Battle of Alberta (NHL)

History

The Edmonton Oilers began as a World Hockey Association team in 1972 and entered the NHL through the NHL–WHA merger in 1979. The Atlanta Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980, setting the stage for a rivalry over supremacy in Alberta. In their first season in Calgary, the Flames finished with 39 wins and 92 points, reaching the Stanley Cup semifinals. The following year, the Oilers rose to the top of the Smythe Division as Wayne Gretzky began breaking numerous NHL records. The rivalry intensified in the latter half of the 1980s, when the Flames and Oilers were often the two strongest teams in the Campbell Conference. For eight consecutive years, one of the two Alberta clubs represented the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup Final—the Oilers six times and the Flames twice. During that span, the two teams won six of eight Stanley Cup championships, with the Oilers capturing five. The 1984–85 Oilers were voted the greatest NHL team of all time during the league's 2017 centennial celebrations. The Flames won their only Stanley Cup in that period, led by Hall of Fame players Lanny McDonald, Doug Gilmour, Al MacInnis, Joe Mullen, and Joe Nieuwendyk. The frequent playoff confrontations resulted from the postseason structure, where the top four teams from each division qualified, and divisional winners met in the conference finals. Since both teams were in the Smythe Division, they often faced each other in the first or second round, making it nearly impossible for other Campbell Conference playoff teams to reach the Stanley Cup Final without defeating one or both Alberta teams.