Edmonton Oilers Series Preview: Favorite Oilers of All Time
By Kris Hansen
Introduction
Hello everyone! My name is Kris Hansen and I am the newest member of the wonderful Oil On Whyte team! Since it is the dog days of summer, I decided that I wanted to introduce myself and include my personal project to make time go by faster.
I am a 26-year-old hockey zealot. I love everything about the game of hockey. I started watching hockey when I was only four years old but the first season I remember was the 95-96 season where the Colorado Avalanche swept the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. I remember as a kid that I learned to read by reading the players names off hockey cards (for example, I thought Patrick Roy was Packing Boy because he was recently traded to Colorado!) My dad introduced me to the Oilers relatively quick and it was love at first sight. From the extreme lows that we have endured as fans, I truly believe better days are coming and this time, for real!
Besides Hockey, I also follow the Cleveland Browns in the NFL and CFL it’s all about the Edmonton Eskimos. Outside of Sports, I am a recent Education graduate who is trying to make a start in my teaching career.
More from All-Time Lists
- The Top 3 Captains in Edmonton Oilers History
- Top 5 Defenseman In Edmonton Oilers History
- Top 5 Goalies In Edmonton Oilers History
- Top 5 Non-Active Edmonton Oilers Players Of All-time
- Top 3 Worst contracts for Edmonton Oilers since 2006
Which brings me to the introduction of my first series: My personal top ten favorite Edmonton Oilers. However, for the sake of my personal list I have the following rules for myself:
The Rules
1) The player has had to play at least one season with the Oilers. While Connor McDavid will probably be my favorite Oiler, let alone NHLer, for the next fifteen years, it would not be right for me to add him on the list just yet. While I am already a tremendous fan of #97, it would be too easy to add the young up-and-comers onto the list. Unfortunately, I am also including studs like Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl into this category. Draisaitl was a difficult choice since he played 37 games this past season with the Edmonton Oilers, but for the sake of the list: it had to be at least a season with the Oilers. Sorry Petr Nedved, but you also fall into this list.
Sadly, this means the great Oilers of the 80s will not be making an appearance on this list. As much as I love Wayne Gretzky, I never got to see him play as an Oiler
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
2) This one was also a tough choice but for the sake of it: The player MUST be one that I had the opportunity to witness. Sadly, this means the great Oilers of the 80s will not be making an appearance on this list. As much as I love Wayne Gretzky, I never got to see him play as an Oiler. Same with Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri and Paul Coffey. I also include Glenn Anderson since his second stint, he was a shell of his former self. It’s sad because everyone knows their impact on the Edmonton Oilers. However, it makes my list more interesting. I could easily put Gretzky at number one but with this rule it is more challenging. Besides, it will not be the same usual Oilers. I grew up in the 90s and 2000s and there are plenty of Oilers for me to make a top ten list.
3) Remember: this is only my opinion! There are some players that I disliked that people loved. Raffi Torres is a great example: I never liked Raffi as I found him way too inconsistent and took reckless penalties. Others would point out how he brought an element of grit and edge. I respect that! This is all based on personal preference.
That is all from me. I look forward to writing for this great website and look forward to the comments.
Happy reading!