Author's Note:

The following is the third in a series of posts exploring the Edmonton Oilers, their previous “Decade of Darkness,” and how the team has started to turn things around with the help of Connor McDavid.

To offer readers something different during the NHL’s summer lull, this is Part Three of the series—from the perspective of a fan-turned-journalist—and it will continue over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the journey.

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 1: My Introduction to the Oilers

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 2: "Where's My Bottle Cap?"

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 2: "Where's My Bottle Cap?" <i><b>Author's Note:</b></i>

There are few stories stranger than the one that surrounds one of the NHL’s most glorified franchises. A team that perhaps lacked the old-time history of professional hockey, the Edmonton Oilers quickly became the new face of the NHL as they burst onto the National Hockey League landscape in 1979 and took control of it throughout the 1980’s. For nearly 10 years, the Oilers amazed and astonished crowds with their speed, skill and offensive flare and there was no better professional hockey team — perhaps no better dynasty in all of sports.

Unlike typical fairytale stories, the Edmonton Oilers’ dream team turned into years of heartbreak. After dominating the 1980s, the next 26 seasons saw them mostly missing the playoffs and finishing near the bottom. 

The Gretzky Trade Started It All

Many mark the start of the Edmonton Oilers’ decline with the trade of Wayne Gretzky. Considered hockey’s greatest player, Gretzky was Edmonton. He led the team to four Stanley Cups in 11 seasons and over his 22-season NHL career, he set 61 records, including the most career assists and multiple 100- and 200-point seasons.

Trading him, especially in his prime, shocked not just the hockey world, but it made headline news on a national scale. A decision driven by money and ego, his trade set the stage for the Oilers’ long-term struggles.

Again, I was merely a child when the Oilers were at their very best. I don’t recall as a two-year-old boy the day the Oilers made their way into the NHL, nor is their first Stanley Cup etched into my memory when they won it in 1984. It wasn't a big deal in our household and at the time, I was only six.

Stories of Gretzky’s acquisition and record-setting feats, like 50 goals in 39 games, demonstrate just how special he was. As a kid, I couldn’t fully grasp the magnitude of what he had given fans in Edmonton. It wasn't until later, and after watching videos and replays over the years, that it really sunk in: Gretzky wasn’t just exceptional—he was truly “The Great One.”

After trading him, the Oilers faced the consequences of losing their foundational superstar. Without Gretzky, other stars like Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, and Grant Fuhr eventually left. Many joined their former teammate in Los Angeles, and later New York and St. Louis. 

While the Oilers managed one more Stanley Cup in 1990, the Gretzky trade marked the start of a painfully long decline. A once elite dynasty became little more than average and financial instability became front page news. Gretzky's trade led to other moves and it looked as though the Oilers might never recover. 

Former Oilers Big-Ticket UFA Signs PTO With Blues

The Decade of Darkness Began

After 1990, the once-dominant Oilers became an ordinary team. Between 1992 and 1996, they posted losing records, and in the fourteen years after their final Cup, they made the playoffs only eight times, exiting in the first round four times. It wasn’t until the 2005–06 season that the Oilers regained some success, nearly pulling off one of hockey’s greatest upsets. That spring, as Edmonton upset favored opponents, fans briefly dreamed of reliving the glory of the “Boys on the Bus” era and the championship triumphs of Oilers teams past.

The euphoria was short-lived. The sixth Stanley Cup never came and to make matters worse, the next day, this gut-wrenching feeling that this was the last chance of it ever happening again hit the city like a Mack truck.

Gretzky's trade wasn't the only devastating trade the franchise made. In fact, one trade, as hard as it is to believe, may have been arguably more detrimental to the team than moving the world's best player. 

Another top star, one who helped the Oilers almost win another Cup in 2006, wanted out. He was pegged to be the turnaround Edmonton needed, but his trade demand forced the Oilers into a chain reaction of brutally bad decisions. 

To be continued...

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