Adam Graves—One Of The Kids

Adam Grave's is not one of Edmonton's all-time leading scorers. He would be well down the list, scoring just 16 regular-season goals in the two seasons he spent with the club. 

Although, anyone who remembers the Gretzky-less Oilers’ Cinderella run for the 1990 Stanley Cup, Graves’ name is fondly remembered. Along with fellow teammates Joe Murphy and Martin Gelinas, Graves was a part of the famous "Kid Line" that provided the team with the spark needed to win the 1990 Cup. Graves scored five key goals and added six assists during the run to the Cup.

The Toronto native, born on April 12, 1968, made his mark in 1986-87 when he scored 45 goals for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. He did not have to go far from Windsor when he made it to the NHL, as he debuted across the Ambassador Bridge to the Detroit Red Wings.

In Detroit, he was a bust. From 1987-89, he scored only seven goals in 78 games with the Red Wings and bounced between the Wings and their farm team in Adirondack.

Early in the 1989-90 season, Oilers’ general manager Glen Sather gambled; he traded malcontented American star Jimmy Carson and tough guy Kevin McClelland to Detroit.  In exchange, Detroit gave up Graves, Jeff Sharples, Petr Klima and Joe Murphy who, like Graves, was a teen-phenom-gone-bust in Detroit.

That year the gamble paid off as Graves and Murphy greatly contributed to the Stanley Cup run, in which the Oilers beat the Boston Bruins.

"It was such an excellent team atmosphere," said Graves of his two years with the Oilers. "We were as together as any group of guys in the league. Everyone felt that they were a part of the team—no one felt left out. Because of that, even if you had a small role on the team, you were happy. You were glad to be able to give whatever little you could to the team. You did everything you could."

"I have many wonderful memories in my two years with the Oilers. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the team."

In 1991, lured by the big dollars of New York, Graves signed with the Rangers. In New York, his career blossomed; he spent 10 seasons on Broadway, scoring at least 22 goals in seven of those seasons, 30-or-more three times and breaking the Rangers’ team record in 1994, when he recorded a 52-goals.

He went on to win the Stanley in the 1994 final, scoring 10 playoff goals for the Rangers.

Graves is still active in the league; in 2003-04, he is set to enter his third season with the San Jose Sharks.

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