Favorite Edmonton Oilers of All Time: #7. Dwayne Roloson
By Kris Hansen
After featuring #8. Sam Gagner, I go back to the goalies with Dwayne Roloson.
Roloson Recap
Dwayne Roloson had a really interesting career as an NHL goalie. If there were a comparable of how his route to the NHL it’s similar to Tim Thomas. Both goalies had to take the less beaten path towards becoming a starter in the NHL, with obviously Thomas having the better career, picking up some significant hardware.
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Rolie the Goalie started off as an undrafted goalie with the Calgary Flames. He started his pro debut in the 94-95 season in the AHL with the Saint John Flames. Roloson would make his debut in the 96-97 season, playing 31 games with the Calgary Flames. However, the next couple seasons he would be bounced from majors and minor and eventually traded to Buffalo to back up Dominik Hasek. However, his time in Buffalo would only last two seasons as he was claimed in the expansion draft. Rather than play for Columbus, Roloson opted to sign with St. Louis’s AHL Affiliate, the Worcester IceCats . However, at age 31, in the 2001-02 season, he joined the Minnesota Wild and would end up splitting duties with Manny Fernandez. With Roloson in net, the Wild would go to the Western Conference Finals in a cinderella run in 2002-03. At Age 34, Roloson would appear in his first NHL All Star game in 2004.
After the lockout, Roloson was a prized Trade Deadline Acquisition in 2006 for the Edmonton Oilers. He would play four seasons with the Oilers and would leave the team during free agency in 2009, signing with the New York Islanders. He stay in Long Island was short as he was traded in his second season to the Tampa Lightning. Just like with the Wild and Oilers before, Roloson would be part of a cinderella run with the Lightning in 2011, making the conference finals but losing to Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins. He would play an additional season with the Lightning with his last season being the 2011-12 season. He is currently the goaltending coach with the Anaheim Ducks.
Why Roloson at #7?
Easy. The 2006 Stanley Cup run. That is the highlight so far in my life as a Edmonton Oilers fan. I was in Grade 11, 16 at the time working at Little Caesars for my first job. Every night we would listen on the radio 630 CHED the Oilers game intently. I have never seen something like that in Edmonton: I remember at school tons of people wearing Oilers jerseys (yours truly included) every time the Oilers would play. During that 2006 season, the Oilers were not a bad team: they had a very balanced attack, a superstar defensemen but goaltending was putrid. It was a three headed monster of Ty Conklin, Jussi Markkanen and Mike Morrison . Not one of the three goalies were a capable starter. However, in 2006 Kevin Lowe made some gambles that paid off for a playoff run by trading a first round pick for Dwayne Roloson. It was a hefty price and at the start, it did not look great. Roloson struggled. He did not look good and the Oilers barely made the playoffs.
First round was against the President Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings. In six games, the Oilers upset them. In the second round, the Oilers would face the San Jose Sharks with Hart Trophy Winner Joe Thornton (who was traded from Boston in a stunning blockbuster). It was in this series where Roloson made the best save on 50 goal scorer Jonathan Cheechoo in double Overtime.
The Sharks would fall in six games. In the Western Conference Finals, Edmonton would beat Anaheim in five, setting up a WHA Stanley Cup final. Sadly, our potential Conn Smythe winner would get hurt on a freak play where Marc-Andre Bergeron would push a player into Roloson, causing a sprained knee ligament for Roloson. Even sadder, the Oilers would lose that cup final in 7 games. We were so close and I firmly believe that if Roloson remained in net, the Oilers could of defeated the Hurricanes. It was the high point for me in my fandom career.
The Oilers would have a mass exodus in the summer of 06, but Roloson resigned with the team. Of all the players that could of left, especially after such a stellar run, Roloson earned a lot of respect from me for sticking with the Oilers. Also, Roloson had one of the coolest goalie masks in recent Oiler history (the two Oiler riggers).
Roloson was magical for that 2006 cup run. For that reason, he cements a spot in the all time favorite list for me.
Next: Favorite Oilers of All-Time #8: Sam Gagner