He was just a kid, having signed a $1.7 million dollar (that was real money back in the day) personal services contract with Nelson Skalbania. Skalbania was the owner of the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA.
At that point in hockey history the NHA drafted kids at age 20, but the WHA wanted talent and did not care about age. So, one league said ‘we’ve always done it this way’ and lost enormous talents to the rogue entrepreneurs like Skalbania (and Edmonton’s Peter Pocklington).
The WHA was relentless in its pursuit of talent. Every team conducted a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in every corner of hockey. Checkpoints went up at fifteen miles.
Gretzky was the ultimate prize. What’s funny is that not everyone thought he was all that. There were plenty of old-timey hockey people who felt he was too skinny, too frail, and that the big, tough men in the NHL would end his career as it began.
Well. We all know how that turned out. Gretzky was the one who ended careers as his began. You could look it up. An enormous number of players from the 1967+ expansion era retired in the months after Gretzky and those WHA kids arrived in the league.
Gordie Howe, Stan Makita, Bobby Hull, Phil Esposito, Jean Ratelle, Dave Keon, Terry Harper, Paul Henderson, Carl Brewer, Gerry Cheevers, Ron Ellis, Pete Mahovlich, Jean Pronovost and Don Luce were all out of the league within a couple of years.
I believe we are seeing some players in this Oilers-Golden Knights series who are at the tipping point for their NHL careers. They may not know they have reached a crossroads (only Bobby Orr and Sandy Koufax knew) and the individual coda may take some time. I believe it’s here. Now.
Ironically, I’m not talking about the player who is the obvious choice due to age. I think Corey Perry makes a return next season, hope it’s with the Oilers. I’m not talking about Perry. No sir. There are players on both teams who no longer have the boots or the stickhandling skills to play prominent roles.
So, and this is something Perry figured out long ago, the choice becomes retirement or adjustment. Perry adjusted. He’s most often found on a depth line and makes himself useful as well as ornamental in a support role. As important, he stands and delivers when the ask is to play a feature role.
Wayne Cashman was a part of that group above, he lasted all the way to 1983. Perry is the Cashman of the 2003 entry draft (forwards), having outlasted Eric Staal and Joe Pavelski.
Perry wasn’t my favourite player from the 2003 draft (Patrice Bergeron) but I’m glad we all have had a chance to watch him play the NHL game in an Oilers uniform. He is a wily old veteran who outsmarts the kids on the double and shows how it’s done. An amazing player, with eternal fire. Corey Perry is a hockey player to be respected and celebrated.
The Lowdown will set the stage for tonight’s massive game between the Oilers and Golden Knights. We begin at noon, Sports 1440. Kevin McCurdy will be our feature guest, we’ll have Declanations and Path to the Stanley. Join us, won’t you? It all begins at noon. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly. We can be heard at sports1440.ca; iHeartRadio, Radioplayer Canada, it’s available post-show on apple and spotify, and we tweet it out on X.
New for The Athletic: Five reasons for Edmonton Oilers fans to be optimistic about Stanley Cup pursuit
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6352934/2025/05/14/edmonton-oilers-nhl-playoffs-optimism/
PKWY Tavern can now remove the decimal from their billboards.
Star of the series? Stuart Skinner!!!
Put 750 on the oil last night. That will do oil that will do.
Kapanen is a beauty
https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/s/QjyHHDRd0A
Listen to Charles Barkley’s reaction (at the 2:55 mark):
https://youtu.be/CB7fJm9MG-Y?si=vhij1uapRseW6pTT&t=166
That’s fantastic! In the middle of an NBA playoff play-by-play he just screams “Edmonton won!”
Listening to and seeing McDavid in the post presser, he looks tired and/or sick. Glad they got this done in five. Give him and the team some well deserved rest.
LGO!!!
Nah…he is just all effing business. Pressers are a necessary evil. Nothing to talk about yet.
Can even the coughnationalcough media ignore the Oilers depth when Viktor Arvidsson & Jeff Skinner are the Oilers 13th and 14th forwards?
Before game 3, Skinner had a .810 save percentage for the playoffs. It’s now .902.
NHL.com says .884. I’m rooting for him, and he needs to keep up this play into next round. It looks like he’s swung back to that elite ceiling we’ve seen from him, which he can hold for good stretches
Hyman has 78 hits in 11 games lol
Just a beauty.
That’s the sort of dedication to competing that wins championships.
He was also targeting Pietrangelo all series, which was incredible
Led the playoffs in goals one year. Now looking to lead in hits the next, what a baller
Cassidy talks about not being able to get to the front of the net and to the inside – against the Oilers…..
That was awesome
Kap scores.
Stu b2b shut outs.
Louie makes insightful comment (Podz x ice pass).
It’s like we stumbled into a parallel universe.
Louie has been great on 880 seemingly each morning to chat Oilers
McDavid pissy with DNB in the post-game when asked about being able to play a defensive style game – very pissy.
Love it. Time to put the stupid narratives to bed. Florida is the only team with a playoff resume like this team. Enough. They may or may not win it all, but they have shown over and over again they can play the game however they need to.
That was DNB? He’s better than that — trying to push the same narrative when the Oilers have proven they can play defensive hockey.
I mean, if asked about it he’ll claim it’s an example of a journalist asking tough questions of course — but it’s just grabbing an easy hook for his story:
”Oilers win playing mature defensive game for the first time. Again.”
Skinner, in addition to positionally playing great, has been excellent at screened shots these last few games. Great on the PK as long as they’re preventing cross ice passes.
Time to rest and work more on those special teams
Hats off. I had very little confidence in him. So quiet and efficient last two games.
Helps that the D zone has been less chaotic than the start of the kings series
He has looked amazing. Tracking the puck, looking quick, and great puck handling as well!
I think he may just won his net back.
Again, something I would have identified as a weakness going in. Go Stu.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/oilers-claim-kasperi-kapanen-off-waivers/
Waiver claim hero!
I love it
I dunno about a Pisani, but may have found our David Desharnais…?
Playoff Kapanen > Playoff Holloway
No further questions, thanks Armstrong
Waiver pickup. Deeply frustrating at times. Imperfect at all times.
Kasperi Kapanen.
Oiler legend forevermore.
#neverindoubt
Skinner looking like a young Tony Esposito.
Credit to Nurse – he doesn’t often take great shots – that shot was a great choice. Almost tipped in on the first go through.
By my eye, a great game from the Oilers. Vegas wasn’t giving an inch, trying to slow the game down and still lost.
Oilers grease defeated Las Vegas glue.
Ekholm, pick up the pace of those skates. It’s time to get back at it.
Oilers let in such a stupid goal they were just like “no more then”.
On another note, if Draisaitll isn’t right it isn’t a lower body. The way he was jumping after the OT winner.
Whoa, we’re halfway there
Oh-oh, living on a prayer
My son’s new favorite song (we were there last year singing when Kane scored)
Kapanen hadn’t scored since…?….January…?
Jan 23 it appears…I’ve lost interest and not going to spend any more time looking
Kasperi Kapanen the waiver wire pickup from the St.Louis Blues with the series ending OT winner just as we all suspected would happen back in November! #WithFinnsUWIN!
He’s been incredible.
Gotta given Bowman credit. He added just what we needed and didn’t give up the store doing it.
I don’t think he gave anything? Wasn’t it a waiver pickup. I can’t recall.
In early April did you reasonably think the Oilers could play that type of game?
Not a chance
They can win any way you want – they just shouldn’t intentionally attempt it.
It was blatantly obvious they were going super conservative tonight. They walked the wire and didn’t fall. Doesn’t make it wise.
I agree with this. There was multiple times I saw a puck come out to the slot and no Oiler anywhere near the gifted chance. I think they played sudden death style the entire third.
nay. a thousand times.
Stuart Skinner: “I am a calm, babbling brook.”
Also, Kasperi MF Kapanen. OMG.
They actually took out the regular season division champs, and playoff rival, in 5 games – for real!
They did that exact thing to Calgary 3 years ago.
High-Five OP!
True, but that year it was somewhat assumed that getting to the 3rd round was the prize
This team is 8-1 in its last 9 against two teams that looked pretty impressive this year. And that’s without getting that much from McDrai this series.
And without Ekholm!
It might just be our time. It’s a good time to be an Oiler fan.
Every other remaining regular season Division winner is on the ropes in their respective series. Should the Leafs and Caps both fall, that means two things: 1) all the division winners were ousted in the first two rounds (gasp) and 2) once we get past Dallas we are in the Finals – with home ice advantage! Who’da thunk it?
Assuming of course Winnipeg doesn’t get up of the mat either. If they do, same result once we get past Winnipeg.
Yes for sure. I mentioned the possibility a while back, of course seeing it as a long shot. That was based on not buying the Jets or Caps being that likely in playoffs. The Bolts may have gone deeper if healthier
Add another goal scorer to the mix. Depth!
Who would have thought Kasperi Kapanen. Incredible.
#Neverindoubt
Game 4-7 Stu is Hairy Hasek.
Stetcher is a witch.
Him and Nurse look amazing together.
All the D have looked fantastic the last two games.
Vegas were an own goal away from being swept. The Oilers were an own goal away from being on an 8/9 game winning streak IN THE PLAYOFFS
Our Finn, who skates in Edmonton,
Kasperi be thy name.
Thy moment come,
Thy wrist shot stun,
In overtime as it did in Vegas.
Give us this game our Finnish flash,
And forgive us our missed line changes,
As we forgive those who doubted his signing.
Lead us not into the offseason,
But deliver us from sudden death.
For thine is the stride,
The silence of the crowd,
And the celly that echoed through T-Mobile,
Forever and ever, suomi sisu.
Amen.
The pundits – “oh it’s gonna be a long series”.
Vegas is not that good. The Oilers beat them in 5 and easily could have swept.
Chronically underrated – the Edmonton Oilers.
Gene got the haircut because he thought looking like a hippy he wouldn’t make it through US customs.
#NeverInDoubt
Another rival vanquished!
Go have a rest boys!
No goals allowed since .4 seconds left in game three lol!
Take a night in Vegas – then rest up!
Amazing!! Just as my students were entering the classroom with my AirPods in! Woot woot!
Skinner finishes the series off
Skinner has been amazing in games 4 -7
STUPENDOUS EFFORT!! #PlayLaBambaBaby
Who had Kapanen with the winner off a Skinner shutout? What a crazy game
They didn’t score a single goal on Skinner the final two games.
Stuart effing Skinner!
Our AHL backup goalie polishes off the series with back to back no no’s
Coach has now won 5 series
What a comeback by Skinner! Stu you’re sticking around!
Stu with two SOs to close out Vegas. Not bad for ….how much is his salary..?
Going through any of Dallas, Winnipeg, Florida or Carolina to get to the cup would be so cathartic for the Oilers.
Don’t think Winnipeg is getting off the mat,
But I would desperately love to see Carolina again in the final
I was living in Cologne/Bonn and Leon Draisaitl was a teenager when the Oilers lost to Carolina. Would love to see a final against Carolina.
The easiest path would be Winnipeg – Carolina. Which is why it’s likely going to be Dallas – Florida again…
EVERY Oiler forward playing has contributed a goal these playoffs
And Skinner had a point in his only game
Back to back shut outs by Skins to win the series. As everyone predicted.