Celebrating the 1984 Edmonton Oilers

The entire roster of the 1984 Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers will reunite on October 10 in Edmonton. The Oilers will host a special celebration to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the historic 1984 Stanley Cup victory.

The players, coaches and training staff will be introduced at the Oilers’ game against the Calgary Flames Oct. 9 and there will be a gala charity dinner at Rexall Place Oct. 10 (the Stollery Children’s Hospital is the beneficiary) to reminisce about the team that won the first of five Cups.

Oilers fans will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the entire 1984 Championship team and staff, including Oilers legends Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, Glenn Anderson and Glen Sather, as they reunite in Edmonton on October 10 to participate in the 1984 Stanley Cup Reunion event, an evening of storytelling and memory sharing at Rexall Place.

"Winning the first Stanley Cup in 1984 was a huge moment for everyone on the team. We gave everything we had that year and it took a monumental team effort to dethrone the Islanders," said Wayne Gretzky. "It is going to be amazing to see everyone again, the first time we've all been together since 1984. I can't wait to be in Edmonton and share stories and many great memories with our fans."

The idea for the celebration was spearheaded by Gretzky, and coordinated by Kevin Lowe.

“One of the great things about being a professional hockey player is the fond memories that you have over the years and the friendships that you develop,” Gretzky said via videoconference Tuesday. “Kevin (Lowe) and I lived for a lot of years together in Edmonton and when I saw him this winter, I started thinking about doing something really unique and something really special. The Oilers and the city of Edmonton have always been leaders in doing things that are innovative.”

“Fans are going to get the experience and opportunity to hear some stories,” Gretzky said. “They’re going to hear maybe stories that they haven’t heard in the past. I have people come up to me now and tell me that their grandfather never missed a game.

"The 1984 team was the people's team, Edmonton's team, and the whole City played a part in making us champions. It was a historic occasion for the City of Edmonton and the National Hockey League," said Lowe. "It's only fitting we invite fans back to where the magic happened to celebrate with an evening of intimate storytelling, entertainment and interaction with the team."



There is no indication that former owner Peter Pocklington has been invited. Defenseman Charlie Huddy, now an assistant coach in Winnipeg, will not be on hand for the pre-game introductions on October 9th, but will be in attendance for the Gala Event on the 10th. Raimo Summanen, who works in the KHL, may also have a conflict at this time.

Roloson or Fuhr?

Did you see the highlights of the Bruins-Oilers tilt from Monday night?

With a spectacular glove save and those retro jerseys, I could have sworn Grant Fuhr, not Dwayne Roloson, was back in net for the Oilers.

Roloson looked even more like Fuhr because he's sporting a Fuhr replica mask that he will wear when the team wears the retro jerseys.

As a fan of the old Oilers I have to say that is sweet.

By the way, Mathieu Garon also has a retro mask honouring another great Oilers goalie of the past, Bill Ranford.

The Boys On The Bus

As mentioned earlier, the Edmonton Oilers are bringing back their dynasty uniforms as third jerseys this season.

Those great jerseys of orange and blue made me reminisce quite happily about "the Boys On The Bus." And look and behold what I found on YouTube:

Edmonton Oilers Third Jersey

1990: Edmonton Wins Cup Without Gretzky

The year is 1990. Wayne Gretzky left Edmonton two years prior. Many people believed that when he left town, so had the Stanley Cup.

But the Oilers remained a strong team, with holdovers like Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Esa Tikkanen and Kevin Lowe. But new heroes emerged, namely Craig Simpson, Joe Murphy, Adam Graves, Martin Gelinas and especially goaltender Bill Ranford.

Ranford, who came over two years earlier in the Andy Moog trade, would win the Conn Smythe trophy as he and the Oilers bested Moog and the Boston Bruins for the second time in three years. With spectacular play, Ranford established himself as perhaps the best goalie in the world in the early 1990s.

Esa Tikkanen also deserves special mention, as he emerged as arguably the top defensive forward in the world after his masterful shut down jobs on Wayne Gretzky, Denis Savard and a spooked Craig Janney.

Make no mistake though, this was now Mark Messier's team. The hometown hero was named captain after Gretzky left, and 1990 was his greatest year in Edmonton. He finished with a career best 129 points, was named as the Hart Trophy winner and led the Oilers to their most unexpected Stanley Cup championship of their dynasty.

1987: Oilers Back On Top

The year is 1987. It is a great year for hockey, highlighted by Rendez Vous '87, the 1987 Canada Cup, and an enthralling seven game Stanley Cup finals.

The Edmonton Oilers mean business this time around, determined to make up for lost opportunities in 1986. The Oilers had a relatively easy route to the finals, thanks mainly to Winnipeg's upset victory over the Oilers' chief rival, the Calgary Flames. The Oilers faced little trouble in eliminating the Kings, Jets and Red Wings.

In a rematch of the 1985 Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers faced the Philadelphia Flyers. Most of the main characters returned for the rematch Cup, but the Flyers had found a new goalie. Late in 1985 Pelle Lindbergh, star of the 1985 playoff run, died in a car crash. The Flyers found an even better goalie in rookie Ron Hextall for the 1987 playoff run. The fiery Hextall would capture the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP, thanks mainly to his 2.77 GAA, .908 save percentage and 2 shutouts. He was especially dominate in games 3 and 4, encouraging Wayne Gretzky to proclaim Hextall as "the best goaltender I've ever played against."

Though he pushed them to the brink, Hextall's flash and fireworks were not enough to knock off the Oilers. The Flyers, who were led by the Life Line of Pelle Eklund, Rich Tocchet and Brian Propp but were without 50 goal scorer Tim Kerr due to injury, came up just shy in the 7 game thriller.

The Oilers were again led by Gretzky, who led the playoffs with 34 points. In just his 6th playoff he recorded 177 points, establishing a new NHL career playoff record.

In a typical move of great class, upon receipt of the Stanley Cup at center ice, captain Gretzky made sure the first player to be handed the Cup was Steve Smith. Of course, a year earlier the rookie defenseman immortalized himself when he scored into his own net and unexpectedly eliminated the Oilers.

1983: Islanders and Oilers Collide

The year is 1983. The most anticipated Stanley Cup final in years takes place, as the 3 time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders face off against the highest scoring team in NHL history - the Edmonton Oilers.

The Islanders had worked hard to establish themselves as perhaps the greatest team in NHL history, but they had a serious dislike for the cocky Oilers. This as much as anything motivated the Islanders on to their 4th Stanley Cup title in as many years.

The Islanders didn't just win, they completely humbled the high scoring Edmontonians. The Oilers scored 424 goals in the regular season, but could only must 6 in the 4 game finals loss. Wayne Gretzky scored 71 goals in the regular season, and another 12 goals and 38 points in these playoffs. But the Islanders great checking and the belligerent goaltender Billy Smith kept #99 off of the score sheet.

Smith was the story of the finals, slashing and hacking at Oilers forwards and infamously taking a dive to draw a five minute spearing major against Glenn Anderson. His 1.50 GAA against the Oilers scoring machine was a convincing argument for his Conn Smythe trophy win.

Denis Potvin played this series with a heavy heart. His ailing father was near death, but the two made a pact: Denis would win the Cup if his father fought for his life. In a happy ending, Denis' father was in attendance when his son lifted the Stanley Cup for the 4th and what proved to be final time.

The Sutter brothers, Duane and Brent, were the unlikely scoring heroes in the finals, with Duane leading all players with 7 points in 4 games, and Brent right behind with 5.

As for the Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and the Edmonton Oilers, they learned a great lesson in their Stanley Cup set back. Kevin Lowe said it best in his autobiography when he and Gretzky were shocked as they walked by the Islanders dressing room on the way out of the rink. The Islanders were not in the midst of a grand celebration, but rather busy attending to their numerous bumps and bruises. Lowe said that was when they realized what it took to be champions.