Throughout the summer and into the fall, we’ll be counting down the days until the Edmonton Oilers begin their 2023-24 season with a daily trip down memory lane. Today at No. 45 we have Ales Pisa, a defenceman moved during a busy trade deadline day for the team in 2003.
The Oilers selected Pisa in the ninth round of the 2001 draft from HC Pardubice in the Czech Republic, the same club that Ales Hemsky, the team’s first-round pick in that same draft, played for before coming overseas to play in the QMJHL.
As a 25-year-old with multiple years at the professional level in Europe, Pisa appeared in a couple of games with the Oilers during the 2001-02 season. He spent most of his first year in North America playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL and scored 18 points over 52 games.
In 2002-03, Pisa started the season with the Bulldogs but was called up to the Oilers in November and became a regular on the team’s blueline. At that season’s trade deadline, Pisa was moved along with Anson Carter to the New York Rangers for Radek Dvorak and Cory Cross. The Oilers also moved defenceman Janne Niinimaa to the New York Islanders in exchange for Brad Isbister and Raffi Torres.
Edmonton Journal Newspaper Clipping from March 12, 2003.
PLAYER COUNTDOWN PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Previous days
- 99 Days Until The Season Begins — Wayne Gretzky
- 98 Days Until The Season Begins — Jesse Puljujarvi
- 97 Days Until The Season Begins — Connor McDavid
- 96 Days Until The Season Begins — Jayden Grubbe
- 95 Days Until The Season Begins — The 1995 Draft
- 94 Days Until The Season Begins — Ryan Smyth
- 93 Days Until The Season Begins — Petr Nedved
- 92 Days Until The Season Begins — Tomas Jurco
- 91 Days Until The Season Begins — Magnus Paajarvi
- 90 Days Until The Season Begins — The 1990 Stanley Cup
- 89 Days Until The Season Beings — Mike Comrie
- 88 Days Until The Season Begins – Brandon Davidson
- 87 Days Until The Season Begins — Rendez-vous ’87
- 86 Days Until The Season Begins — Nikita Nikitin
- 85 Days Until The Season Begins — Petr Klima
- 84 Days Until The Season Begins — Oscar Klefbom
- 83 Days Until The Season Begins — Ales Hemsky
- 82 Days Until The Season Begins — Jordan Oesterle
- 80 Days Until The Season Begins — Ilya Bryzgalov
- 79 Days Until The Season Begins — The WHA-NHL Merger
- 78 Days Until The Season Begins — Marc-Antoine Pouliot
- 77 Days Until The Season Begins — Adam Oates
- 76 Days Until The Season Begins — Bryan Young
- 75 Days Until The Season Begins — Jacques Plante
- 74 Days Until The Season Begins — The Edmonton Gardens
- 73 Days Until The Season Begins — Vincent Desharnais
- 72 Days Until The Season Begins — The Alberta Oilers
- 71 Days Until The Season Begins — Lubomir Visnovsky
- 70 Days Until The Season Begins — Curtis Hamilton
- 69 Days Until The Season Begins — Nice jersey number
- 68 Days Until The Season Begins — Jaromir Jagr
- 67 Days Until The Season Begins — Gilbert Brule
- 66 Days Until The Season Begins — The 1966 Memorial Cup
- 65 Days Until The Season Begins — Mark Napier
- 64 Days Until The Season Begins — McDavid’s 64-goal season
- 63 Days Until The Season Begins — Tyler Ennis
- 62 Days Until The Season Begins — Mark Arcobello
- 61 Days Until The Season Begins — Wayne Gretzky’s 61 records
- 60 Days Until The Season Begins — Sebastien Bisaillon
- 59 Days Until The Season Begins — Brad Hunt
- 58 Days Until The Season Begins — Johan Motin
- 57 Days Until The Season Begins — David Perron
- 56 Days Until The Season Begins — Teemu Hartikainen
- 55 Days Until The Season Begins — Igor Ulanov
- 54 Days Until The Season Begins — Jujhar Khaira
- 53 Days Until The Season Begins — Reid Schaefer
- 52 Days Until The Season Begins — Jerred Smithson
- 51 Days Until The Season Begins — Andrei Kovalenko
- 50 Days Until The Season Begins — 50-Goal Seasons
- 49 Days Until The Season Begins — Edmonton Mercurys
- 48 Days Until The Season Begins — Edmonton Flyers
- 47 Days Until The Season Begins — Marc-Andre Bergeron
- 46 Days Until The Season Begins — Jani Rita
