Teams Through the Formation Years (1950-1971)

The 1950s were a time of great hope in Alberta. The war was over and families throughout the province hoped of a new peaceful prosperity that would spread throughout the non-Communist world. 

Oil entrepreneurs were cashing in on recent discoveries in Alberta, and the “black gold” brought thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars to the province. Alberta was well on its way to becoming the wealthiest province in all of Canada.

The teams that emerged during this time reflected this prosperity. For example, the Edmonton Oil Kings, the city’s elite junior team, proudly showed off Alberta’s new-found success in their team name.  As hard-working as their namesakes, they became the nation’s most famous underage club throughout the decade.

The Edmonton Flyers brought a return of pro hockey to the city—and many future Hall of Famers skated with the club during their reign of excellence through the 1950s. A farm team of the Detroit Red Wings, the Flyers boasted local legends like Norm Ullman, John Bucyk, and legendary goaltender Glenn Hall.

Meanwhile, the University of Alberta Golden Bears had established themselves as the powerhouse organization of Western Canadian University hockey. The team would become the proudest hockey organization in a new national university association that would form in the 1960s.

IIn this section, we look at the teams that paved the way for the Edmonton Oilers becoming an National Hockey League Team. Teams like the Oil Kings, Flyers and Golden Bears each contributed to the Oilers formation.
 

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