Former Oilers forward Lennart Petrell to have jersey retired in Finland
Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports
By Zach Laing
Oct 23, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 23, 2025, 14:10 EDT
From the streets of Edmonton to the rafters in Helsinki, Lennart Petrell’s name will forever live on.
While his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers lasted only 95 games across two seasons, the forward with a cult following is set to have his number retired by his hometown team in Finland.
Petrell grew up playing for HIFK, beginning in the U16 ranks, moving his way up through the U18 and U20 systems before joining their Finnish Elite League team in 2004-05. He would spend seven seasons there before he caught the Oilers’ eye ahead of the 2011-12 season.
Then assistant general manager Rick Olczyk told the Edmonton Journal that Petrell was a “up and down player” who is “extremely physical.” Petrell would live up to that billing, as over those two seasons in Edmonton, he laid 185 hits — the most of any Oilers forward. He did it all in 981 minutes of ice-time, too, giving him a staggering 11.31 hits per hour, the 15th most of any forward who played as many minutes as him over that stretch.
He didn’t chip in much offensively, scoring seven goals and 18 points in his 95 games, but his style of play certainly endeared him to Oilers fans. He didn’t shy away from dropping the gloves, either, fighting Brian Bulmer, Justin Abdelkader, and Keith Yandle during his career.
After the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season ended, Petrell would head back overseas playing a season in Switzerland and two in Sweden before returning to his hometown team in 2016-17 to play four more seasons. He was forced to retire in 2020 after a heart condition was discovered during routine testing, but he quickly transitioned to other roles in hockey, working with HIFK’s U18 team as an assistant coach between 2021-22 and 2023-24. While he didn’t have a role in the 2024-25 season, he joined HIFK as their director of coaching beginning this season.
HIFK CEO Ilkka Kortesluoma sang the praises of Petrell in a team release, translated from Finnish to English by Google Translate:
“Lennart Petrell is a true club icon who embodies HIFK’s values. Petrell was the embodiment of struggle on the rink and a respected leader in the booth. His contribution to the HIFK community was not limited to the rink, but Petrell has always had time for the fans, and the ex-captain has done good for society, for example through targeted financial support measures through the Kipparien Klubi. ‘Lennu’s’ love and commitment to the sport and the club did not end with his playing career, but he continues to do valuable work in HIFK’s junior side.”
The ceremony will be held on November 29th.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.
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