Building The Dynasty—Page 2

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In the 1980 draft, Sather once again made the late rounds count. Jari Kurri, who had made some noise in the Finnish Elite League, was chosen 69th overall and would go on to a Hall of Fame career. Goaltender Andy Moog, who would later lead the Oilers to their miraculous 1981 upset of the Canadiens, was selected 132nd overall that year. In 1983, with the Oilers still a year away from a Cup, Sather found Finnish star Esa Tikkanen in the fourth round. It was these late picks—players who were passed over or simply missed by other NHL scouting staffs— who would become the backbone of the greatest team the game has ever seen.

"I don’t think you’ll ever see another team like that again," Sather said of the great Oilers’ dynasty he built. "It’s the economics of the game. There is so much player movement and escalating salaries that make it very difficult for a team, especially in a smaller market, to build a dynasty."

Although the draft was instrumental, it was not the only reason Sather was able to build a dynasty.  Through the team’s five championships from 1984 to 1990, 49 different players engraved their names on the Stanley Cup. That is about twice as many as a normal hockey team’s roster, and shows how much Sather tried to keep the team competitive. By bringing in key role players like Ken Linseman, Mark Napier or Mike Krushelnyski, Sather was able to add role players to augment the superstars.

Sather said the key to making good trades is to be respected by the other general managers in the league. If the other GMs are willing to talk, a trade can always happen.

"I don’t think I modeled myself after anybody, even though there are a number of executives in the League I have respect for," said Sather. "People like Bill Torrey (the man who build the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s) and Harry Sinden (the Bruins’ general manager throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s) are both honest people and good businessmen."

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