1985 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 vs New York Islanders

Lore & Background

The Oilers were founded in 1971 by W. D. 'Wild Bill' Hunter and Dr. Chuck Allard and played its first season in 1972–73 as one of the 12 founding franchises of the major professional World Hockey Association (WHA). They were intended to be one of two WHA Alberta teams along with the Calgary Broncos. However, when the Broncos relocated and became the Cleveland Crusaders before the WHA's first season began, the team was named the Alberta Oilers. They were renamed the Edmonton Oilers the following year and subsequently joined the NHL in 1979 as one of four franchises absorbed through the NHL–WHA merger. After joining the NHL, the Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup on five occasions: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1989–90. Along with the Pittsburgh Penguins, they are tied for the most championships won by any team since the NHL–WHA merger, as well as the most won by any team that joined the league in or after 1967. Among all NHL teams, only the Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times since the league's 1967 expansion. The Oilers also won six straight division titles from 1981–82 through 1986–87. Notably, however, the Oilers have not won a division title since 1987, a drought that includes their most recent two Stanley Cup wins and is the longest division title drought in all of the North American major professional sports. For their overall success in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Oilers team of this era has been honoured with dynasty status by the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Northlands Coliseum was thick with anticipation, smelling of popcorn and nervous sweat. The crowd roared as Wayne Gretzky skated the puck up ice, his jersey number 99 a beacon against the darkness. The Islanders pressed hard, their defense a wall of blue and orange, but the Oilers' speed found gaps where none seemed to exist. When the final horn sounded, the arena didn't just cheer; it erupted in a primal roar of relief and joy. Confetti rained down on players who had carried the hopes of an entire city, finally lifting the Stanley Cup high above their heads.

Reader's Guide

The Oilers began to struggle after coming up short in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, missing the playoffs for the subsequent 10 seasons. The Oilers made 16 first-round selections in the NHL entry draft from 2007 to 2019: 11 within the first 10 picks overall, six within the first four picks and four of the first overall selections. With those first overall picks, Edmonton selected Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov and Connor McDavid; of these, Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid remained with the team, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, where they lost to the Florida Panthers on both occasions.

Did You Know?

• The Oilers won their first Stanley Cup in 1983–84 by defeating the New York Islanders.
• The Oilers won the 1984–85 Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.
• Wayne Gretzky set the single-season record for goals with 92 in 1981–82.
• The Oilers are the NHL franchise with the northernmost home location.