Who has the most goals, points, or penalty minutes in the Battle of Alberta among active and retired players? We answer a few of these questions

There have been 265 Battles of Alberta during the regular season since the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in 1980. That move sparked what is now an iconic in-province rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers. Of those contests, the Flames lead in wins, 131 to 115, with 19 ties before the NHL introduced the shootout in 2005-06. With that being said, let's dive a little deeper into the numbers and the stat leaders that have made this rivalry one of the best in the league. 

Goals

All-time, Calgary: Jarome Iginla, 34 in 89 games

The face of the franchise was able to light the lamp more than a few times against the team that he grew up cheering for. Iginla's prowess against Edmonton as a Flame made more than a few Oiler fans wish he were playing on the opposite side. 

All-time, Edmonton: Wayne Gretzky, 47 in 62 games

Flames fans of a certain era likely had nightmares for more than a few seasons, thanks to Wayne Gretzky's efforts. Like it was for all of his Smythe Division opposition, Gretzky made life rough with his ability to take over a game, be it with goal-scoring or playmaking. 

Active, Calgary: Mikael Backlund, 16 in 60 games

The numbers may not be as flashy as the Flames of previous eras, but Mikael Backlund has led the way when it comes to getting on the scoresheet against Edmonton. 

Active, Edmonton: Connor McDavid, 29 in 39 games

Breaking Wayne Gretzky's mark of goals against the Calgary Flames by an Oiler is something Connor McDavid could be knocking on the door of one day. With three more games to play vs the Flames in 2023-24, don't sleep on the idea of McDavid possibly gaining a little more ground on Gretzky's record.

Points

All-time, Calgary: Al MacInnis, 89 in 75 games

Getting in front of Al MacInnis when he had the puck isn't something many opposing players wanted to do, and he was pretty adept at turning his possessions into points, especially against Edmonton. 

All-time, Edmonton: Wayne Gretzky, 139 in 62 games

Did you expect to see anyone else but No. 99 at the top of this category? Calgary brought out the best in Gretzky, not only from a goals perspective but also in terms of total points. He averaged just over two points per game against the Flames while playing for Edmonton. 

Active, Calgary: Mikael Backlund, 44 in 60 games

Mikael Backlund has been one of the more consistent elements when it comes to putting up points against the Oilers since becoming a consistent fixture in the Flames' lineup. While not at the pace of an Iginla or MacInnis he's been able to get offense against Edmonton. 

Active, Edmonton: Leon Draisaitl, 55 in 42 games

While Connor McDavid is the active leader in goals against the Flames, Leon Draisaitl has been leading the way when it comes to points. Draisaitl had put up just a little more than a point per game against the Flames during the 2021-22 regular season. But he saved his very best effort for the playoffs when he recorded an eye-popping 17 points in five games in their 2022 playoff series. 

Penalty Minutes

All-time, Calgary: Jim Peplinski, 312 in 69 games

From the start of the Flames' tenure in Calgary to the height of their battles against their provincial rival, Jim Peplinski was one of the toughest names in the Flames' lineup. Peplinski battled with the likes of Dave Semenko, Marty McSorley, and Kevin McClelland, with more than a few drops of blood spilled. 

Bonus fact: Peplinski also briefly saw the other side of the rivalry while working as an Oilers television analyst in the 1990s.

All-time, Edmonton: Kevin McClelland, 313 in 44 games

Think of some of the toughest names to ever don an Oilers uniform, from Marty McSorley to Dave Brown to Georges Laraque to Steve McIntyre. They all got busy with the physical side of the game, but they're all still behind Kevin McClelland when it comes to penalty minutes in this matchup. McClelland's battles with tough customers such as Tim Hunter and Jim Peplinski helped ensure he'd be No. 1 in this stat. 

Active, Calgary: Mikael Backlund, 40 in 60 games

If you did a double take at the leader of this stat, who would blame you? Not many would expect to see Mikael Backlund as the Flames' active PIMs leader against Edmonton, but it's true. Backlund has never had a season of more than 78 penalty minutes, while players from past Battles of Alberta may have come close to touching that total in a single game when the teams squared off. 

Active, Edmonton: Darnell Nurse, 47 in 38 games

Darnell Nurse has never been afraid of getting busy on the physical side of the game. Against Calgary, he's led the way when it comes to penalty minutes for Edmonton as the newest era of the Battle of Alberta has been full of fireworks. 

Of note, active players Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk have moved on to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers respectively, but they have even more penalty minutes – 73 in 67 games for Giordano, and 69 in only 28 games for Tkachuk.

Goaltender Wins

All-time, Calgary: Miikka Kiprusoff, 33 in 49 games (33-13-1-2 record)

No Flames goaltender thrived in the Battle of Alberta more than Miikka Kiprusoff. For the bulk of the mid to late 2000s and early 2010s, he was Edmonton's kryptonite in net. The Oilers tried their best to figure him out during their rebuilding era, but the Flames at the time were the top dogs in the province. 

All-time, Edmonton: Grant Fuhr, 21 in 48 games (21-15-9 record)

The all-time wins leader for the Oilers also has the most wins all-time against the Flames. Fuhr may not have the flashiest record against Calgary, but his play helped turn back the Flames for many years during Edmonton's dynasty. 

Active, Calgary: Jacob Markstrom, six in 16 games (6-10-0 record)

As bumpy as the tenure of Jacob Markstrom has been in Calgary – especially when facing Edmonton – he's the current leader in wins over the Oilers. Markstrom's six wins over Edmonton in the regular season are the most of any current Flames backstop. 

Active, Edmonton: Stuart Skinner, four in five games (4-0-0 record)

While there are more battles against Calgary to be had in his career, Stuart Skinner so far has been able to get the best of the Flames at every turn, with half of those wins coming in the current season.

Goaltender Losses

All-time, Calgary: Mike Vernon, 21 in 61 games (30-21-6 record)

Mike Vernon might have encountered the Oilers more than his own family during his time as a Calgary Flame with 61 games played against the rival. While he has a winning record against Edmonton, his 21 losses are the most all-time across two separate stints with Calgary. 

All-time, Edmonton: Bill Ranford, 21 in 37 games (12-21-1 record) 

Bill Ranford won a lot of games for the Oilers, but the Flames had his number in the regular season. Ranford's time in Alberta, like Mike Vernon's, includes multiple tenures in different eras, but unlike Vernon, he was unable to reach the .500 mark against the foe three hours down Highway No. 2. 

Active, Calgary: Jacob Markstrom, 10 in 16 games (6-10-0 record)

While Markstrom holds the current win mark against Edmonton as an active Flames goaltender, he also has the most losses. Stringing together consistent wins against the Oilers hasn't been an easy feat for Markstrom, and after the 2022 playoff series loss to Edmonton, it has yet to look up for him. 

Active, Edmonton: Jack Campbell, one in one game (0-1-0 record)

It may only be one game, but Jack Campbell's one loss currently sits as the active highest mark for losses to Calgary, a 4-3 loss on Oct. 15, 2022. 

Shutouts

All-time, Calgary: Miikka Kiprusoff, three in 49 games

While Kiprusoff has 33 career wins over the Oilers, just three of them saw him turn away everything Edmonton threw at him. His busiest effort being a 32-save performance in a 4-0 Calgary victory on Jan. 20, 2007. 

All-time, Edmonton: Tommy Salo, two in 27 games

With some of the scorers over the years between these two teams, it's not surprising that you have to get past the 1980s and early 1990s to find an Oilers goalie with multiple shutouts against the Flames. Salo remains the leader even 21 years after his last game in an Edmonton uniform. 

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Jonathan Tovell contributed the statistics to this article.