Edmonton Oilers Legacy

The late Bill Hunter, who passed away at the age of 82 on December 16, 2002, was the founder of the World Hockey Association’s (WHA) Alberta Oilers in 1972-73.

The team became known as the Edmonton Oilers the following season. The club’s unofficial nickname became "Billy’s Boys."

Behind the Bench

Hunter fired head coach Ray Kinasewich halfway through the first season and took over as bench boss himself. Hunter guided his squad to a fourth-place tie in the six-team Western Division, forcing a one-game playoff with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, who defeated the Oilers 4-2.

The combined efforts of Kinasewich and Hunter saw the Oilers finish with an overall record of 38-37-3.

Hunter would coach two more times during the Oilers’ seven-year tenure in the WHA. He recorded a 6-12-1 mark after taking over for Brian Shaw in 1974-1975. The Oilers would miss the playoffs and finish last in the five-team Canadian Division.

Hunter moved behind the bench again the following season. This time, he replaced Clare Drake. Edmonton was 18-28-2 under Drake but continued to struggle with Hunter at the helm, finishing with a mark of 9-21-3. Despite their poor record, the Oilers made the playoffs but were eliminated by the Bobby Hull-led Winnipeg Jets in the first round.

Hunter, whose true legacy came as a promoter and administrator, had initially wanted to name Edmonton’s WHA franchise the Oil Kings, a top-notch, Edmonton-based junior club.

But when the Calgary Broncos were turned into the Cleveland Crusaders before the WHA’s first season, Hunter decided to call the team the Alberta Oilers, intending to split home games between Calgary and Edmonton.

Hunter also played the game as a member of the Notre Dame College Hounds, a junior team in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. After serving in the Second World War, he went into the sporting goods business in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, where he and a partner revived the North Battleford Beavers senior hockey club.

Hunter eventually saw an opportunity in Edmonton, where he owned, managed and occasionally coached the Edmonton Oil Kings. As one of Canada’s most celebrated junior hockey teams, the Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup in 1966.

In 1983, Hunter tried to bring the St. Louis Blues to his native Saskatoon after hearing the club was for sale. But the NHL was unconvinced such a small market would be viable.