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Edmonton Oil Kings

 
Wikipedia: Edmonton Oil Kings
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For the original Oil Kings franchises, see Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL).
Edmonton Oil Kings
Edmonton Oil Kings logo.svg
City Edmonton, Alberta
League Western Hockey League
Conference Eastern
Division Central
Founded March 16, 2006 (2006-03-16)
Home arena Rexall Place
Colours Blue, red, gold, white
                   
Owner(s) Canada Rexall Sports
(Daryl Katz, Chairman)
General manager Canada Bob Green
Head coach Canada Steve Pleau
Website
www.oilkings.ca

The Edmonton Oil Kings are a Major Junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They play in the Western Hockey League, and as of July 2008, are owned by Daryl Katz's Rexall Sports, who also own the Edmonton Oilers.[1] The 2007–08 season was the newest incarnation of the Oil Kings' inaugural season in the Western Hockey League.

Contents

Franchise history

The newest incarnation of the Oil Kings are the fourth WHL team to play in Edmonton, preceded by the first Edmonton Oil Kings (1950–76), the second Oil Kings (1978–79) and the Edmonton Ice (1996–98). The original Oil Kings franchise predated the WHL, winning two Memorial Cups prior to jumping to the new Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966. The Oil Kings were also initially successful in the WCHL, capturing two President's Cup titles. However, with the arrival of the World Hockey Association and the Oilers in 1972, the junior club's attendance began to plummet. Approximately 150,000 fans went to Oil Kings games in 1971–72. That number dropped to 90,000 the next year, and 68,000 the following year.[2] The original Oil Kings moved to Portland, Oregon in 1976, becoming the Portland Winter Hawks.

An attempt at reviving the Oil Kings in 1978 lasted only one season, as the juniors were once again unable to compete with the pros. Bill Hunter purchased the Flin Flon Bombers and brought them to Alberta's capital. However, the team only averaged about 500 fans per game, and rumours that the team would again relocate began to swirl before the first season was even complete.[3] The second Oil Kings relocated again to become the Great Falls Americans, where the team would only last 28 more games before folding.

Despite the long held belief that major-junior hockey could not survive against the pros, the WHL returned to Calgary in 1995, and Edmonton in 1996. At the time, the Oilers were struggling on the ice, as well as attendance. The Oilers refused to work with the Edmonton Ice, blocking them from playing in Northlands Coliseum, thus relegating them to the substandard Northlands Agricom. The Ice relocated to Cranbrook, British Columbia, becoming the Kootenay Ice, after two underwhelming seasons.

Return of the Kings

The Oil Kings face the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL's Battle of Alberta.

With the Flames owned Hitmen leading the WHL in attendance the past four seasons, and the Vancouver Giants also proving to be a major success at the gate, the Oilers ownership group had spent the last three years attempting to purchase a WHL team, even going so far as to put out an open offer of $5 million - well over market value - for any WHL franchise in 2004.[4] With no takers, and with the 2004–05 NHL lockout looming, the Oilers chose to relocate their AHL team to Rexall Place as the Edmonton Roadrunners. Despite finishing third in the AHL in attendance, the Oilers suspended the Roadrunners after only one season rather than have their minor league team competing against themselves. The Oilers then resumed their quest for a WHL team.

When the sale of the Tri-City Americans to Chilliwack, British Columbia failed, the WHL placed an expansion team in Chilliwack, and the door for Edmonton was finally reopened. While the league had previously refused to consider further expansion, believing 20 teams was enough, the addition of the Chilliwack Bruins left the league with an odd number of franchises. Preferring an even number of teams, the league announced its return to Edmonton on March 16, 2006 with the granting of a conditional expansion franchise, named the Edmonton Oil Kings in homage to the former franchise.

The team began play in the 2007–08 WHL season and finished with a record of 22–39–11, good for 55 points, but not enough to make the playoffs.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2007–08 72 22 39 4 7 162 241 55 5th Central Out of playoffs
2008–09 72 29 34 4 5 191 252 67 5th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final

Current roster

  • As of December 17, 2009.
Goaltenders
# Player Born Place of birth Drafted
1 Canada Torrie Jung 1989 Nanaimo, British Columbia TBL - Round 7, 183 pick - 2007
30 Canada Cam Lanigan 1992 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2010
Defencemen
# Player Born Place of birth Drafted
2 Canada Adrian van de Mosselaer 1990 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2010
3 Canada Mark Pysyk 1992 Sherwood Park, Alberta Eligible 2010
4 Canada Keegan Lowe 1993 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2011
5 Canada Tyler Hlookoff 1990 Castlegar, British Columbia Eligible 2010
6 Canada Braeden Laroque 1992 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2010
8 Canada Drew Nichol 1989 Edmonton, Alberta Free Agent
24 Canada Lane Werbowski 1991 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2010
Forwards
# Player Position Born Place of birth Drafted
9 Canada Brent Raedeke (A) C 1990 Regina, Saskatchewan Signed with DET
10 Canada Devin Balness LW 1992 Beausejour, Manitoba Eligible 2010
11 Canada Dylan Wruck C 1992 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2010
15 Canada Cameron Maclise RW 1992 Lacombe, Alberta Eligible 2010
16 Canada T. J. Foster C 1992 Slave Lake, Alberta Eligible 2010
17 Canada Michael Burns RW 1991 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2010
18 Canada Michael St. Croix C 1993 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2011
20 Canada Rhett Rachinski (C) LW 1991 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2010
21 Canada Travis Ewanyk LW 1993 St. Albert, Alberta Eligible 2011
22 Czech Republic Tomas Vincour (A) RW 1990 Brno, Czech Republic DAL - Round 5, 129 pick - 2009
25 Canada Clayton Cumiskey C 1990 Abbotsford, British Columbia Eligible 2010
26 Czech Republic Robin Soudek RW 1991 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic Eligible 2010
27 Canada Logan Proulx LW 1991 Trail, British Columbia Eligible 2010
29 Canada Brett Breitkreuz (A) LW 1989 Springside, Saskatchewan Free Agent

Notes

  1. ^ "Oil Kings Welcome New Owner". Official website of the Edmonton Oil Kings. 2008-07-02. http://www.oilkings.ca/hm/inside.php?id=280. Retrieved 2008-08-30. 
  2. ^ Official WHL Website ::
  3. ^ Official WHL Website ::
  4. ^ CANOE - SLAM! Sports - Columnists - Brownlee: What the WHL?

See also

External links

Official
Non-official



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