1981–82 Edmonton Oilers season

1981–82 Edmonton Oilers
Smythe Division champions
Division1st Smythe
Conference1st Campbell
1981–82 record48–17–15
Home record31–5–4
Road record17–12–11
Goals for417 (1st)
Goals against295 (7th)
Team information
General managerGlen Sather
CoachGlen Sather
CaptainLee Fogolin
Alternate captainsNone
ArenaNorthlands Coliseum
Average attendance17,488 (99.99%)
Minor league affiliate(s)Wichita Wind (CHL)
Team leaders
GoalsWayne Gretzky (92)
AssistsWayne Gretzky (120)
PointsWayne Gretzky (212)
Penalty minutesDave Semenko (194)
Plus/minusWayne Gretzky (+81)
WinsGrant Fuhr (28)
Goals against averageGrant Fuhr (3.31)

The 1981–82 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' third season in the NHL. The Oilers dramatically improved on their previous two seasons, as they finished with a franchise record 48 wins and 111 points, winning the Smythe Division[a] for the first time in team history. The Oilers set an NHL record with 417 goals, the first time in NHL history that a team finished with over 400 goals.

Wayne Gretzky continued rewriting the record books, scoring an NHL record 92 goals, which included 50 goals in 39 games, also an NHL record. Gretzky's 212 points was also a record, and it was the first time in NHL history that a player had over 200 points, as he won his third Hart Memorial Trophy and his second Art Ross Trophy.

Mark Messier broke the 50 goal plateau for the first time in his career, while Glenn Anderson got 105 points. Paul Coffey led the defense with 89 points.

In goal, Grant Fuhr became the starting goalie, and would break the Oilers franchise record for wins in a season with 28. He also led the club with a 3.31 GAA and a .898 save percentage.

For the first time in their short NHL history, the Oilers entered the Stanley Cup playoffs as a clear favorite to make a deep postseason run. Going into the playoffs, the Oilers faced the Los Angeles Kings, and after splitting the first 2 games, the Oilers held a 5–0 lead on the Kings heading into the 3rd period of game 3. Los Angeles came back to tie the game 5–5, before completing the comeback with an overtime goal, taking a 2–1 series lead. The game came to be known as the Miracle on Manchester. Edmonton came back to tie the series in game 4, but the Kings eliminated Edmonton in game 5, shocking the hockey world, and ending the Oilers season a lot sooner than expected.

Season standings

Smythe Division
GP W L T GF GA PTS
Edmonton Oilers 80 48 17 15 417 295 111
Vancouver Canucks 80 30 33 17 290 286 77
Calgary Flames 80 29 34 17 334 345 75
Los Angeles Kings 80 24 41 15 314 369 63
Colorado Rockies 80 18 49 13 241 362 49

[1]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents

Smythe Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Campbell Conference

Vs. Wales Conference


Schedule and results

1981–82 Game Log

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1982 Stanley Cup playoffs

Season stats

Scoring leaders

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Wayne Gretzky 80 92 120 212 26
Glenn Anderson 80 38 67 105 71
Paul Coffey 80 29 60 89 106
Mark Messier 78 50 38 88 119
Jari Kurri 71 32 54 86 32

Goaltending

Player GP TOI W L T GA SO Save % GAA
Grant Fuhr 48 2847 28 5 14 157 0 .898 3.31
Ron Low 29 1554 17 7 1 100 0 .874 3.86
Andy Moog 8 399 3 5 0 32 0 .842 4.81

Playoff stats

Scoring leaders

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Wayne Gretzky 5 5 7 12 8
Glenn Anderson 5 2 5 7 8
Jari Kurri 5 2 5 7 10
Risto Siltanen 5 3 2 5 10
Dave Lumley 5 2 1 3 21

Goaltending

Player GP TOI W L GA SO Save % GAA
Grant Fuhr 5 309 2 3 26 0 N/A 5.05

Awards and records

Awards

Records

  • 417: An NHL team record for most goals in a single season.
  • 400: A new NHL team record for most goals in a single season on March 26, 1982.
  • 212: An NHL record for most points in a single season by Wayne Gretzky.
  • 165: A new NHL record for most points in a single season by Wayne Gretzky on February 19, 1982.
  • 200: First NHL player to hit a 200-point-milestone by Wayne Gretzky on March 25, 1982.
  • 120: An NHL record for most assists in a single season by Wayne Gretzky.
  • 110: A new NHL record for most assists in a single season by Wayne Gretzky on March 19, 1982.
  • 92: An NHL record for most goals in a single season by Wayne Gretzky.
  • 77: A new NHL record for most goals in a single season by Wayne Gretzky on February 24, 1982.
  • 68: An NHL record for most even strength goals in a single season by Wayne Gretzky.
  • 53: A new NHL record for most even strength goals in a single season by Wayne Gretzky on February 17, 1982.

Milestones

Regular Season
Player Milestone Reached
Walt Poddubny 1st NHL Game October 7, 1981
Garry Unger 1,000th NHL PIM
Grant Fuhr 1st NHL Game October 14, 1981
Mark Messier 100th NHL Point
Wayne Gretzky 200th NHL Assist October 18, 1981
Doug Hicks 500th NHL Game
Grant Fuhr 1st NHL Win October 21, 1981
Risto Siltanen 100th NHL Point
Grant Fuhr 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
October 23, 1981
Lee Fogolin 100th NHL Assist October 24, 1981
Lee Fogolin 500th NHL Game October 27, 1981
Wayne Gretzky 7th NHL Hat-trick
2nd Four-Goal NHL Game
October 31, 1981
Matti Hagman 100th NHL Point
Paul Coffey 100th NHL Game November 11, 1981
Dave Semenko 300th NHL PIM November 12, 1981
Pat Hughes 300th NHL PIM November 14, 1981
Lee Fogolin 700th NHL PIM November 17, 1981
Stan Weir 300th NHL Point November 19, 1981
Ken Berry 1st NHL Game November 21, 1981
Glenn Anderson 3rd NHL Hat-trick November 23, 1981
Todd Strueby 1st NHL Game
Wayne Gretzky 8th NHL Hat-trick
3rd Four-Goal NHL Game
November 25, 1981
Marc Habscheid 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Marc Habscheid 1st NHL Goal November 29, 1981
Pat Hughes 200th NHL Game December 1, 1981
Mark Messier 2nd NHL Hat-trick December 2, 1981
Ken Berry 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
December 4, 1981
Mike Forbes 1st NHL Goal December 5, 1981
Dave Lumley 100th NHL Point December 9, 1981
Jari Kurri 100th NHL Game December 16, 1981
Jari Kurri 100th NHL Point December 17, 1981
Wayne Gretzky 9th NHL Hat-trick December 19, 1981
Dave Lumley 1st NHL Hat-trick
Kevin Lowe 200th NHL PIM December 23, 1981
Ken Berry 1st NHL Goal December 27, 1981
Wayne Gretzky 400th NHL Point
10th NHL Hat-trick
4th Four-Goal NHL Game
Doug Hicks 400th NHL PIM
Glenn Anderson 100th NHL Point December 30, 1981
Wayne Gretzky 50th Goal in 39 Games
11th NHL Hat-trick
2nd Five-Goal NHL Game
Matti Hagman 200th NHL Game
Wayne Gretzky 200th NHL Game January 2, 1982
Glenn Anderson 100th NHL Game January 6, 1982
Paul Coffey 200th NHL PIM January 14, 1982
Wayne Gretzky 12th NHL Hat-trick January 20, 1982
Paul Coffey 100th NHL Point January 26, 1982
Pat Hughes 100th NHL Point January 29, 1982
Mark Messier 200th NHL Game
Wayne Gretzky 13th NHL Hat-trick January 31, 1982
Kevin Lowe 200th NHL Game February 6, 1982
Paul Coffey 2nd NHL Gordie Howe hat trick February 12, 1982
Dave Hunter 200th NHL Game
Mark Messier 300th NHL PIM
Mark Messier 3rd NHL Hat-trick February 17, 1982
Risto Siltanen 100th NHL Assist
Wayne Gretzky 14th NHL Hat-trick February 19, 1982
Dave Hunter 100th NHL Point February 21, 1982
Garry Unger 800th NHL Point
Wayne Gretzky 15th NHL Hat-trick
4th NHL Natural Hat-trick
February 24, 1982
Wayne Gretzky 300th NHL Assist March 10, 1982
Wayne Gretzky 16th NHL Hat-trick March 17, 1982
Risto Siltanen 200th NHL Game
Wayne Gretzky 500th NHL Point March 19, 1982
Laurie Boschman 3rd NHL Gordie Howe Hat-trick March 25, 1982
Risto Siltanen 100th NHL PIM March 26, 1982
Garry Lariviere 200th NHL Game March 28, 1982
Dave Lumley 300th NHL PIM
1st NHL Gordie Howe Hat-trick
200th NHL Game
Dave Semenko 400th NHL PIM
Lee Fogolin 800th NHL PIM March 31, 1982
Mark Messier 50th Goal in 79 Games
Playoffs
Player Milestone Reached
Grant Fuhr 1st NHL Game April 7, 1982
Charlie Huddy 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
Tom Roulston
Risto Siltanen 1st NHL Assist
Grant Fuhr 1st NHL Win April 8, 1982
Charlie Huddy 1st NHL Assist
Dave Hunter 1st NHL Assist
Dave Lumley
Lee Fogolin 1st NHL Goal April 10, 1982
Randy Gregg 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Dave Hunter 50th NHL PIM
Garry Unger 100th NHL PIM
Grant Fuhr 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
April 12, 1982
Garry Unger 50th NHL Game
Randy Gregg 1st NHL Game TBD

Transactions

Trades

August 10, 1981 To Los Angeles Kings

5th round pick in 1983Garry Galley

To Edmonton Oilers

Jay McFarlane

August 21, 1981 To Minnesota North Stars

Don Murdoch

To Edmonton Oilers

Don Jackson
*3rd round pick in 1982Wally Chapman

December 11, 1981 To New York Rangers

Eddie Mio

To Edmonton Oilers

Lance Nethery

March 9, 1982 To Colorado Rockies

Stan Weir

To Edmonton Oilers

Ed Cooper

March 9, 1982 To Toronto Maple Leafs

Walt Poddubny
Phil Drouillard

To Edmonton Oilers

Laurie Boschman

March 9, 1982 To Washington Capitals

Doug Hicks

To Edmonton Oilers

Todd Bidner

* Later traded to the Minnesota North Stars

Waivers

Date Player Team
October 5, 1981 (1981-10-05) Gary Edwards to St. Louis Blues

Signings

Date Player Term
July 7, 1981 (1981-07-07) Matti Hagman 1-year
Dave Hunter 3-year

Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 8 Grant Fuhr  Canada Victoria Cougars (WHL)
2 29 Todd Strueby  Canada Regina Pats (WHL)
4 71 Paul Houck  Canada Kelowna Buckaroos (BCJHL)
5 92 Phil Drouillard  Canada Niagara Falls Flyers (OHL)
6 111 Steve Smith  Canada London Knights (OHL)
7 132 Marc Habscheid  Canada Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
8 155 Mike Sturgeon  Canada Kelowna Buckaroos (BCJHL)
9 176 Miloslav Horava  Czechoslovakia Kladno Poldi (Czechoslovak Extraliga)
10 197 Gord Sherven  Canada Weyburn Beavers (SSHL)

Notes

  1. ^ With the NHL adopting a new playoff format with division-only brackets for the first two rounds, the Oilers elected to follow a convention of recognizing winning the Division Final as constituting a division championship. As a result, due to their early playoff exit the team did not raise a division championship banner.

References

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  • National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007