It’s been 35 years since the Edmonton Oilers finished the club’s first season in the National Hockey League.
The Oilers were one of four franchises to be absorbed from the World Hockey Association by the NHL prior to the 1979-80 season.
Two years earlier the Oilers were fortunate to add an 18-year old rookie to the roster from the Indianapolis Racers. The Racers had disbanded and the players were available to other teams in the league.
That rookie was Wayne Gretzky. Not much else needs to be said. The Oilers went on to win four Stanley Cups during the 1980s with Gretzky leading the way.
During the club’s first NHL season, Edmonton posted a 28-39-13 record to finish fourth in the Smythe Division. It was good enough for a playoff appearance, but Philadelphia needed just three games to take care of the Oilers in the first round. Not all the memorable, but the organization was building for the future.
A highlight of the season came on Feb. 24, 1980. Gretzky became the first player in league history to score 100 points in a season under the age of 20. It was in the 61st contest of the season, which Edmonton lost 4-2 to Boston.
Gretzky ended the season with 137 points and in a tie for the league lead with Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings. He finished with 51 goals and a league best 86 assists.
A NHL Second Team All-Star, Gretzky picked up a pair of honors. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league Most Valuable Player, while being named winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the player who Displays Gentlemanly Conduct.