Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Kevin Lowe retired from the Nationwide Hockey League with nothing to show to their friends within the recreation. However on Oct. 10, 1979, they flew into O’Hare Worldwide Airport prepared to indicate, not that they had been elite, however that they belonged.
That was the evening of the Edmonton Oilers’ first recreation within the NHL. After seven seasons within the World Hockey Affiliation (WHA), the Oilers had been taking the subsequent step to the highest hockey league on the planet.
Nobody on that flight—not even “The Nice One” himself—was resistant to the anxious power of the journey.
“I’d by no means been that nervous earlier than in my life,” Gretzky instructed Edmonton Journal reporter Terry Jones.
Messier, who was 18 years outdated on the time, was additionally making an attempt to not let the enormity of the second rattle him.
“All I might take into consideration was, ‘We’re within the NHL.’ It obtained to me,” the long run Corridor of Famer mentioned in Jones’ 1998 e-book Edmonton’s Hockey Knights: 79 to 99.
Ron Chipperfield, a 25-year-old centre who was named the primary captain of the Oilers on Northwest Airways Flight 458 to Chicago, conceded to feeling like a rookie, regardless of his 5 years of play within the WHA.
“The NHL is the place to play … I assume I can admit that now,” mentioned Chipperfield.
Head coach Glen Sather, now the senior advisor and alternate governor of the New York Rangers, noticed a crew that was keen to indicate what it might do.
“All these guys try to show they’re good hockey gamers. They need to present these guys within the NHL that they’re good hockey gamers,” Sather instructed Jones.
“They’re excited. Now they’ve an opportunity to go and present it the place everyone goes to note.”
Sport 1 Lineup for the Edmonton Oilers
Whereas acquainted names like Gretzky, Messier, Lowe, Lee Fogolin, Dave Semenko and Dave Lumley performed in that first NHL recreation for the Oilers, the crew had but to spherical out its roster with the legendary abilities of Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr.
Dave Dryden—a 38-year-old netminder who had NHL expertise with the Chicago Black Hawks, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers—was between the pipes for the Oilers, whereas Eddie Mio (Gretzky’s finest man at his 1988 wedding ceremony to Janet Jones) was the backup goalie.
Fogolin and Lowe had been joined by Doug Hicks, Risto Siltanen, Colin Campbell and Pat Worth on the again finish. Hicks, a product of Chilly Lake, Alberta, was added from the Black Hawks by the 1979 enlargement draft, and put collectively his finest offensive season in his first yr with the Oilers, scoring 9 targets and 31 assists over 78 video games.
Siltanen was one other blueline menace for Edmonton. He put up 35 factors in 1979-80 and would observe that up with a 53-point marketing campaign in his second yr within the NHL. The Finn hit his stride for the Oilers in 1981-82, when he notched 63 factors in 63 video games.
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Campbell, who would ultimately function the league’s chief disciplinarian earlier than taking over his present function because the NHL’s government vp and director of hockey operations, led the crew in penalty minutes through the Oilers’ inaugural marketing campaign, racking up 196 minutes within the field.
Worth, in the meantime, was one other participant who got here to the Oilers through enlargement draft. The previous New York Islander was a well-rounded participant who scored 11 targets, 32 factors and served 134 penalty minutes in 1979-80.
Ahead Depth: A Work in Progress
Gretzky was the apparent centre of consideration through the Oilers’ transition to the NHL. Throughout his one season within the WHA—which included eight video games for the Indianapolis Racers and 72 for the Oilers—he seemed like a celebrity within the making, scoring 46 targets and 110 factors, which was good for third in league scoring behind Robbie Ftorek and Actual Cloutier. (from ‘Wayne Gretzky returns to Indianapolis, the place his profession started,’ Indy Star, 01/12/2018)
The Brantford, Ontario native seemed even higher in his first tour of responsibility within the NHL. His 137 factors—51 of which had been targets—left Gretzky tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne, who took dwelling the Artwork Ross Trophy resulting from a better objective complete. Whereas he missed out on that {hardware}, Gretzky did declare the Hart Memorial Trophy because the NHL’s most respected participant and the Woman Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.
Using shotgun with Gretzky in 1979-80 was proper winger Blair MacDonald, who scored 46 targets and 94 factors earlier than being traded to Vancouver subsequent season (when Sather noticed {that a} “fireplace hydrant” might rating 40 targets taking part in with Gretzky).
Messier had not but established himself as a second-line centre, not to mention probably the greatest leaders in hockey historical past. He spent most nights on the third line and solely scored 33 factors in his rookie marketing campaign.
That left others to select up the offensive slack. Chipperfield recorded 18 targets and 19 assists throughout 67 video games for the Oilers earlier than he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques for goaltender Ron Low on March 11, 1980. One other centre, Stan Weir, put in a stable season for Edmonton, scoring 33 targets and including 33 helpers.
On the wings, Lumley and Brett Callighen every posted 58-point seasons, whereas Dave Hunter chipped in with 43 factors. Semenko added six targets and 7 assists however his function was to not put the puck within the web. The opposite forwards in that opening evening lineup—proper winger Invoice Flett and left winger Peter Driscoll—wouldn’t stay within the NHL previous the 1980-81 season.
The ahead group supplied some offensive punch—largely from Gretzky—however the Oilers had been but to turn into the high-powered, goal-scoring drive they might throughout a lot of the Nineteen Eighties.
Puck Drop for the Oilers within the NHL
The opening faceoff at Chicago Stadium featured the 18-year-old Gretzky lining up at centre ice in opposition to Corridor-of-Famer Stan Mikita in entrance of 9,000 followers.
It was a shaky begin for the Oilers, who had been down 2-0 by 2:33 of the primary interval. However a short while later, the franchise’s first NHL objective got here from an unlikely supply when Lowe’s backhander discovered the again of the online behind goalie Tony Esposito on the midway-point of the opening body.
The ability-play marker from Lowe—Edmonton’s first-ever draft decide, a twenty first general choice from the Quebec Remparts – was one for the Oiler report books. The assists went to Gretzky, who scooped up the historic puck and handed it to Lowe, and Callighen. Lowe solely scored 84 targets throughout his 19 seasons within the NHL, however few had been larger than that one.
Earlier than the top of the primary interval the Oilers would strike once more when Hunter punched dwelling a move from Weir for the second objective in crew historical past. Lumley additionally drew an help on that objective, his first NHL level. The Oilers went into the primary intermission trailing 3-2 and the Black Hawks added an insurance coverage objective within the second interval earlier than securing a 4-2 win over Edmonton.
“They had been a good-skating, hard-working crew,” Mikita instructed reporters after the sport. “They had been making an attempt to show one thing and, so far as I’m involved, they did.”
Mikita, who retired after taking part in simply 16 extra video games, was not the one Black Hawk who was impressed.
“I used to be pleased when it was over,” mentioned Esposito in his postgame feedback. “They did an incredible job. In the event that they proceed to play like that, they’re going to shock a whole lot of groups.”
A Season of Firsts for the Oilers
The sport in Chicago checked off a whole lot of containers for the Oilers, who’re celebrating 40 years within the NHL this season – first shifts, first targets, first assists and the crew’s first NHL loss. (from ‘Edmonton Oilers rejoice fortieth NHL anniversary with Fan Day and retro jersey,’ Edmonton Solar, 09/04/2018)
Extra groundbreaking moments would observe. Messier scored his first objective throughout a 3-3 tie in opposition to the Detroit Pink Wings on the Oilers’ dwelling opener on Oct. 13, 1979. Edmonton’s subsequent recreation, a 4-4 draw versus the Canucks, featured Gretzky’s first objective, which got here on the ability play.
Following a loss and two ties, the Oilers lastly registered their first franchise win at Northlands Coliseum on Oct. 19—a 6-3 victory over the Quebec Nordiques.
By mid-season, that they had compiled a 9-22-9 report and playoffs appeared unlikely. However Gretzky and his crew managed to show issues round within the second half and their 28-39-13 report was adequate for Edmonton to qualify for the sixteenth and ultimate playoff spot. The Oilers had been swept by the Philadelphia Flyers within the best-of-five sequence – they’d have to attend one other yr to earn their first playoff victory.
Extra to Show: A Dynasty within the Making
When the 1979-80 NHL season wrapped up, the Oilers nonetheless had lots to show, however they did sufficient to indicate that they belonged within the league.
Classes had been discovered, by the gamers and the teaching workers, and success would observe.
Kurri, Fuhr, Moog, Anderson and Coffey would quickly be part of Gretzky, Messier, Lowe and Semenko in Edmonton.
The primary regular-season NHL wins the Oilers skilled in 1979 would quickly be transformed into first playoff wins, first postseason sequence victories and the crew’s first Stanley Cup in 1984—the primary of 5.
These Oiler groups don’t have anything left to show.
