8 things for Edmonton Oilers fans to be thankful for

As people all across Canada celebrate Thanksgiving Day, here are eight things Edmonton Oilers fans should be extremely grateful for.

On Sunday the focus was on family, during a relaxed day at Rogers Place. Every member of the Edmonton Oilers organization was invited to bring along family members, to spend some quality time together after the optional skate.

With the Oilers set to embark on what will be a pivotal season, this was one of the last few chances to really relax and let loose. It also gave everyone time to reflect on how grateful they are, a day before Thanksgiving.

Forward Derek Ryan spoke to the media about the importance of Sunday. As per Jamie Umbach of EdmontonOilers.com, he said:

“You kind of get together as a group, you bring the people in that mean the most to you and have done a lot to get you where you are now, and it’s just nice to get to know everyone a little bit more and hang out and be with each other.”

Head coach Jay Woodcroft also spoke to the media, about how much he appreciates everything in his life. He said:

“At this time of year, it’s important to make sure you’re around family and you take a little pause for reflection on what it is you’re most thankful for. Certainly, I’m blessed with a lot of things in my life including a great family and certainly, this position.”

Of course, this is a time for people all across Canada to feel blessed for what they have. Along these lines, here are eight things Edmonton Oilers fans should be thankful for on this special day:

1) The history:

Even though the Oilers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1990, it doesn’t take away from their rich tradition and history. Despite the lengthy drought, they are tied-sixth all time with five championships.

If you break it down further, the Oilers have won the most Stanley Cups out of all the Canadian teams, since they joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season. On a league-wide level, they are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the most championships over the same time period.

2) The Great One:

Of course there can be no discussion of the Oilers’ history, without mention of one Wayne Gretzky. “The Great One” is regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time, and Edmonton gets to claim him as their own.

What Gretzky did for the Oilers specifically and the NHL in general cannot be underestimated, as he took the game to new heights no one thought possible. His list of accolades is long and impressive, including the all-time records for career goals, assists and total points in both the regular season and playoffs, as well as most ever Hart Trophies.

Want your voice heard? Join the Oil On Whyte team!

Write for us!

3) Lottery joy:

To say you have the best player in hockey history is special enough, but to say you arguably have someone who could one day overtake them, is almost unfair. Almost. And yet this is exactly the position the Oilers are in, after being fortunate enough to win the lottery draft and select Connor McDavid first overall.

McDavid is the best player in the game today, and the scary thing for opponents is he’s only just entering his prime years and still continuing to improve. He may or may not eventually surpass Gretzky, but worst-case he’s on course to become the second-best hockey player of all time.

4) Arguably second-best:

On the subject of second-best, the Oilers arguably have the number two hockey player in the game right now. More specifically Leon Draisaitl, who TSN ranked second in their most recent Top 50 NHL players poll.

In 2020, Draisaitl became the first ever German player to win the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. More recently, last season he came within two power play goals of the all-time single season record, while finishing tied for most playoff goals, despite only playing two rounds.