Edmonton Oilers Legacy

During September, 1997, Glen "Slats" Sather became the first member of the Edmonton Oilers organization to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The native of High River, Alberta, had come full circle with the franchise that put Edmonton on the map. After coaching the Oilers to a record of 95-76-7 in three seasons in the World Hockey Association, Sather remained at the helm when the club entered the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979-80.

He would stay behind the bench for 11 seasons, coaching the Oilers to four Stanley Cups during that span. Edmonton won a fifth Cup in 1990 with Sather as the general manager. He would become the Oilers’ bench boss one last time in 1993-94 before leaving the organization’s front office on May 19, 2000.

In 842 regular season NHL games as the Oilers’ coach, Sather compiled a record of 464-268-110, ranking him seventh on the all-time coaching list for wins. In 127 Stanley Cup playoff games, Sather posted a record of 89-37-1, which ranks fourth on the all-time coaching list for playoff wins. He received the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s Coach of the Year in 1985-86.

In light of his endless accolades, it is ironic that Sather was actually being used as a scapegoat when he was hired to coach the Oilers near the end of their 1976-77 season in the World Hockey Association (WHA).

With just 18 games left, the Oilers trailed Calgary for the final playoff spot in their division. Sather, the Oilers’ captain at the time, was suddenly made player/coach by general manager Bep Guidolin.

Sather would later say Guidolin needed a "scapegoat" behind the bench to accept management’s wrath for another poor season. But the Oilers would reach the playoffs under Sather, who became inspired to coach full-time.

It would be a great career move. Although Sather was known as a hard-nosed player in the NHL and WHA, he is remembered most for his work behind the bench and in the front office as the Oilers’ general manager for 21 seasons.

The ‘80s Oilers

Sather recalls the first time he saw Wayne Gretzky occurred when the Oilers first played Gretzky's original team, the Indianapolis Racers.

"I thought Wayne must be a stick boy or some kid who hung around with the team," he told Milt Dunnell of the Toronto Star. "Then, the game started and he went around one of our veterans like he was a lamp post."

When the Oilers acquired Gretzky and Sather was the general manager, Sather knew he had to surround his superstar with players who suited his creative, offensive-oriented style. Sather built the Oilers of the ‘80s around speed, finesse and a high-tempo passing game that saw the defencemen jump into the attack. Sather would also use offensive stars Gretzky and Jari Kurri as penalty killers, which led to shorthanded goals.