Edmonton Oil Kings are Back!

Well, on top of a huge, nail-biting 4-3 shoot out win last night over the Detroit Red Wings, yesterday was an important day to note for another reason. On their 40th anniversary of their 1966 Memorial Cup Championship, the Edmonton Oil Kings came back to Edmonton.

I attended the press conference yesterday at Rexall Place and had the chance to meet a few of the 40-some Oil Kings alumni who flew in from all over the country and the world to be there. They’re all a bit older now, one fellow actually reminding me of Burt Lancaster as Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams. He even gave you a mischievous wink after telling you a story from one of their many road trips across the prairies. It was incredible talking to these guys.

So, now a new generation of Oil Kings will be coming to town with the start of the WHL season September 2007. They’ll play 36 regular season home games with 2 additional exhibition games for a total of 38 right in Rexall Place. What’s really exciting is that this team has all the support that other junior hockey teams, who’ve tried to make a start in this city, did not. The Oil Kings have a deep-rooted history here, and with well-established provincial rivals just south of us, the WHL already has a strong footing in Western Canada. This is going to be really great.