Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)
The Edmonton Oil Kings were a Canadian ice hockey team from Edmonton, Alberta. The team played from 1966 to 1976 and in the 1978/79 season in one of the three highest Canadian Junior Hockey League, the Western Canada Hockey League ( WCHL ).
History
The Edmonton Oil Kings were founded in 1951 as a team of Western Canada Junior Hockey League. At this she participated until its dissolution in 1956. In response, the Oil Kings of the newly established Central Alberta Hockey League joined, in which they competed until its dissolution in 1961. From 1960 to 1966, the team from Alberta was seven times in a row in the final of the Memorial Cup, in which they in 1963 against the Niagara Falls Flyers and 1966 prevailed against the Oshawa Generals. In the summer of 1966 the team was recorded as a founding member of the Canadian top junior league Western Canada Hockey League, in which they missed the playoffs only once until 1976. After 1969 and 1970 in the final of the Ed Chynoweth Cup the Flin Flon Bombers subject twice, they could return the favor already in the 1970/71 season by winning the final series against Flin Flon. In the best- of-seven series, they defeated them with four straight wins with one draw and one defeat. In the subsequent final of the Memorial Cup but the Oil Kings lost against the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
In the 1971/72 season Edmonton won with a 4-1 victory in the best- of-seven series, the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the second time, had to in the subsequent final round of the Memorial Cup with the Cornwall Royals, however, again a team of the QMJHL admit defeat. Despite the successes, the leaders in 1976 decided due to the strong competition from the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association for the relocation of the franchise to Portland, Oregon, where it has since participating under the name Portland Winter Hawks in the game operation of the Western Hockey League.
Due to the relocation of the Flin Flon Bombers to Edmonton Oil Kings, the 1978 again received a WHL franchise, which, however, only in the 1978/79 season was active in the WHL, in which it won only 17 of his 72 games with 46 points and in third the East Division already eliminated in the playoff qualification. Following this season, the franchise was to Great Falls, Montana, resettled, where it subsequently took part under the name of Great Falls Americans at play operation of the WHL.
Since the 2007/ 08 season plays an eponymous franchise in the WHL.
Former Players
The following players who were active for the Edmonton Oil Kings, played in the course of her career in the National Hockey League:
- Garnet Bailey
- John Bucyk
- Marc Dufour
- Al Hamilton
- Bryan Aldwyn Hextall
- Chuck Holmes
- Paul Messier
- Bob Murdoch
- Ray Neufeld
- Glen Sather
- Roy summer
- Norm Ullman
- Bob Whitlock