Organized hockey has always been a popular sport in the Canadian province of Alberta with dozens of minor and junior leagues for youngsters as well as senior leagues for adults. In addition, there are two NHL franchises in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. There is also an AHL club, the Calgary Wranglers, who are an affiliate of the Calgary Flames.
Are the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames Rivals?
There’s a fierce natural rivalry between the Alberta-based teams in Edmonton, which is the province’s capital city, and Calgary, as they face each other in the NHL’s Pacific Division in the Western Conference.
The two cities are approximately just 185 miles (300 kilometres) apart and are rivals in several sports with the meetings between hockey’s Oilers and Flames known as the Battle of Alberta.
What Is the History of The Battle Of Alberta?
The two teams met for the first time in a regular-season NHL contest on October 22nd, 1980 and at times have played each other up to eight times per season. The clubs were among the best in the NHL in the mid to late 1980s as one of the two Alberta clubs represented their conference in the Stanley Cup Finals for eight straight seasons between 1983 and 1990 (Flames twice, Oilers six times).
In addition the Alberta franchises won six of the eight Stanley Cup Championships during this stretch with the Oilers becoming a dynasty and capturing five of them.
As of January, 2023 the teams have met just six times in the playoffs however with the Oilers winning five series and also holding a 23-12 edge in games won. They won the best-of-seven Divisional Finals in five games in 1982/83 and in seven games in 1983/84.
The Flames won the Divisional Finals in seven games in 1985/86 but were swept in four straight in 1987/88. They met in the Division Semifinals in 1990/91 with Edmonton winning again in the full seven games. The sides last met in the postseason in 2021/22 with Edmonton taking the series in five.
Who Has the Most Wins in The Battle Of Alberta?
As of January 18th, 2023 the Oilers and Flames had met 259 times in regular-season contests with Calgary having the edge 129-106-18-6 (wins/losses/ties/overtime losses). The Oilers hold a 23-12 won/loss edge in the playoffs while Calgary holds the lead in all-time meetings (regular season and playoffs) at 141-129-18-6 (wins/losses/ties/overtime losses).
The biggest win the the rivalry saw Edmonton hammer Calgary 10-1 on November 26th, 1996. However, Calgary currently owns the longest winning streak between the squads as they once beat their neighbours nine times in a row.
Do the Edmonton Oilers or the Calgary Flames Have More Stanley Cups?
The Oilers had won five Stanley Cups as of January, 2023 with victories in 1983/84, 1984/85, 1986/87, 1987/88 and 1989/90. They also won the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team in 1985/86 and 1986/87.
The Calgary Flames have one Stanley Cup triumph to their name as they hoisted the trophy in 1988/89. They also won the President’s Trophy in 1987/88 and 1988/89.
The Edmonton Oilers:
When Did the Edmonton Oilers Join the NHL?
The Edmonton Oilers were founded in 1971 and began play in 1972/73 under the name the Alberta Oilers as a member of the World Hockey Association (WHA). The club renamed itself the Edmonton Oilers in 1973/74 and competed in the WHA until the end of the 1978/79 season. The Oilers then joined the NHL in 1979/80 when several WHA teams merged with the NHL.
Where is the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Stadium?
The Oilers play their home games at Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton. The venue opened in September, 2016 and has a capacity of 18,500 for ice hockey. Up until 2016 the Oilers home games took place at Northlands Coliseum which went through several name changes as it was also known as the Edmonton Coliseum, Skyreach Centre, and Rexall Place.
Do the Edmonton Oilers Have a Mascot?
Since September 26th, 2016 the Oilers have had a Canadian lynx named Hunter as the club mascot. A Canadian lynx was chosen because the largest population of the animal is located in Alberta. The name Hunter is a tribute to William “Wild Bill” Hunter, who was the original owner of the Oilers franchise. The mascot wears a jersey with the number 72 on it which represents the first year the team took the ice. Hunter bangs on a portable drum while entertaining the fans and leads them in the “Let’s Go Oilers!” chant.
Who Are Some of The Most Notable Players from The Edmonton Oilers?
There are a total of 11 former Oilers players in the Hockey Hall of Fame. These are: the NHL’s all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky along with Jacques Plante, Norm Ullman, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson, Adam Oates, Chris Pronger, Kevin Lowe and Mark Messier. There are also five former Oilers in the Hall of Fame in the Builders category. These are: Glen Sather, Roger Neilson, Pat Quinn, Clare Drake and Ken Holland.
Other notable Oilers players over the years include Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Smith, Doug Weight, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Craig Simpson, Ales Hemsky, Steve Smith, Curtis Joseph, Tommy Salo, Charlie Huddy, Bill Ranford, Jimmy Carson, Lee Fogolin, Mike Krushelnyski, Andy Moog, Dave Semenko, Randy Gregg, Craig MacTavish, Devan Dubnyk, Shawn Horcoff, Todd Marchant, Dave Hunter, Sam Gagner, Jason Smith, Jordan Eberle, Dave Lumley, Marty McSorley and Esa Tikkanen.
The Calgary Flames:
When Did the Calgary Flames Franchise Join the NHL?
The Calgary Flames franchise originated in 1972 in the American state of Georgia as the Atlanta Flames. Their first NHL season came in 1972/73. After the 1979/80 campaign the club relocated to Calgary and began playing in the city in 1980/81.
The Calgary Tigers (nicknamed the Bengals) were a pro team which played in the city between 1920 and 1927 as members of the Big-4 League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The franchise then returned and played from 1932 to 1936 in the minor pro North Western Hockey League with their home games being played at Victoria Arena.
The Tigers were the first Calgary-based team to compete for the Stanley Cup when they lost to the Montreal Canadiens two games to none in a best-of-three series in 1923/24. The franchise played a total of 11 seasons in four leagues and won four championships.
The Calgary Cowboys played played two seasons, 1975/76 and 1976/77 in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with their home games being played at the Stampede Corral. The franchise originated in Florida as the Miami Screaming Eagles in 1972 but never played a game in American city. The team played one season in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Blazers in 1972/73 and then moved to Canada and became the Vancouver Blazers until moving to Calgary in 1975. The franchise then folded in 1977.
Where is the Calgary Flames Hockey Stadium?
The team played it home games the Stampede Corral in Calgary for the first three season and then moved to the Scotiabank Saddledome in October, 1983, which was originally known as the Olympic Saddledome. Their home rink has a capacity of 19,289 for ice hockey.
Do the Calgary Flames Have a Mascot?
The Flames’ mascot originated in 1983 to serve the NHL club as well as the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Calgary Stampeders team and is known as Harvey the Hound. Harvey was the first team mascot in the NHL. During a Battle of Alberta game in 2003, Oilers’ head coach Craig MacTavish ripped the tongue out of the mascot as he claimed Harvey was harassing his team’s bench.
Who Are Some of The Most Notable Players from The Calgary Flames?
There are 11 former Calgary Flames players currently in the Hockey Hall of Fame and these are: Lanny McDonald, Joe Mullen, Grant Fuhr, Al MacInnis, Brett Hull, Doug Gilmour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Phil Housley, Sergei Makarov, Martin St. Louis and Jarome Iginla. Former Flames who have been inducted in the Hall of Fame as builders are: Bob Johnson, Cliff Fletcher, Harley Hotchkiss, Doc Seaman and Bill Hay. Former team trainer Bearcat Murray was also inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Other notable Flames players over the years include Theoren Fleury, Mike Vernon, Mikka Kiprusoff, Paul Reinhart, Jim Peplinski, Pat Riggin, Tim Hunter, Johnny Gaudreau, Nazem Kadri, Kent Nilsson, Gary Suter, Guy Chouinard, Gary Roberts, Mark Giordano, Eric Vail, Sean Monahan, Craig Conroy, Todd Simpson, Brad McCrimmon, Phil Russell, Doug Risebrough, Brad Marsh, Steve Smith, Jonathan Huberdeau, Trevor Kidd, Rejean Lemelin, Mikael Backlund, Steve Bozek, T.J. Brodie, Hakan Loob, Jamie Macoun, Joel Otto, Dion Phaneuf, Colin Patterson, Paul Ranheim, Rober Reichel, Cory Stillman and German Titov.
Who Are Some Famous NHL Players Born in Alberta?
There have been well over 600 NHL players who were born in Alberta. Some of the most well known have been: Mark Messier, Johnny Bucyk, Jarome Iginla, Norm Ullman, Ray Whitney, Lanny McDonald, Shane Doan, Trevor linden, Tom Lysiak, Ryan Smyth, Brent Sutter, Gary Unger, Murray Craven, Scott Niedermayer, Dave Babych, Taylor Hall, Stan Smyl, Brian Sutter, Kelly Kisio, Troy Murray, Bill Gadsby, Glen Wesley, Ron Sutter, Ron Stewart, Bryan Little, Mike Rogers, John McKenzie, Darcy Tucker, Wayne Babych, William Nylander, Orest Kindrachuk, Duane Sutter, Rich Sutter, Darryl Sutter, Frank McCool, Pete Peeters, Clint Malarchuk, Kelly Hrudey, Chris Osgood, Mike Vernon and Grant Fuhr.
Are there Any AHL Teams in Alberta?
The lone American Hockey League team in Alberta as of January, 2023 was the Calgary Wranglers, a minor-league affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Like the Flames, the Wranglers play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome in downtown Calgary. The club debuted in Calgary in 2022/23 after the Flames relocated their minor-league club the Stockton Heat from California.
The club’s roots can be traced back to 1977 when it originated as the Maine Mariners. The team has moved several times and was also known as the Utica Devils, Saint John Flames, Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, Quad City Flames, Abbotsford Heat and the Adirondack Flames.
During the 2004/05 season, which saw the NHL campaign called off due to a lockout, the Edmonton Road Runners played one AHL season with their home games being held at Rexall Place, home of their parent club the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers relocated the Toronto Roadrunners team to Edmonton that season to provide fans with pro hockey as the NHL season was wiped out. The club averaged 8,854 fans per game to rank third in the AHL in 2004/05 but realizing the city of Edmonton couldn’t support both an NHL and AHL franchise, the Road Runners suspended operations after one season.
The club became the Oklahoma City Barons from 2020 to 2015 and became the Bakersfield Condors in 2015 and are still the AHL affiliate of the Oilers. The franchise originated as the Nova Scotia Oilers in 1984 and then became the Cape Breton Oilers and Hamilton Bulldogs before becoming the Toronto Roadrunners.
Are there Any ECHL Teams in Alberta?
There are currently no ECHL teams in Alberta as of January 1st, 2023 however both the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers have an affiliate in the ECHL. The Flames are associated with the Rapid City Rush who are based in the American city of Rapid City, South Dakota.
The team, which entered the league in 2008/09, plays in the Mountain Division of the Western Conference with its home games being held at the 7,500-seat venue known as the Monument.
The Oilers’ ECHL affiliate is the Fort Wayne Komets, who were originally founded in 1952 as an International Hockey League (IHL) franchise and also played in the Central Hockey League (CHL) in the past. The team plays in the Central Division of the Western Conference with its home games being played at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum which has a capacity of 10,480 for hockey.
Are there WHL Teams in Alberta?
There are several Western Hockey League (WHL) clubs based in Alberta as of January 1st, 2023. These were: the Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers and the Red Deer Rebels. Former Alberta-based WHL clubs include the Calgary Wranglers, Calgary Centennials, Edmonton Ice and Lethbridge Broncos.
Is Hockey Popular in Alberta?
Ice hockey is very popular in the province of Alberta with males and females of all ages and skill levels. There are numerous organized leagues for children, teenagers and adults as well as minor and major junior circuits and of course the two NHL clubs. The sport has always been and always will be popular in Alberta and the NHL teams are there to stay.
Final Thoughts
The days of dynasties in Alberta are in the rearview mirror as the Oilers were the last team in the province to win the Stanley Cup in 1989/90 and they haven’t been back to a Stanley Cup Final since losing in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005/06.
Calgary last hoisted the cup in 1988/89 and haven’t reached a Final since being edged in seven games by Tampa Bay in 2003/04. Teams can quickly turn things around however in today’s salary-cap era with astute draft choices and good trades. The Oilers arguably have the best hockey player in the world right now in their lineup in Connor McDavid so they could be the first Alberta team to break their Stanley Cup slump.
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Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.