Seven Oilers named to NHL top 100 players list

Last night, the NHL announced the final 67 players named to the NHL’s top 100 players of all-time list. Can you guess which seven Oilers made the cut?

Relatively speaking, the list is quite simple for the Oilers. 

Without much surprise, legends like Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier and Jari Kurri were the first five Oilers to be named to the list. 

The Great One was an easy selection. As the all-time leader in goals, assists and points, Gretzky also holds 61 league records and won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers. No list looking at the best doesn’t have him included. 

Gretzky’s most impressive record is his 50 goals in 39 games, which is a record likely to never be broken. On top of that, the NHL will be hard pressed to find someone else to ever reach the 2000 point plateau. Jaromir Jagr has a shot however.

Paul Coffey set the single-season NHL record by goals for a defenceman beating out the legendary Bobby Orr for that title. Coffey helped the Oilers to three Stanley Cup Titles before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Coffey has been considered one of the best skaters of all-time and was a key cog in the success the Oilers saw in the 1980’s. 

Grant Fuhr back stopped the Oilers to five Stanley Cup wins and was the first black player ever inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Spruce Grove native was a hometown boy, which made the success he saw in Edmonton all the more special. 

In 87-88, Fuhr started a whopping 75 games, played 4,304 minutes on his was to winning 40 games. 

Mark Messier has been deemed one of the best leaders of all-time and was the first and only NHL player to captain two separate teams to Stanley Cup titles. Messier had been deemed by some as a modern day Gordie Howe, with elite skill and speed. Messier certainly didn’t shy away from being a physical impact on the ice as well. 

Messier helped the Oilers win five cups in seven season before helping the Rangers win one in 1994.

Jari Kurri came to the Oilers in 1980 as a polished “200-foot game” player and quickly became known as the dynamic winger playing alongside the Great One. Kurri was another key cog in the Oilers five cups in seven years and was also won the NHL goal scoring title in 1986.

Kurri finished his career as the highest scoring Finnish player, but was later passed by Teemu Selanne. Despite that, Kurri still has the highest point per game total of any Finnish born player. 

Two more Oilers were named to the list following those five greats. Adam Oates and Chris Pronger.

Oates was well known as one of the best playmakers of all-time and scored the fourth-most assists among centers in NHL history. Oates saw early success with Detroit, but he didn’t break out until he played with the St. Louis Blues and Brett Hull. 

Adam Oates ended his NHL career in 2004 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers where he put up 18 points in 60 games, his only season with a Canadian club. 

Chris Pronger was a dominant force for the Edmonton Oilers after being acquired after the 2004-2005 lockout. In one season with the Oilers. The blistering blueliner put up 56 points in 80 games with the Oilers in the regular season and a stellar 21 points in 24 games.

Following the cup run, Pronger requested a trade out of Edmonton and the rest is history.