On Monday, Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz wrote a letter to Oilers fans, requesting patience.
He is requesting patience because his long term plans are slowly coming together. He has made a massive investment in this city. He bought the team
that defines us and guaranteed it will stay put. He is building a massive hockey cathedral in the middle of our decrepit downtown. He is building something great and he is asking us to give him a little time.
The previous Oilers ownership group saved the Oilers and
kept them in the Edmonton. God bless them for taking a risk and keeping the team here and for
rebuilding the franchise. Cam Nichols and his friends are owed a huge debt from
the city.
When their time was done Mr Katz stepped forward and took over. He
invested a fortune and risked a lot of his own money to keep the team here.
Now he has negotiated a deal that will guarantee the team stays here for the foreseeable
future. Don’t get mad at him if you don’t like the deal. Your city negotiated
it for you. Every business person on earth will negotiate the best deal they
can and if you don’t like your deal, call city hall and complain about their
negotiators, not about Mr Katz.
In any other city on earth, where a businessman invested everything he had
in a team to keep it local, then negotiated, in good faith, to build,
cooperatively, a structure that would simultaneously redefine a city’s crumbly,
ugly core and rejuvenate this team, the
businessman would be celebrated. He would be given every opportunity to rebuild
the franchise. People would be patient, elated, looking to that future. People
would realize that a team as young and as talented as the Oilers have a huge
future. That future is coming in a fantastic new edifice on a piece of land
that currently looks like a scene from a zombie movie.
Maybe the team is too busy looking ahead. Maybe their illustrious past
has them looking backwards. Maybe Kevin Lowe forgot how to win. Maybe Craig
MacTavish suddenly lost his edge.
Here’s a thought. Maybe we are spoiled. Have you ever looked at the
Oilers numbers since they entered the NHL in 1980?
We have been in the finals 7 times, more than any other team.
Times
in Finals since the Oilers entered the NHL in 1980
|
||
EDMONTON OILERS
|
7
|
21.2%
|
DETROIT RED WINGS
|
6
|
18.2%
|
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
|
5
|
15.2%
|
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
|
5
|
15.2%
|
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
|
4
|
12.1%
|
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
|
4
|
12.1%
|
BOSTON BRUINS
|
4
|
12.1%
|
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
|
3
|
9.1%
|
MONTREAL CANADIENS
|
3
|
9.1%
|
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
|
3
|
9.1%
|
CALGARY FLAMES
|
3
|
9.1%
|
We won the Stanley cup 5 times, more than any other team.
Stanley
Cups since the Oilers entered the NHL in 1980
|
||
EDMONTON OILERS
|
5
|
15.2%
|
DETROIT RED WINGS
|
4
|
12.1%
|
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
|
4
|
12.1%
|
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
|
3
|
9.1%
|
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
|
3
|
9.1%
|
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
|
2
|
6.1%
|
COLORADO AVALANCHE
|
2
|
6.1%
|
MONTREAL CANADIENS
|
2
|
6.1%
|
ANAHEIM DUCKS
|
1
|
3.0%
|
BOSTON BRUINS
|
1
|
3.0%
|
CALGARY FLAMES
|
1
|
3.0%
|
CAROLINA HURRICANES
|
1
|
3.0%
|
DALLAS STARS
|
1
|
3.0%
|
LOS ANGELES KINGS
|
1
|
3.0%
|
NEW YORK RANGERS
|
1
|
3.0%
|
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
|
1
|
3.0%
|
And, for the”what have you done for me lately” crowd? Look at these
stats from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NHL_franchise_post-season_droughts)
Team
|
Last appearance
in Stanley Cup Final |
Stanley Cup
Final drought |
45 seasons
|
||
42 seasons
|
||
never 80
|
33 seasons1
|
|
28 seasons
|
||
never 92
|
21 seasons
|
|
19 seasons
|
||
18 seasons
|
||
16 seasons
|
||
never 99
|
14 seasons
|
|
14 seasons
|
||
13 seasons
|
||
Never 99
|
13 seasons2
|
|
Never 2000
|
12 seasons
|
|
12 seasons
|
||
Never 2000
|
12 seasons
|
|
11 seasons
|
||
8 seasons
|
||
8 seasons
|
||
7 seasons
|
||
7 seasons
|
Pause, breath. Let that sink in. Toronto has not been in the Finals
since 67. How many of you reading this were alive in 67? Yet they walk like
gods amongst mortal men in Toronto. .
Look, I know we all want the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup
every year, but it isn't going to happen. Would you rather be Vancouver, St
Louis or Buffalo? Not Likely. Toronto? Not if you paid me.
We all love Kevin Lowe. First draft pick, first goal, great defenseman,
great President. Craig MacTavish has not lost his edge, frankly I think he has an
amazing hockey mind for a guy that was the last player in the NHL to forgo a helmet. And Daryl Katz has taken on a burden that none of us could have, and
he did it for us.
So let’s relax. Watch the new arena as it takes shape. Relish the
games on the new ice. Watch the Oilers win their first cup in the new building
in the third year (I am calling it).
Meanwhile, enjoy the odd win. Pick a player and follow his stats. But give
credit where credit is due. If some other Joe Billionaire had purchased the
Oilers, moved them to Portland and built a Billion dollar arena we would be
green with envy and the people of Portland would be very lucky and very, very
happy.
Our Joe Billionaire did that and we are very lucky indeed.
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