It’s all over but the crying. The 2023-24 Stanley Cup finals are history. The fat lady has sung. The hated Matthew Tkachuk has raised the Cup over his head. Now, Edmonton Oilers fans will have to wait even longer for another Stanley Cup win. While the Edmonton Oilers are the most prominent team associated with the city, Edmonton’s history with the Stanley Cup finals encompasses other eras and teams that have valiantly fought but ultimately fell short in the Stanley Cup finals. Let’s examine the Edmonton losses in the Stanley Cup Final.
The NHL Years
1983: The First Stanley Cup Final Appearance
The Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL in 1979 as part of the WHA-NHL merger. In 1983, the Oilers made their first Stanley Cup final appearance against the New York Islanders, a team chasing its fourth consecutive championship.
The Oilers finished the regular season with 106 points. In addition, they were first in the Smythe Division. They dominated their early playoff opponents. The Winnipeg Jets? Swept 3-0 in the division semi-finals. A very strong Calgary Flames? Also defeated in the division finals, 4-1. Surely, the Chicago Black Hawks would put up a better showing in the Conference Finals. Nope. Swept again, 4-0.
In the end, it was all for naught. The Islanders showcased their playoff experience, sweeping Edmonton in four straight games. The series highlighted the gap between a burgeoning team and an established champion, but it also set the stage for Edmonton’s imminent era of greatness. 1983 was a dress rehearsal that ended up in five Cup wins in seven years between 1984 and 1990, and made Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson and Grant Fuhr Hall of Famers and household names around the league.
2006: The Cinderella Run
After years of middling success, the Oilers embarked on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2006. The team was led by Hall of Famer Chris Pronger and “Captain Canada,” Ryan Smyth. Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff provided decent scoring. Raffi Torres could hit like a freight train. Mike Peca was as good a two-way, shut down centre as there was in the league. Georges Laraque was the undisputed league heavyweight. Still, late in the season, the team was out of a playoff spot.
GM Kevin Lowe went to work. First, he got steady defenceman Jaroslav Spacek from Chicago. Next, scorer Sergei Samsonov came over from the Boston Bruins. Finally, and most importantly, Dwayne Roloson was brought in from Minnesota to play goal. As the eighth seed in the Western Conference, the new players helped the Oilers barely squeak into the playoffs.
Roloson carried the team on his back. In addition, local boy Fernando Pisani had a playoff heater that threatened to make NHL old timers forget John Druce and Kris Kontos. Moreover, Pronger seemingly never left the ice. First, they defeated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings four games to two. Next, they beat the San Jose Sharks by the same margin. The margin was even better, 4-1, in the conference finals against the Anaheim Ducks.
Next up, came the Carolina Hurricanes in the Cup finals. In a series marked by intense competition and dramatic shifts, the Oilers pushed the Hurricanes to a decisive Game 7 after falling behind three games to one. Roloson was injured. Then, backup goalie Jussi Markkanen fell, too, leaving the goaltending reins in the untested blocker and glove hands of inexperienced Ty Conklin.
Despite their resilience, the Oilers fell 3-1 in the final game. This defeat was a bittersweet moment for Edmonton fans, who saw their underdog team come agonizingly close to reclaiming its former glory. Unfortunately, the Cup appearance was quickly followed by the so-called “decade of darkness,” when they missed the playoffs from 2006 to 2016.
Early Era Stanley Cup Contenders
1908: The Edmonton Thistles
In 1908, the Edmonton Thistles were champions of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, earning the right to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup at that time was the ultimate prize in Canadian amateur hockey, and challenging for it was a prestigious opportunity for any team.
Although the club was technically amateur, the club hired Tommy Phillips, called the greatest hockey player in the world at the time. Next, they brought Didier “Cannonball” Pitre, who had the hardest shot in the league. Finally, they got Hall of Famer Lester Patrick to come in for the challenge. The Thistles’ challenge took them on a journey across the country to face the reigning champions, the Montreal Wanderers. The Wanderers were a dominant force in hockey at the time. The Thistles faced an uphill battle as they ventured east to challenge for the throne. The Stanley Cup finals were a two-game series at the time. The Wanderers defeated the Thistles 7-3 both games.
Despite the defeat, their performance earned them respect and admiration from fans and competitors alike. The Thistles had demonstrated that teams from Edmonton could compete at the highest levels of hockey.
1923: The Edmonton Eskimos
Before the NHL’s prominence, the Edmonton Eskimos, (not to be confused with the Canadian Football League team) were a force in early professional hockey. In 1923, the Eskimos, led by star player and future Hall of Famer Duke Keats, challenged the Ottawa Senators for the Stanley Cup. The finals, held in a best-of-three format, saw the Eskimos lose two consecutive games (2-1 and 1-0). The series was characterized by Ottawa’s defensive prowess and the Eskimos’ inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
This loss was a significant moment in Edmonton’s hockey history, reflecting the competitive spirit and early establishment of the city as a hockey hub. Despite the defeat, the Eskimos’ efforts laid the groundwork for the development of professional hockey in Edmonton.
A Legacy of Near Misses
For Edmonton’s hockey fans, the memories of lost finals are bittersweet reminders of how close their teams have come to ultimate glory. The history of near victories only strengthens the resolve of a city that lives and breathes hockey, always believing that the next season could be the one where Edmonton’s heroes finally bring the Cup home.
The early challenges faced by the Edmonton Thistles and Eskimos, the dramatic rise and fall of the Oilers in 1983 and 2006, followed by a near-historic win in 2024 all weave together a rich tapestry of passion, skill, and tenacity. These stories are a testament to the enduring legacy of hockey in Edmonton. It’s a city where the ice rink is more than just a playing field. It’s a crucible of dreams and aspirations.
Main Photo: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
