On this day, 31 years ago, Aug. 4, 1995, Curtis Joseph became an Edmonton Oiler and one of the most beloved in franchise history.

Joseph provided hope through a particularly trying time for the franchise. The Oilers suffered economic hardships that made keeping good players difficult, and with owner Peter Pocklington’s tangled debts, fans were on the brink of losing their franchise.

But on the ice, Joseph was the backbone of two upstart teams in 1996–97 and 1997–98 who beat Stanley Cup contenders Dallas and Colorado in consecutive seasons.

Named No. 33 on our Top 100 Oilers countdown, Joseph’s team highlights include some of the most memorable individual saves and performances in franchise history.

Joseph’s arrival also bookended the disastrous tenure of captain Shayne Corson, or better said, recently stripped “captain” by short-term coach George Burnett, that led to dressing room division.

The Oilers were a young hockey team at the time, and not a very good one, either, winning just 17 of 48 games in a lockout-shortened 1994–95. Corson was one of their best assets.

So when St. Louis Blues general manager Mike Keenan signed Corson to an offer sheet worth $6.95 million over five years in late July, with a $1.25 million signing bonus due in the first month, the Oilers’ long-time mastermind Glen Sather had a pickle on his hands.

Sather needed to get value. He had a week to match the offer, but got to wheeling and dealing. As Edmonton Journal columnist Cam Cole put it, Sather was back playing at the high-stakes tables.

“It was nice to play poker again, for a little while,” said Sather after his maneuvering was complete.

Edmonton did not match the offer, but instead used those two first-round picks to get ready players now. He negotiated with … the very same Blues.

So when the offer sheet went through, Sather traded the picks back to the Blues for CuJo and a gargantuan NCAA Boston University forward Mike Grier. Pretty slick work by Slats. One of the best in Oilers history.

“I wouldn’t have taken the deal for two first-round picks,” said Sather. “He knew last week that I would match unless he sweetened the deal.”

Those picks had value for Keenan, since they allowed him opportunities to sign other free agents.

Coach Ron Low agreed with his GM’s decision, although there was a bit of a catch. The Oilers now had two 28-year-old starting goalies, as Bill Ranford had been a good soldier through some hard times, and still had game left.

“You can’t take the first-rounders. We’re loaded with potential already. Curtis Joseph isn’t potential. He’s a liquid asset,” said Low. “Now, obviously, both he and Billy Ranford won’t be here in training camp; your budget doesn’t call for $6 million in goaltenders.”

They both were “there” when training camp started and well into the season, in fact, as this goalie decision became the new drama for the 1995–96 season.

See, Joseph still needed a contract with the Oilers, and the team wasn’t dead set on keeping him.

Sather’s trade negotiations stalled across the league for either goaltender, so Joseph elected to make $100 a game with the Las Vegas Thunder of the IHL to stay in shape beginning in November.

That dragged into the new year, when on Jan. 11, 1996, the Oilers made their choice. Ranford returned to the Boston Bruins, as he was dealt for Mariusz Czerkawski, Sean Brown, and a first-round pick.

But as Bruins GM Harry Sinden was quoted as saying afterward, it could’ve just as easily been Joseph going the other way. Imagine if it was Joseph instead.

Reaction to the Ranford deal was mixed. Some fans thought, ‘This was all we got for our Conn Smythe winner?’

Sather rationalized it, saying essentially the trade was Ranford for Joseph, while they got a forward, a prospect, and a first-rounder out of it.

The goalie market wasn’t so tantalizing then, either. Patrick Roy had been traded a month before for an underwhelming return and had a far bigger profile than Ranford.

With that in the rear-view, Edmonton signed CuJo to a three-year deal worth $2.3 million per season until the end of 1997–98.

Joseph made his debut for the Oilers the following night as they languished in the standings with a 14-23-6 record. But his injection created a spark. He won his first three starts and would finish the season with .500-level hockey down the stretch.

As we know, he’d help author some tremendous thrills for the Oilers, none better than his save on Joe Nieuwendyk in Game 7 overtime against the Dallas Stars in 1997.

The Nation Golf Tournament driven by GMC is back Friday, August 28, 2026! Which means it’s once again socially acceptable to skip work on a Friday for “networking.” Join us on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Mill Woods Golf Course for an 18-hole Texas scramble shotgun start, questionable swing decisions, and enough chirping to last the entire offseason. Grab your squad and sign up now at nationexperiences.ca before it sells out!