In the 62 editions of the NHL All Star Game, the Edmonton Oilers have had players take part in the main game 30 times, all throughout the 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. They’ve included household names as well as players you probably forgot suited up for the Orange/Copper and Blue at the unofficial mid season show case of the league’s players.
So without further ado let’s get into a few notable participants of the franchise during All Star Weekend!
The First Ones
1980: It was an All Star Game that was the grand goodbye to the league for Gordie Howie in Detroit at age 51 and big hello to Wayne Gretzky in his first All Star Game, something that he’d partake in, in all 18 seasons of his career. Also joining the teenage wonder would be linemate BJ McDonald whom himself would go onto having a 46 goal campaign in 79-80.
Neither player would get a point as the Wales would beat the Campbell Conference 6-3 but it would only be the beginning for Oilers skating among the best in the league at the mid season classic.
It’s Nothing But Oilers!
1986: By the mid 1980s the take over of the NHL by members of the Edmonton Oilers reached its peak. Thanks to the roster rules of the day, not only was the team coached by Glen Sather but NINE members of the Oilers roster made up the Campbell Conference All Stars, still the record for most players from one team.
The format really should have been Edmonton vs the NHL.
Along with Sather, appearing in the game from Alberta’s capital were Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Lee Fogolin, Jari Kurri, Kevin Lowe and Andy Moog.
Gretzky would have a goal while Paul Coffey would pitch in with a couple of helpers but the Wales Conference would take this game 4-3.
The Game is In YEG
1989: Finally, the All Star Game made it’s way to Edmonton. It was a reunion for the city and Wayne Gretzky as he was named once again to the Campbell Conference squad but this time as a member of the LA Kings.
The post-Gretzky Oilers that took part in this affair included new captain Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, Kevin Lowe, Grant Fuhr and one of the men who came back for Gretzky in the trade of the century Jimmy Carson.
The Campbell side would win 9-5 with Kurri, Messier and Carson scoring and Gretzky getting one more moment to score as an active player for the home side in Edmonton to send everyone home happy with a two point night of his own in the win.
I Didn’t Know You Played In An All Star Game!
The era of after the Oilers dynasty and just before their return to the playoffs as the gritty lunch bucket team that would outwork you 365 days a year in the late 90s was an interesting time.
When it comes to who went to the All Star game during this time period of course Doug Weight was an easy name to recall but two other names went that made my eyebrow raise a little bit, and maybe it’s because I’m a tad young.
Dave Manson went to the 1993 game in Montreal but when you look at things coming into 92-93 he was coming off of back to back 30 point seasons and would record his third straight year of 10 or more goals as one of the bright spots of the first non playoff season in the NHL for the Oilers.
In his 2nd and final All Star Game appearance of his career Manson would one of the few members of the Campbell squad to get on the scoresheet with an assist on a Teemu Selanne goal as the Prince of Wales would run over Campbell Conference 16-6 in one of the most lopsided games of all time. No word on if the Campbell Conference got to at least attempt an extra point for seven.
In 1994, Shayne Corson would be the Oilers representative in New York City for the first year of the East-West game format but would be held pointless in a 9-8 Eastern Conference win.
Oilers Free (Kinda)
2004 and 2011: On two different occasions there wasn’t a single Oiler taking part in the all star game festivities! For the 54th All Star Game game in Minnesota not a single Oiler was voted or named to the Western Conference All Star team, while in 2011 the Ales Hemsky was named to the Western All Stars but was forced to miss the game due to injury.
Taylor Hall was at the event but he only partook in the Super Skills portion of All Star Weekend as a member of Team Lidstrom’s rookies.
The Next Ones
Today, Connor McDavid will take part in his first All Star game and what a way to do it as a member of the Pacific Division in the second year that the game has been split into a mini tournament format.
He’s already won the fastest skater event during All Star Weekend for this year and even though it’s a few games for fun I want to see some Connor magic in the three on three tourney as does the rest of the hockey world.
Remember Sunday night as you’re probably going to be watching All Star Game 1 of maybe 10-15 for the guy wearing #97 and expect pretty soon to see him joined in this spotlight by the likes of Leon Draisatil, Darnell Nurse and hopefully Jesse Puljujarvi.
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