Kings–Canucks Rivalry

Lore & Background

The rivalry began in the Oilers' first NHL years, featuring young star Wayne Gretzky against the Kings' Marcel Dionne. In 1979–80, Gretzky and Dionne tied with 137 points, but Dionne won the Art Ross Trophy on goals (53 to 51). The teams first met in the playoffs in 1981–82, when the top-seeded Oilers faced the Kings. The Kings staged a miraculous comeback from a 5-0 deficit in Game 3, tying the game with five seconds left and winning 6-5 in overtime on a Daryl Evans goal—the Miracle on Manchester.

The Kings won the series in five games but lost the next round to the Vancouver Canucks. After the Kings missed the playoffs for two seasons, the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup in 1984. The teams met again in the 1985 playoffs (Oilers swept) and 1987 playoffs (Oilers won in five games). On August 9, 1988, the Oilers traded Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski, and Marty McSorley to the Kings for two younger players, three first-round picks, and $15 million.

In Gretzky's first game back in Edmonton, he received a four-minute standing ovation. The Kings finished ahead of Edmonton for the first time in 1988–89 and won a first-round playoff series against the Oilers in seven games. The Oilers won the next three playoff meetings and the Stanley Cup in 1990. The rivalry cooled after 1992–93 as Oilers players moved on and Edmonton missed the playoffs for the first time.

The teams did not meet in the playoffs again until 2022. In the 2022 playoffs, the Oilers came back from a 1-0 and 3-2 series deficit to win in seven games. In 2023, the Oilers won in six games. In 2024, the Oilers won in five games en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

In the 2024–25 season, the Kings won two regular-season games 3-0 and 5-0 to clinch home-ice advantage, though the Oilers were missing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl due to injuries. The Kings took a 2-0 series lead, but the Oilers won the next four games to win the series en route to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. A turning point was a coach's challenge by Kings head coach Jim Hiller on an Evander Kane goal that was unsuccessful, leading to a power-play goal by Evan Bouchard.

Reader's Guide

The rivalry is defined by frequent playoff meetings (11 total), the shocking 1988 trade of Wayne Gretzky, and intense matchups in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2020s. Key moments include the Miracle on Manchester (1982), Gretzky's return to Edmonton, and the four consecutive first-round series from 2022 to 2025, all won by the Oilers. The rivalry reignited in the 2020s with heated games and player movement between the teams.

Did You Know?

• The Miracle on Manchester occurred in 1982 when the Kings came back from a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime.
• In the 2025 playoffs, Kings head coach Jim Hiller's unsuccessful coach's challenge on a goal by Evander Kane was widely viewed as the turning point of the series.