steve Smith, Scottish-Canadian ice hockey defenseman (NHL All-Star 1991; Canada Cup gold [Canada] 1991; Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames), born in Glasgow, Scotland
- 1963-05-18 Marty McSorley, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (Stanley Cup 1987, 88 Edmonton Oilers; NHL Plus-Minus Award 1991 LA Kings), born in Hamilton, Ontario
- 1964-12-23 Petr Klíma, Czech NHL right wing, 1985-99 (Detroit Red Wings; Edmonton Oilers, and 3 other teams), born in Chomutov, Czech Republic (d. 2023)
- 1965-01-25 Esa Tikkanen, Finnish ice hockey left wing (Stanley Cup 1985, 87, 88, 90 Edmonton Oilers, 1994 NY Rangers; Olympic bronze 1998; World C'ship bronze 2000), born in Helsinki, Finland
- 1966-12-02 Kelly Buchberger, Canadian NHL right wing and coach (World C'ship gold 1994; Stanley Cup 1987, 90; Edmonton Oilers), born in Langenburg, Saskatchewan
- 1966-12-14 Bill Ranford, Canadian NHL goalie, 1985-2000 (Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, and 2 other teams, Team Canada), and goaltending coach (Los Angeles Kings), born in Brandon, Manitoba
- 1967-04-10 Donald Dufresne, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (Edmonton Oilers), born in Quebec City, Quebec
- 1967-04-29 Curtis Joseph, Canadian NHL goalie (Team Canada, Edmonton Oilers), born in Keswick, Ontario
- 1969-03-26 Luke Richardson, Canadian ice hockey defenseman who won World C'ship gold 1994; Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers; and coach Chicago Blackhawks, born in Ottawa, Ontario
- 1969-05-01 Bryan Marchment, Canadian NHL defenseman, 1989-2006 (Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, and 7 other teams), born in Scarborough, Ontario (d. 2022)
- 1969-10-19 Zdeno Ciger, Slovak NHL player (Edmonton Oilers), born in Martin, Czechoslovakia
- 1969-10-25 Josef Beránek, Czech ice hockey center (Olympic Gold 1998; Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers), born in Litvinov, Czech Republic
- 1970-11-09 Bill Guerin, American NHL right wing, 1991-2010 (NJ Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and 5 other teams), and general manager (Minnesota Wild, 2019-), born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts
- 1971-01-21 Doug Weight, Warren MI, NHL center (Edmonton Oilers, Team USA 98)
- 1971-02-01 Tommy Salo, Swedish ice hockey goalie (Olympic gold 1994; World C'ship gold 1998; NHL All Star 2000, 02; Edmonton Oilers), born in Surahammar, Sweden
- 1971-03-19 Louie Debrusk, Canadian NHL left wing (Edmonton Oilers, and three other teams), born in Cambridge, Ontario
- 1971-04-12 Kent Manderville, Canadian ice hockey player (Edmonton Oilers), born in Edmonton, Canada
- 1971-04-17 David Oliver, Canadian NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
- 1971-05-30 Jiri Slegr, Jihlava Cze, NHL defenseman (Edmonton Oilers, Olympic gold 1998)
- 1971-07-11 Brett Hauer, NHL defenseman (Edmonton Oilers), born in Edina, Minnesota
- 1972-03-21 Boris Mironov, Russian ice hockey defenseman (Olympic silver 1998, bronze 2002; Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks), born in Moscow, Russia
- 1972-04-13 Mariusz Czerkawski, Polish NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Radomsko, Poland
- 1972-11-24 Fred Brathwaite, NHL goalie (Edmonton Oilers), born in Ottawa, Ontario
- 1972-12-22 Kirk Maltby, Canadian NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Guelph, Canada
- 1973-06-15 Dean McAmmond, Canadian NHL left wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Grand Cache, Alberta
- 1973-11-02 Jason Smith, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (1,008 NHL games; NJ Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs), born in Calgary, Alberta
- 1973-12-11 Ralph Intranuovo, Canadian NHL center (Edmonton Oilers), born in East York, Toronto, Ontario
- 1974-10-11 Jason Arnott, Canadian NHL center (Edmonton Oilers), born in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
- 1975-01-05 Mike Grier, American NHL player forward, 1996-2011 (Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabre, and 2 other teams),and general manager (San Jose Sharks, 2022-present), born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1976-02-21 Ryan Smyth, Canadian NHL left wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Banff, Canada
- 1976-08-11 Ľubomír Višňovský, Slovak ice hockey defenseman (Team Slovakia, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers), born in Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia
- 1976-12-07 Georges Laraque, Canadian ice hockey player (Edmonton Oilers), born in Montreal, Quebec
- 1981-10-08 Raffi Torres, Canadian NHL ice hockey player, 2001-16 (Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, and 5 other teams), born in Toronto, Ontario
- 1997-01-13 Connor McDavid, Canadian ice hockey centre (#1 pick 2015 NHL Draft by Edmonton Oilers; Hart Memorial Trophy 2017, 21, 23; Art Ross Trophy 2017, 18, 21, 22, 23), born in Richmond Hill, Ontario
Deaths in Sport
- 2021-01-04 John Muckler, Canadian ice hockey coach (Stanley Cup Edmonton Oilers 1990; Buffalo Sabres, NY Rangers) and executive (GM Ottawa Senators), dies at 86
- 2022-07-06 Bryan Marchment, Canadian NHL defenseman, 1989-2006 (Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, and 7 other teams), dies at 53
- 2022-10-04 Dave Dryden, Canadian ice hockey goaltender (designer first mask-cage combination goalie mask; Chicago Black Hawks, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers), dies at 81
- 2023-05-04 Petr Klíma, Czech NHL right wing, 1985-99 (Detroit Red Wings; Edmonton Oilers, and 3 other teams), dies at 58