Post-Game Talk: Mile High Victory

[PBandJ]

I guess I don’t see it this way, we were on the road in Denver which has the higher elevation. Georgiev stood on his head and we really didn’t get any great bounces. Colorado’s only goal came from ridiculous luck off of two of our players.

That being said, Colorado is still the team to beat in the west but I think the Oilers can beat them in a 7 game series.

Fair. Hopefully the boys can get there with a fully healthy roster instead of basically limping in last year.

 

[Soundwave]

I think a lot of people really disliked pocklington.

He did a lot of shady shit that hurt a lot of people. Including illegal labor practices, illegal union busting, and even bussing in scabs from Quebec when workers eventually striked. Subsequent losing gainers to bankruptcy after being sued into the ground is part of the reason why those 80s teams were torn apart. He also fired almost all of the oilers hockey ops before selling the team, killing our scouting/ drafting / development for like a decade. Even worse, he wanted to sell the team to Houston; if it wasn't for that smarmy prick Betman the EIG would never have been given a chance to bid.

Also he was just generally kind of an asshat to the fan base in ways worse than even a guy like Lowe. For example, for the 40 year reunion he was asked what kind of fan reception he expected. He replied with something to the effect of "I don't care what the unwashed people of Edmonton think."

Imagine Melnyk situation in Ottawa mixed with
the Ballard situation in Toronto.

And worse yet; as much as the oilers in the DoD were mired in futility, there was atleast hope. The team could afford to pay for players. The team was getting good draft picks. The salary cap atleast had a stabilizing effect where small market low budget teams can theoretically compete.

In the 90s, the oilers entire budget was lower than what a guy like Messier alone was being paid. Every year it was watching the teams best and brightest be traded because we had no hope in being able to actually pay them. Imagine if in the DoD we had a fire sale every year because we couldn't afford to pay competitive contracts.

It really is a shame that Katz wasn't there in the 80s to fund the team.

To be honest, and maybe this is a very basic way to look at it, but I think they could've kept Gretzky and Messier if the owner wasn't bleeding money in other businesses. Surely with Wayne Gretzky the Oilers would've remained the hottest ticket in Canada.

Lets just say the average ticket price circa 1989 for the Oilers was $30 a pop ... at $30 x 17,000 (capacity of Northlands Coliseum) that works out to 510,000 per game and just shy of $21 million for 41 home games. Lets even assume Northlands gets all concession/beer sales.

Add in playoff revenue too, that's probably another $5-$8 million.

Then I think you'd have to factor in merchandise sales, sales from TV rights (CBC, ITV, TSN?), sponsorships ... I mean surely that nets an extra $4-$5 million per year? Have no idea if that's out to lunch or not.

Gretzky's salary in 90-91 at the heyday of the LA Kings experiment was $3 million I believe. Lets say you give Messier $2 million and Kurri $1.8 million ... it still should be enough to have covered their salaries. Of course everyone else would make a good deal less (like $1 mill for Anderson, $1 mill for Fuhr, 500k for Lowe, etc.).

I actually looked up Messier's salary he was only paid $236k (lol) for the 89-90 season where he took the Oilers to the Cup. Even in New York his salary was "only" $2.35 million when they won the Cup in 1994 ... it really doesn't jump into big boy range until 1995-96 when he got 6 million.

Am I way off base here?

 

[Oilers in NS]

Especially now that there's depth and help, he'll no longer have to solo the defensive heavy lifting or toughness


Agreed, it was tough being a fan of those teams that couldn't compete on and off the ice

It was tough but there were a couple classic moments in 90’s. OT win against Dallas stands out

 

[dssource]

Big win. Avs missing their best player (yes, Makar is more important than 29), but that was still a one-sided affair and I'll take a win against those whiners anytime.

Didn't watch with the rest of you, but can I just throw a shout out to Ekholm's pass to Connor to send him on that breakaway?! Insane vision and pass.

Glad McLeod is going to get some games in as he's a few steps behind.

Forced to watch the ESPN feed. Give me Jack and Louie, even Signh, over that cr@p all day.

Rolling into the playoffs.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

It was tough but there were a couple classic moments in 90’s. OT win against Dallas stands out

That game where they erased a 3-0 lead, I think, and then won in OT, and people left and tried to get back in lol.

 

[Oilers in NS]

That game where they erased a 3-0 lead, I think, and then won in OT, and people left and tried to get back in lol.

Fuk I’m old, I remember every one of these. It classic looking at the old ones and seeing the white boards , no ads.
Good video for younger Oilers fans who were not alive in 80’s and 90’s

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Fuk I’m old, I remember every one of these. It classic looking at the old ones and seeing the white boards , no ads.
Good video for younger Oilers fans who were not alive in 80’s and 90’s

Me too my friend. I have such great memories of the big upsets

 

[Soundwave]

My main worry is that the Avs were missing a good chunk of their roster and it still took OT to beat them.

They're likely the monster at the end of the Western Conference book.

True, granted though with a 4 minute PP and McDavid getting a clean breakaway, 95 times out of 100 we get 1 or 2 goals extra from just that.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Just curious, I wonder how much tickets going for tonight in Calgary?

 

[SupremeTeam16]

My main worry is that the Avs were missing a good chunk of their roster and it still took OT to beat them.

They're likely the monster at the end of the Western Conference book.

Yeah they only had their second rate scrubs like Mackinnon, Rantanen, Toews in the lineup. The score flattered them, Oilers controlled most of that game, outshot them significantly, Gorgiev had a game and the only goal they got was a fluke own goal.

We’re the monster at the end of the book.

 

[JordanGalhanth]

Just curious, I wonder how much tickets going for tonight in Calgary?

Some 2013-16 Edmonton Oilers prices right there.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Me too my friend. I have such great memories of the big upsets

In 1990, I was going to trade school in Halifax and watching Oilers win Cup that that year on black & White tv with antenna. No cable . Didn’t expect cup that year
One that stands out for me is 91 when Tikanen scored in OT in GM 7 in Calgary. We were down 3-0 in that game. Game before was when Fleury picked off Messier pass in OT, went in and scored , and did the big sliding celebration

View attachment 687018

Some 2013-16 Edmonton Oilers prices right there.

$17 more bucks I’d pay

 

[OilerTyler]

View attachment 687018

Some 2013-16 Edmonton Oilers prices right there.

I would need to be paid to go to that game.

 

[Soundwave]

Fuk I’m old, I remember every one of these. It classic looking at the old ones and seeing the white boards , no ads.
Good video for younger Oilers fans who were not alive in 80’s and 90’s

Gretzky in '88 (funny story, Gretz has said this is the night he and Janet conceived Paulina Gretzky, lol)
Klima in '90 (Bruins were favored I think, but you knew right there we were winning the Cup)
Tikkanen in '91 (hoooooooly shit what a crazy game, crazy series)
Buchburger in '97 (just cuz this come back as a whole was so wild)
Marchand Dallas in '97
Pisani shorty in '06
McDavid BOA in '22

Are soooooo good. Soooooooo good. Gah damn, some of those are better than sex, lol.

Lots of Joe Murphy in there too, man I hope he's doing OK.

Also I know the Oilers have a lot of great players in their history, but kids don't forget Esa Tikkanen ever. For 1991 alone that man should never pay for a meal north of Red Deer ever.

 

[Oilers in NS]

It really is a shame that Katz wasn't there in the 80s to fund the team.

To be honest, and maybe this is a very basic way to look at it, but I think they could've kept Gretzky and Messier if the owner wasn't bleeding money in other businesses. Surely with Wayne Gretzky the Oilers would've remained the hottest ticket in Canada.

Lets just say the average ticket price circa 1989 for the Oilers was $30 a pop ... at $30 x 17,000 (capacity of Northlands Coliseum) that works out to 510,000 per game and just shy of $21 million for 41 home games. Lets even assume Northlands gets all concession/beer sales.

Add in playoff revenue too, that's probably another $5-$8 million.

Then I think you'd have to factor in merchandise sales, sales from TV rights (CBC, ITV, TSN?), sponsorships ... I mean surely that nets an extra $4-$5 million per year? Have no idea if that's out to lunch or not.

Gretzky's salary in 90-91 at the heyday of the LA Kings experiment was $3 million I believe. Lets say you give Messier $2 million and Kurri $1.8 million ... it still should be enough to have covered their salaries. Of course everyone else would make a good deal less (like $1 mill for Anderson, $1 mill for Fuhr, 500k for Lowe, etc.).

I actually looked up Messier's salary he was only paid $236k (lol) for the 89-90 season where he took the Oilers to the Cup. Even in New York his salary was "only" $2.35 million when they won the Cup in 1994 ... it really doesn't jump into big boy range until 1995-96 when he got 6 million.

Am I way off base here?

Wow, did inflation ever come into effect. I’d love to make 236k but that’s hard to believe , compared to money now, players were making that.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Gretzky in '88 (funny story, Gretz has said this is the night he and Janet conceived Paulina Gretzky, lol)
Klima in '90 (Bruins were favored I think, but you knew right there we were winning the Cup)
Tikkanen in '91 (hoooooooly shit what a crazy game, crazy series)
Buchburger in '97 (just cuz this come back as a whole was so wild)
Marchand Dallas in '97
Pisani shorty in '06
McDavid BOA in '22

Are soooooo good. Soooooooo good. Gah damn, some of those are better than sex, lol.

Lots of Joe Murphy in there too, man I hope he's doing OK.

Also I know the Oilers have a lot of great players in their history, but kids don't forget Esa Tikkanen ever. For 1991 alone that man should never pay for a meal north of Red Deer ever.

Poor Joe Murphy. Walking streets of Kenora. Wish the NHLPA would do something there. He was a great warrior

Anyone remember this Oiler? What a great set of wheels he had. Only played a couple of years but man, could he skate

Reijo Ruotsalainen Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics and Records of Reijo Ruotsalainen, a hockey player and coach from Oulu, Finland born Apr 1 1960 who was active from 1977 to 1998.

www.hockeydb.com

 

[Soundwave]

View attachment 687018

Some 2013-16 Edmonton Oilers prices right there.

Lol I don’t think Oiler tickets have been that cheap since like 1995.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Good trivia question for young Oilers fans

Name the players on the Edmonton Oilers Kid Line

 

[Soundwave]

Poor Joe Murphy. Walking streets of Kenora. Wish the NHLPA would do something there. He was a great warrior

Anyone remember this Oiler? What a great set of wheels he had. Only played a couple of years but man, could he skate

Reijo Ruotsalainen Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics and Records of Reijo Ruotsalainen, a hockey player and coach from Oulu, Finland born Apr 1 1960 who was active from 1977 to 1998.

www.hockeydb.com

Yeah I saw that news clip on Murphy, man, I hope he's gotten some help.

That video really cheered me up.

That 1991 BOA I will still maintain is the maybe the greatest playoff series ever. Total roller coaster ride.

 

[JordanGalhanth]

Good trivia question for young Oilers fans

Name the players on the Edmonton Oilers Kid Line

Gagner, Nilsson, Cogliano

 

[McAsuno]

View attachment 687018

Some 2013-16 Edmonton Oilers prices right there.

Wouldn't go to the game for free considering their arena is a garbage dump (just exactly like their shit team) lmao.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Gagner, Nilsson, Cogliano

No, before them
Early 90’s

 

[Senor Catface]

Poor Joe Murphy. Walking streets of Kenora. Wish the NHLPA would do something there. He was a great warrior

Anyone remember this Oiler? What a great set of wheels he had. Only played a couple of years but man, could he skate

Reijo Ruotsalainen Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics and Records of Reijo Ruotsalainen, a hockey player and coach from Oulu, Finland born Apr 1 1960 who was active from 1977 to 1998.

www.hockeydb.com

They tried
(from a 2019 article)

Dozens of people have tried to get Murphy off the streets of this small tourist town the past two years, including the NHL Alumni Association, members of the local police department, former teammates, his lawyer and an entire team of mental health experts and social workers. He refuses almost all of it.

Murphy stayed in an extended-stay motel paid by the NHL Alumni Association for several months last winter but moved out.

 

[K1984]

A lot of them are too young/dumb to realize the Flames fanbase also used to think "Whiner Wayne" and taunting Gretzky like that was a great idea.

The other crazy thing is McDavid and Draisaitl torched the Flames worse last year than any playoff series Gretzky ever did.

12 points in 5 games for McDavid against Edmonton is higher than anything Gretzky did to the 80s Flames.

But 17 points from Draisaitl is absurd. Total insanity.

Gretzky had 13 points in 7 games against Calgary in 1986, a rather pedestrian 6 points in 4 games in 1988. In 1984, he had 13 points in 7 games.

Vomiting allegations that McDavid is a whiner or a diver is the tell that you’re a straight up idiot that needs to invent reasons to not like him because he’s an Oiler. That’s literally it.

 

[The Panther]

12 points in 5 games for McDavid against Edmonton is higher than anything Gretzky did to the 80s Flames.

Actually, Gretzky had 14 points in five games vs. the Flames in 1983. But Draisaitl's 17 points in five games in 2022 is the most points in a five-game series by any player in NHL history.

I can't believe you called Gretz in 1988 "pedestrian". For shame.