Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)

This article is about the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings.

Edmonton Oil Kings
CityEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
LeagueWestern Hockey League
Operated1950 (1950)–1979
Home arenaEdmonton Gardens, Jasper Place Arena
ColoursRed, Blue, White
     
Franchise history
1967–1978Flin Flon Bombers
1978–1979Edmonton Oil Kings
1979–1980Great Falls Americans
1980–1982Spokane Flyers
Previous franchise history
1950–1976Edmonton Oil Kings
1976–presentPortland Winterhawks
Championships
Playoff championships1963 & 1966 Memorial Cup Champions

The Edmonton Oil Kings were a Canadian junior ice hockey team, and founding member of the Western Hockey League. They played at Edmonton Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta, and later Northlands Coliseum. In 1976, they moved to Portland, Oregon to become the Portland Winter Hawks. A second incarnation of the team played only one season in 1977–78 before moving to Great Falls, Montana.

Foundation of the Oil Kings

The Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA) sought to combine the best players from the Edmonton Junior Hockey League into a Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL) team.[1] Leo LeClerc became the general manager in 1949, and led the team to its first Memorial Cup win in 1963.[2][3] An Edmonton team was formed for the 1950–51 season, but was denied entry since the WCJHL had already made its schedule. In response, the AAHA threatened not to sanction the other four Alberta-based teams in the league, but recanted and sought exhibition games for the Edmonton team.[4][5] When players from Edmonton were added to the rosters of WCJHL teams, AAHA vice-president Art Potter stated that the players had not been released and faced suspension for not honouring commitments.[6] After the players returned, Potter announced the team would be known as the Edmonton Oil Kings and play an exhibition schedule versus WCJHL teams.[7]

Franchise history

The Edmonton Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup in 1963 and 1966 as members of the senior men's Central Alberta Hockey League. The team was required to defeat the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion to earn the right to play for the national junior championship. They were also cup finalists seven different years between 1954 and 1971.

In 1966, Bill Hunter, the team's General Manager, was concerned about the state of junior hockey in western Canada. Each of the west's four provinces all had their own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at a disadvantage when competing nationally against the powerful leagues in Ontario and Quebec. Hunter hoped to form a unified western league to compete.

Hunter's hopes became reality in the summer of 1966, when a revolt within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League caused several of its top clubs, the Estevan Bruins, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Canucks and Weyburn Red Wings, to leave the league and join Hunter's Oil Kings in forming a new league. A seventh franchise was also added in Calgary, the Calgary Buffaloes.

The Oil Kings captured back to back President's Cup titles in 1971 and 1972, however it would prove to be the final titles in the celebrated franchise's history, as the Oil Kings found it difficult to compete with the lure of pro hockey provided by the WHA's Edmonton Oilers. The Oil Kings moved to Portland, Oregon in 1976, to become the Portland Winter Hawks.

There was a second Edmonton Oil Kings hockey team in the WHL that played only one season. The Flin Flon Bombers moved to Edmonton for the 1978–79 WHL season, but only survived one year and moved on to Great Falls. The team folded as the Great Falls Americans, then was revived as the Spokane Flyers for two seasons before folding for good.

A new WHL team began play in Edmonton in 2007–08, reviving the Oil Kings name.

League membership

The Oil Kings played in the following leagues during its existence:

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Western Canada Junior Hockey League (1951–56)

Season GP W L T Pts GF GA Finish League Playoffs Memorial Cup
1951–52 44 29 14 1 59 - - 2nd Lost final
1952–53 36 28 6 2 58 218 97 1st Lost final
1953–54 36 33 3 0 55 263 84 1st Won Championship Lost Memorial Cup final
1954–55 40 23 16 1 47 173 115 3rd Lost semi-final
1955–56 36 17 19 0 34 150 143 3rd Lost semi-final

Central Alberta Hockey League (1956–66)

Season GP W L T Pts GF GA Finish League Playoffs Memorial Cup
1956–57 40 24 16 0 48 - - 2nd Lost semi-final Lost Western semi-final
1957–58 40 20 19 1 41 161 164 3rd Lost semi-final Lost Western semi-final
1958–59 40 13 26 1 27 - - 4th Lost semi-final Lost Western semi-final
1959–60 30 12 18 0 24 157 171 4th Lost final Lost Memorial Cup final
1960–61 30 12 18 0 24 - - 4th out of playoffs Lost Memorial Cup final
1961–62 34 14 17 3 31 - - 5th out of playoffs Lost Memorial Cup final
1962–63 34 21 12 1 43 - - 1st Lost final Memorial Cup Champion
1963–64 40 31 8 1 63 - - 1st Lost semi-final Lost Memorial Cup final
1964–65 - - - - - - - - out of playoffs Lost Memorial Cup final
1965–66 - - - - - - - - Co-Champion Memorial Cup Champion

During this period the Oil Kings were a junior team playing their regular season in the senior-aged Central Alberta Hockey League. During the 1963–64 season, the Oil Kings also played an interlocking schedule of 14 games total against the seven teams in the original Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.[8] The results for the 1964–65 and 1965–66 CAHL regular seasons are unavailable.[9]

Western Canada Hockey League (1966–77)

Season GP W L T Pts GF GA Finish League Playoffs Memorial Cup
1966–67 56 34 12 10 78 281 188 1st Overall Lost semi-final
1967–68 60 38 16 6 82 303 194 3rd Overall Lost semi-final
1968–69 60 33 25 2 68 229 206 1st West Lost final
1969–70 60 35 25 0 70 254 217 2nd West Lost final
1970–71 66 45 20 1 91 346 258 1st West Won Championship Lost Cup final
1971–72 68 44 22 2 90 320 246 2nd West Won Championship Lost Cup round robin
1972–73 68 40 20 8 88 311 240 1st West Lost semi-final
1973–74 68 25 36 7 57 252 301 4th West Lost quarter-final
1974–75 70 34 29 7 75 340 321 5th West Out of playoffs
1975–76 72 25 42 5 55 312 400 5th West Lost preliminary round

Western Hockey League (1978–79)

Season GP W L T Pts GF GA Finish League Playoffs Memorial Cup
1978–79 72 17 43 12 46 288 403 3rd East Eliminated in round robin

NHL alumni

Hockey Hall of Fame

NHL 1st round draft picks

See also

References

  1. ^ "Chick Taylor on A.A.H.A. Executive". Medicine Hat News. June 27, 1949. p. 5.
  2. ^ Jones, Terry (May 16, 2014). "Oil Kings have a long history with the CHL championship". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Leo LeClerc Bridge". Naming Edmonton. 1994. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  4. ^ "Puck Body Irked At Junior Loop Decision". Lethbridge Herald. September 27, 1950. p. 19.; "A.A.H.A. Threatens To Ruin Western Canada Junior Hockey League". Lethbridge Herald. September 28, 1950. p. 16.
  5. ^ "Edmonton Denied Entry". Medicine Hat News. October 10, 1950. p. 6.; Mackintosh, George (October 10, 1950). "A.A.H.A. Offers Solution Of Perplexing Matter". Edmonton Journal. p. 12.
  6. ^ "More Trouble On Tap For Junior Circuit?". Lethbridge Herald. October 19, 1950. p. 12.
  7. ^ "12 Games For Edmonton Juniors". Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1950. p. 12.
  8. ^ "1963–64 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Standings". HockeyDB. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "CAHL Seasons". HockeyDB. Retrieved November 12, 2022.

Oil Kings Heritage