Team Transformed

 The 1990s brought many changes to the Edmonton Oilers’; the blue-and-orange jerseys were jettisoned for a new dark-blue-and-copper colour scheme and, in 1997, a new ownership group saved the team from moving to Houston.

The Oilers had moved from being a privileged team that dominated the league in the 1980s to small-market underdogs of the 1990s. Today, the Edmonton Oilers are a hockey club that keeps an eye on the bottom line and makes an effort to tie itself to the community through charitable endeavors and outreach programs.

The Oilers have watched the three World Hockey Association teams that joined the NHL with them in 1979 fall. The Hartford Whalers moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, the Winnipeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Quebec Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche and would win two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001.  Edmonton hockey fans understand the importance a National Hockey League team has on the psyche and profile of a community, and support the team by regularly selling out home games. Although the Oilers are no longer the regular pre-season favourite to win the Cup annually, the club remains integral to the city.

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