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. The 2007–08 season was the current version of the Oil Kings' inaugural season in the WHL.

WHL history in Edmonton

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 year after. . The original Oil Kings would move to Portland, Oregon in 1976, becoming the Portland Winter Hawks.

An attempt at reviving the Oil Kings in 1978 would last 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. The second Oil Kings would relocate 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, and at the gate. 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 would relocate to Cranbrook, British Columbia after two underwhelming seasons.

The WHL returns to Edmonton

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. 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, the door for Edmonton was finally reopened. While the WHL 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 teams. Preferring an even number of teams, the WHL 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 team.

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	''Season in progress see 2008–09 WHL season

Current roster

*As of September 28, 2008.

Goaltenders
#		align=left	Player	Born	Place of Birth	Drafted
30		Cam Lanigan	1992	Calgary, AB	Eligible 2010
31		Dalyn Flette	1990	Calgary, AB	Eligible 2009

Defencemen
#		align=left	Player	Born	Place of Birth	Drafted
2		Adrian Van de Mosselaer	1990	Kelowna, BC	Eligible 2009
3		Mark Pysyk	1992	Sherwood Park, AB	Eligible 2010
4		Kieran Friesen	1992	Vanderhoof, BC	Eligible 2010
5		Tyler Hlookoff	1990	Castegar, BC	Eligible 2009
7		Henrik Tervonen	1990	Edmonton, AB	Eligible 2009
8		Drew Nichol - (A)	1989	Edmonton, AB	Eligible 2009
11		Brandon Lockerby	1988	Douglas, MB	Free Agent
13		Jesse Pearson	1991	Winnipeg, MB	Eligible 2009

Forwards
#		align=left	Player	Position	Born	Place of Birth	Drafted
9		Brent Raedeke	C	1990	Regina, SK	Eligible 2009
10		Jeff Lee - (C)	LW	1988	Calgary, AB	Free Agent
12		Shayne Neigum - (A)	LW	1990	Kindersley, SK	Eligible 2009
14		Colton Stephenson	C	1992	Saskatoon, SK	Eligible 2010
15		Brenden Dowd - (C)	C	1988	Saskatoon, SK	Free Agent
16		T.J. Foster	C	1992	Slave Lake, AB	Eligible 2010
17		Michael Burns	RW	1991	Edmonton, AB	Eligible 2009
20		Rhett Rachinski	LW	1991	Edmonton, AB	Eligible 2009
21		Braeden Adamyk	C	1990	Neepawa, MB	Eligible 2009
22		Tomas Vincour	RW	1990	Brno, Czech Republic	Eligible 2009
24		Craig McCallum	RW	1989	Canoe Narrows, SK	Eligible 2009
25		Clayton Cumiskey	C	1990	Abbotsford, BC	Eligible 2009
26		Robin Soudek	RW	1991	Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic	Eligible 2009
27		Logan Proulx	LW	1991	Trail, BC	Eligible 2009
29		Brett Breitkreuz	LW	1989	Springside, SK	Eligible 2009

External links

• Edmonton Oil Kings website
• TSN Article about Team's return

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in Alberta

References