Glen Sather

Lore & Background

Sather is known for coaching the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories during the 1980s. He played a key role in attracting talented players, including Wayne Gretzky, who helped make the Oilers a hockey dynasty at that time. Gretzky credits Sather, along with his father Walter Gretzky, as his most important mentors. Outside the NHL, Sather was instrumental in building Canadian national teams for the 1984 Canada Cup (tournament champions), the 1994 Ice Hockey World Championship (gold medal winners) and 1996 World Cup of Hockey (finalists). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. His nickname is 'Slats'.

Reader's Guide

Sather played three junior seasons starting in 1961 with the Edmonton Oil Kings. His professional career started in 1964 with the CPHL Memphis Wings and Oklahoma City Blazers, joining the Bruins at the end of the 1966–67 season and playing in 5 games. He played ten full seasons in the NHL and another with the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA. He played 739 regular season games as a pro, scoring 99–146–245 and earning 801 minutes in penalties.

In the playoffs, he added 77 games played and scored 2–6–8 with 88 PIM. His career as a player ended after the 1976–77 WHA season. Sather was named player-coach of the Oilers with 18 games remaining in the 1976-77 WHA season. He retired as a player after that season but remained as head coach.

He stayed on as head coach when the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979–80. In 1978, then-Oilers owner Peter Pocklington came to Sather and asked him whether he should acquire Wayne Gretzky; Sather replied, 'Whatever you have to do, get him.' Upon acquiring Gretzky, Sather allowed him to live with his family. In 1979, the Oilers were absorbed into the NHL.

After taking them to the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season, Sather was promoted to president and general manager. He selected Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, and Andy Moog in the 1980 draft, and Grant Fuhr and Steve Smith in the 1981 draft. The Oilers made the playoffs with Sather as sole head coach from 1979–80 until 1984–85. In 1985, Sather named John Muckler as associate head coach and began splitting coaching duties.

Sather won the Jack Adams Trophy in 1985–86. After the 1988 offseason trade of Gretzky, the Oilers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Sather then relinquished his title of head coach to Muckler but remained general manager. For the 1989–90 season, the Oilers returned to the Final and won in five games for their fifth Stanley Cup.

Sather left the Oilers organization in 2000 and was succeeded as general manager by Kevin Lowe. For the 2000-01 season, Sather joined the Rangers to become their president and general manager.

Did You Know?

• Sather, together with Brian Burke and Darryl Porter owned the Tri-City Americans of the WHL until 2005 when the team was sold to prevent the team from moving.
• Sather, Burke, and Porter along with Moray Keith and Jim Bond were granted a WHL expansion team starting in the 2006-2007 season in Chilliwack, British Columbia which became the Chilliwack Bruins.

Building a Dynasty: The Edmonton Era

Sather's tenure began as player-coach in the WHA, where he scored a goal in his first game as a coach against Winnipeg. In 1978, he convinced owner Peter Pocklington to acquire Wayne Gretzky, dismissing concerns about the player's size with the instruction: "Whatever you have to do, get him." Sather allowed Gretzky to live with his family and built a roster around him, drafting Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, and Andy Moog. After a poor start in 1980–81 (4–9–5), Sather took over as head coach, leading the team to sweep Montreal. The 1981–82 season saw an NHL-record 417 goals scored, paced by Gretzky's 212 points. The Oilers won five Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1990, including a fifth title in 1990 after trading Gretzky. Sather served as head coach from 1979–80 until 1985, then split duties with John Muckler before relinquishing the role in 1988 to focus on management.

International Leadership and National Pride

Sather's influence extended beyond the NHL. He was instrumental in building Canadian national teams for three major tournaments: the 1984 Canada Cup, which they won as champions; the 1994 Ice Hockey World Championship, where they secured a gold medal; and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, reaching the finals.

Executive Tenure with the New York Rangers

Sather joined the New York Rangers in 2000 as president and general manager after Neil Smith was fired. His initial tenure saw the team miss the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, extending a franchise-record seven-year drought from 1998 to 2005. He acquired aging veterans like Mark Messier, Theoren Fleury, and Eric Lindros but failed to secure playoff spots. Sather traded away key players like Brian Leetch and Pavel Bure towards the end of the 2003–04 season. He served as GM until July 1, 2015, then became president until April 4, 2019. He remained as senior advisor and alternate governor until June 26, 2024.

Life Beyond the Rink and Hall of Fame Legacy

Sather was born in High River, Alberta, and raised in Wainwright. He played professionally for ten seasons in the NHL and one in the WHA, scoring 99 goals and 146 assists in 739 regular-season games. In retirement, he co-owned the Tri-City Americans (WHL) until 2005 and later owned the Chilliwack Bruins before they became the Victoria Royals in 2011. He resides in Rye, New York; Palm Springs, California; and Banff, Alberta. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997, he is remembered as a mentor to Wayne Gretzky, who credited him alongside his father as his most important mentors.