The Edmonton Oilers were still outsiders at the beginning of year two of the NHL experience. The league found a way to deny Wayne Gretzky of the Calder Trophy and the Art Ross, but he did win the Hart and Lady Byng. I recall Oilers fans had some swagger by September 1980, but there were many miles to go. For instance, the Calgary Flames had just arrived from Atlanta that summer, so the biggest rivalry had yet to draw blood. As you can see from this training camp roster, Edmonton owned the rights to six Hall of Famers, but we didn’t know it. Miles to go.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ most likely recalls from AHL Bakersfield in 2022-23
- Lowetide: Is the Edmonton Oilers’ 2022-23 lineup balanced?
- Lowetide: Oilers prospect Reid Schaefer and what math tells us about his future
- Lowetide: Oilers’ opening night roster will be influenced by salary cap, waivers
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ European, college and junior prospects for 2022-23
- Jonathan Willis: The Edmonton Oilers are rapidly approaching their “all-in” moment
- Lowetide: Why Oilers trading for Patrick Kane makes more sense at the deadline
- Lowetide: 9 Bold Predictions for the 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers reasonable expectations for every player in 2022-23
- Lowetide: Oilers math shows 41 candidates for 23 (or fewer) jobs. Who could play where?
- Lowetide: Who will the Oilers trade for cap purposes?
- Lowetide: 5 Edmonton Oilers training camp surprises
- Lowetide: Four Oilers defence prospects applying for one job. Who wins?
- Lowetide: For Oilers forward Dylan Holloway, the future may come early
- DNB: Oilers’ Brad Holland on AGM role, analytics, working with his dad: Q&A
- Lowetide: Oilers top-20 prospects, summer 2022
EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING
I remember the fall of 1980 well, not McCurdy well but pretty solid. Right wing, during summer, would have conversations revolving around a depth chart of Blair MacDonald (Gretzky line), Don Murdoch on the second line, Dave Lumley on the third line and then an open spot.
Left wing was also pretty set, to my way of thinking. Brett Callighen would be the No. 1 LW (99 line), followed by Mark Messier (listed as a center, he would not move over completely for a couple of years), Dave Hunter and Dave Semenko.
Do you know the left wingers on the opening night roster? There were FIVE. Jari Kurri, Brett Callighen, Glenn Anderson, Dave Semenko and Dave Hunter. Don Ashby was the final cut, made necessary because of a waiver claim on October 8, two days before the season began. I think we all have an idea about what the opening night roster will be this year, the point of this post is this: We could all be wrong. Ryan Murray’s signing, like Curt Brackenbury’s waiver claim, tell us that much.
CERTAIN OILERS
Two changes here, Murray’s addition gives us five defensemen with two or three to come. I also elevated Kailer Yamamoto and Stuart Skinner, both men are locks in my opinion and there’s no need to keep them in the uncertain category. Edmonton isn’t rumoured to be bringing in another goalie, and Yamamoto hasn’t been mention in a trade rumour (cap purposes) in many weeks.
UNCERTAIN OILERS
Derek Ryan has been added to the uncertain pile, strictly due to cap issues. If Edmonton doesn’t make a deal, the opening night roster will be fewer than 23 deep and Ryan’s deal might have a use in the minors. He would require waivers and is a good player, so I don’t believe it will happen, but it’s an option for desperate times. Kailer Yamamoto and Stuart Skinner are no longer in this category.
DISTANT BELLS
Who are you most curious about on this list? I’ll name Ryan Fanti, Xavier Bourgault and James Hamblin. You?
“Good night comments. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.”
MIT predicted society will collapse by 2040 but now I think we are ahead of schedule.
It’s been a blast, thanks for everything you’ve done for us here LT!. Cheers to the best season yet everyone.
I speak for lots of posters on here when I say this blog has seen me through so many times.
Marriage, Divorce, Countless moves abroad, JF Jacques, sideburns of Anton Lander.
Always a comfort to login and read about 23 guys and their chase for a Cup.
Im grateful for the balance photo, the dozens of screenshots of incredible posts and people here who have made hockey (and math) so much more enjoyable for the rest of my life.
While the internet divides, I know from this place it can bring people together.
Thanks for showing us that, LT.
If there’s anything we can do as a thank you (like donate or buy the book), let us know.
To all those who helped make this community a wonderful place to spend time over this past decade plus, and especially to you Al, thank you and thank you. Go Oilers.
“I may not get there with you…”
I’m glad I checked the blog before the lockout. Thank you Allan. I have no idea how you’ve had enough hours in a day to moderate this comment section in the first place. Your patience and level headedness is estimable. Not a frequent commentator but as a born and bred Edmontonian, I couldn’t be more proud that you’re an Oilers fan and commentator. I’ve been lurking here (at first without an account) since the Eberle pick. Godspeed.
wow!…so saddened by this news…hard to envision life after Lowetide….I would like to thank you Al for your tireless work on this forum and all who contributed…you brought such a neat combination of knowledge and familiar thoughts that reminded us all of our times growing up as flatlanders hanging on dearly to our heroes and hopes for our city!…thanks so much everyone!..as mr cronkite said “that’s the way it is”…signing off folks
Unless our legendary host has a change of heart regarding comments, and only if he is ok with this, (if not I will delete just let me know) we can keep the conversations related to each of his blogs going using Reddit. I created a subreddit at the following link, where a link to daily blogs can be published.
https://www.reddit.com/r/lowetide/
Joined.
Just wanted to try and slip in a quick thank you to you LT.
At one point I spent so much time here that my wife joked that I was on ‘the dark web’ again (due to the black background).
I (surprise) live in London and have no one to talk to here about hockey or the Oilers. Finding this place and it’s funny and gracious host was a real joy.
Thank you
ps, I am Jonathan W on the Athletic, which is the only other oilers site I read!
Wow, glad your still writing the blog….in the beginning when there were only a couple dozen comments a blog it was an easier act to follow anyway. Good luck!
Thank you for continuing to still write the blog. When I first saw the comments only minutes ago I was worried the whole thing was shut down. Really glad I can still read what you put down.
Thank You LT and all the best.
Very unfortunate news, but thank you so much, Al.
I found your site just before game 6 of the Detroit series in ‘06 and it’s been the first website I’ve visited each day for the last 16 years. So many words written over that time is truly an impressive feat.
I remember the Oilogosphere slowly shrinking as we lost CoveredInOil, MC79Hockey, The Battle of Alberta and BDHS, but I guess I just never thought there’d be a day where Lowetide faded.
It’s been an incredible run. Congratulations on everything you’ve accomplished. Hopefully you can look back and feel like this whole ride was worth it.
Morbid curiosity compelled me to check in one last time after midnight. It seems hope dies slowly … even in the digital universe.
I guess the last one here should turn out the lights.
Thanks LT, I appreciate the time you put into this blog. Can’t help but be a little sore you’re pulling the plug with zero notice…hope we call all find comments on a LTSubreddit or something.
Can’t help but think HH is crying into his keyboard, not knowing what to do with 8 hours every day going forward.
Better get this in while I can, thank you Lowetide. I once dreamt you and John Short were talking and I was just there. It might have been a real thing that happened on the radio and I fell asleep while listening, but whatever got me there I don’t recall but it was quite vivid. I also thought you and Tyler Yaremchuck would have been a killer play by play / colour team. For what it’s worth.
And to all the commentators from who I’ve learned a lot about my favourite team, thank you as well.
Fuck Calgary
Thanks for everything ! I feel like I lost a friend dammit :(… Greetings from Switzerland
Wow. Haven’t posted much lately as we just had our second child and time(as well as sleep) is at a minimum. This is sad news, I will really miss this community, even when I don’t post I always make sure to read through the comments section. I tend to make at least two stops to every blogpost, first as LT first drops his post which is in the late afternoon over here and then the morning after which is past midnight in your part of the world. This has been my daily routine pretty much since I first read this blog around a decade ago. It’s an integrated part of my Oiler fandome. It will feel empty without it.
Thanks for everything LT! I will keep reading your blogs and articles in The Athletic, maybe drop a comment or two there. And if the comment section ever resurrects I will be there with a long post on that season’s swedish prospects.
I fully understand your decision even though it disturbs my circles. And thanks to everyone commenting, it’s been a blast!
Congrats, SP!
We’ve been chatting like this since the old days at HF – so good luck to you in your various activities. Thanks for providing a free space to chat about the Oilers for all these years. Good luck – Asia
Did the image go so much deeper,
You only saw me for the color of my hair,
You got what you wanted,
My entrance, My grand finale,
Goodbyeeee
I had a longer post get caught up in the filter but:
Thanks for this place Lowetide.
Thanks for everybody here in the comments section.
ive learned so much about not only hockey but life too.
This blog has always felt like a comfortable place to be.
Good-Bye all.
Hopefully we’ll be able to communicate again sometime in the future.
Thank you so much LT for providing this space for us over the years. I’ve read the blog everyday for 13 years and almost every single comments section even though I didn’t post that much. And thank you to everyone here in the comments section for providing not only your opinions on hockey but also life and sharing your own experiences.
Ive learned so much about not only hockey but music, food, finance, whiskey, history the list goes on.
I was in my early/mid-twenties when I started reading here so I would say this place, to a certain degree, even helped shape me as a person. Lowetide is a fantastic role model for patience, understanding and reasonableness.
And as someone who aspires to hopefully be an ex-Edmontonian I was looking forward to having this place once I moved away like many here seem to have done.
I’ll still be here reading everyday and probably checking to see if Lowetide accidentally hits the comments section button back on one day. And perhaps even start posting at the Athletic as well(although I think my handle is already taken by someone else).
Good-Bye all. Take care. Hopefully we’ll be able to communicate again one day in the future!
Just completed a Chinese kung fu set of training conditioning exercises for the 1,023rd day in a row. Something about not wanting to get sick in a pandemic.
Nice to see the comments still on, if only for a short period of extra time.
I am saddened by this news, but I am not surprised. You are one of my favourite human beings Al.
Fare thee well!
Thanks for this place, LT. The oilers are no longer at low tide, so a new era begins. We hope.
Goodbye my friends. Hope we reconvene sometime somewhere.
Good night everybody. It’s been a blast.
So long everyone!
A final shout out to the Cult of Hockey which is a fantastic Oilers show.
As the sun sets on comments, thank you Lowetide once more, and hope it’s cest la vie.
Thank you, Hunter.
Thank you LT/Al,
You have fostered and enlightened a generation of Oiler’s passion. Too many times, through those years your writing, storytelling, and this community of commentators were the best things about Edmonton Oiler’s hockey.
I can’t wait to read your new book!
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
Thanks LT!!! Full support. And thanks to all the posters. Like many people, I learned a lot.
First came and posted on Lowetide when Schremp was being slowly strangled by the decade of darkness. Before his 4 game 3 point final…I really got howled down at first at Lowetide for defending Schremp.
At the time was in the middle of a disastrous professional career which was failing spectacularly. Since then have moved on and am slightly better.
Thanks to the Death March people who all contributed, you know who you are and you all did a great job. Was 2-3 years too late for a website to succeed. That’s another misjudgement of mine.
Back in the day Woodguy was like the Sherriff, and Lowetide was like the biggest rancher in the territory. The rest was fairly up for grabs, like a good Wild West simulation.
Lowetide was and remains one of the calmest most reasonable human beings I am likely to run across in life. He is simply an incredibly patient human being.
Thank you Lowetide!
Take care of yourself Hunter – we’ll see you next time
Hi Al. I am saddened by the news but I also appreciate what you are saying. I’m sure many of us can’t fully appreciate the magnitude of the reviewing of comments. It seems to be a sad thing that is pervasive in general discourse these days. Unfortunately, some seem unable to regulate themselves and tie burden to those who oversee forums. I’m sure it isn’t your preferred approach but you must be at the of your rope.
I want to thank you for having the site available for as long as it has been around. I do look forward to your writing, your measured and thoughtful approach. Most of all, I have appreciated your kindness and regard for others. In spite of what has led to this decision, I have learned a lot from you and others here. I am not one who posts often but I wanted to thank you for all that you have done and all which is to come. We are richer for the experience of having visited and I have hopefully learned from your wise words.
I will continue to follow you here and elsewhere and I am looking forward to your book. I wish you nothing but good things for the future and wish you and your family happiness and peace. Many thanks, Al.
Thank you so much Allan for the gift you’ve given us all for these many years. I’ve appreciated the ‘iron sharpening iron’ that happened in the comments as everyone’s thoughts on hockey were shared and dissected from every angle.
Mostly though, I’ve enjoyed the stories you’ve shared – both hockey and your personal stories from way back when. I’ll look forward to reading more of them in the days to come and of course I’ll look forward to your book.
Thank you again!
Been bush camping on Van Island for 2 weeks, been catching up on my way back to AB. Crazy news to come back to. My wife’s first comment is “now what are you going to do?”
Thanks Allen/LT for this outlet. You’re a gem among Oilers analysts. I’ll still be reading this blog, listening on the radio and reading the Athletic.
Best of luck to everyone! Over the past decade, there’s too many people to mention. Much appreciation to all the Oilers fans that made this comment section what it was.
Thank you for all of your hard work over the years Mr Lowetide, you made a very comfy place in a little corner of the Internets, it shall be missed.
As with anything, if the drudgery and misery of it vastly outweighs the joy and positives, it can be a very negative thing indeed. I’ve noted your frustrations over the last years and it’s a testament to your good nature that you never snapped and lost it, you have the patience of Job.
What I learned from you over the years is that you are expressing an opinion, and everyone is entitled to one. But having an opinion doesn’t give one the right to bully or ridicule others for theirs.
And opinions aren’t facts.
I’ll still listen to your radio show and read your columns, looking forward to the book!
Best wishes to you and your family in the future, enjoy the moderating break!!!!!
(Really hoping a few posters excellent reports can find your way into columns somehow…)
Like many others apparently I rarely posted but read this blog regularly. I just wanted to thank you for all you gave us Oiler fans.
I rarely posted here but I read the blog damn near every day, and the comments added a lot of information to LT’s already info-heavy daily post. I used to frequent oilfans, oilersnation and sportsnet.ca, until I stumbled upon this blog years ago and never looked back. A (mostly) highly intelligent and engaging bunch of posters made for so much entertainment. I found following along with the comments while watching a game felt so much like watching with friends who are as die-hard as I am. Thanks to those of you who have enriched the oft-agonizing experience of being an Oilers fan.
LT, your brilliance is so understated, except by all of us, who are well aware of what an impressive writer, and person, you are. Thank you for being the backbone of this community. You deserve all the accolades and opportunities you continue to get. Your patience and “balance” are a lesson to us all. Cheers to you.
If anyone does decide on a place to carry forward the discussion with many from this group, I would love to be a part of it, Maybe post it by 11:59 tonight?
Logging in late to this very sad news,
This comments section has been my go-to for interacting with other Oilers fans since first coming across it 15 years ago. Lots of great give & take, shared some of my own, learned a ton in return. Consider many of the commenters here over the years to be pen pals & in more than a few cases, personal friends.
That includes our host, an exceptionally hard working man who for many years posted not just EVERY SINGLE DAY without fail, but TWICE a day at 08:30 and 17:00. Which would be no mean feat even if that was all he did, never mind 5-6 days per week on the radio & writing at OilersNation & The Athletic & so on.
Alas, the Internet has become an ever more fractious place over the years. The job of moderating hundreds of comments daily has been an onerous one which Allan maintained with a firm hand but good grace & patient explanation for all these years. Sad that this day has finally arrived but like all of us I will have to respect the decision.
I will miss this place, even as I look forward to reading the daily posts for the foreseeable future. Thank you, Allan, for your commitment. Your contribution to sensible hockey talk in Oil Country has been nothing short of immense.
Test.
I thought we went dark early. 😉
I’m not sure what happened, am currently working on it. Hal may be jerking around with the pod-bay doors.
Thanks for everything Lowetide. And thanks to all the posters who commented in good faith and contributed to a lively and measured debate. I’ll miss the constant posts from OP, the occasional posts from Woodguy, Swedish Posters intel on Euro prospects, McCurdy’s reasonable responses, and infinite memory, I already miss some posters who have already dropped out (Yeti!). I’d also like to thank anyone who commented on or appreciated the draft work I shared on here. It was a labour of love. and it’s still fun to look back on it to see how things actually turned out.
As a seventies-born small-town (Leroy) kid from Saskatchewan, I loved the perspective you brought. I too, waited anxiously for The Hockey News every week. I grew up playing against Jared Bednar and Kevin Cheveldayoff. Bob Woods’ family is one of my family’s closest friends. My brother and the Woods brothers had some epic battles against the Odeleins from Quill Lake. My parents live in Humboldt now. I went to Humboldt Hockey Holiday (hockey school) in the summer when I was 12. Every second year I’d play on 2 teams at once as I played up with the age group above me. With 2 brothers doing the same it was hockey 24/7 in our house. I also went to Barry Melrose hockey school in Kelvington where Barry taught me how to clear the front of the net and Wendel Clark and the Kocurs were also coaches. It was a blessed hockey childhood and your blog often brings me closer to that world. As a father who has lived in Toronto for the past 2 decades and lived in Edmonton for 4 years prior to that, your blog has helped me feel a connection to my past and my roots. At 51, I still play rec hockey and I am considering getting back into hockey via teaching skating technique. If not maintaining that fandom through your blog, I’m not sure I’d be even considering that. I thank you for fostering that connection to my past.
I hope everyone on here keeps their nametag so we can recognize each other if we ever comment on other blogs. I’m already Jaxon on Oilersnation (although I stopped commenting on there a long time ago as it was getting very toxic), and Capfriendly. I am Maurey on The Athletic. Later skaters!
Cool! Another Saskie here. Can never have too many! 😀
Since I skidded my social media a couple years ago, this blog has functioned as my online outlet. The only other place I post is at Riderfans.com, and very infrequently at that (same handle though).
Hi Jaxon, Yeti unfortunately got locked out of his account owing to a stale email address. So Yeti was reborn as Chupacabra. Good luck with your planned teaching endeavours!
Thank you so much for keeping this place open for comments for so long. For a while there I was a bigger fan of this blog and comment section than I was of the team (started to change after you wrote about Pike’s Peak). A very special place.
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I’ll never look into your eyes again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need of some stranger’s hand
In a desperate land
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But you’ll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end
This is the end
Thanks to everyone who contributed to my hockey knowledge and enjoyment over the years. I read the comments daily and learned so much. The loss of this community is irreplaceable
Speechless … well, almost.
This community has been such a gift to me personally, and I suspect to most of you as well. I want to thank LT and all those here who have shared their knowledge, insights and passion about all things Oilers over these many years. One hell of a ride. What an incredible experience. And each and every one of you made it possible. That’s something to be proud of. Thank you, all.
I don’t know if this is appropriate or not so my apologies if I have stepped out of line but I wanted to say something about how this entire group owes a huge thank you to our host’s wife.
I have no doubt that between the recurring technical problems that required hours of family time being sacrificed to problem solving and the frustration and irritation that the comments here have imposed I think it is fair to say that Mrs. Lowetide (as she has come to be known) has to have had to roll her eyes or purse her lips on numerous occasions in order that those of us here could get our daily fix of Oilers’ conversation.
I say with all sincerity that I hope you can forgive us for stealing so much of your husband all these years. Your contribution has not gone unnoticed.
Thank you.
Tomorrow, 07:30 PST.
What the hell I do now?
Can we keep using the comment section from today’s post LT? Past tomorrow?
No, this comment section will expire at midnight.
It truly has been an honour to follow along. You built something very special, and should be proud.
this blog guided me through some tough times wandering the wilderness after my mum died, and a master’s degree, and a new job. Over the last 6 or 7 years.
Mrs NoShow and I just welcomed our oldest into the world, so maybe it’s for the best that I put my phone down a bit more these precious early days.
it is a sad day for me, with a lot of emotion.
many days I am more of a lowetide fan than an oilers fan.
from my depths, thank you.
Do the posts go away? Or will they be saved and just no new posts?
I think we’ll get the Sopranos ending