A member of the Edmonton Oilers critical to its success is not getting his due: 9 Things

This is the best Edmonton Oilers team in thirty-five years.

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If they win, it may be the best in thirty-seven…given the fact that they would also have back-to-back Finals appearances on their resume. So, the best since Wayne Gretzky owned this town.

Yet, the National Hockey League does not give the primary architect of this year’s club enough credit. And that needs to change.

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That and more in this edition of…

9 Things

9. A few people seemed upset that Connor McDavid touched the Clarence Campbell Trophy after their big win on Thursday. I do not get the big deal. Toronto players have not touched it in decades.

8. The Oilers have home ice advantage in the Finals. The Schedule: Game One is Edmonton is Wednesday, June 4. Game Two is Friday, June 6. If necessary, Game Five would be June 14, and Game Seven June 20.

7. As per Oilers broadcaster Bob Stauffer, since the WHA merged with the NHL in 1979-80, Edmonton has more Stanley Cup Finals appearances (nine) than any other Canadian franchise. Montreal has four, Calgary and Vancouver three. Ottawa has made it to the dance once.

6. Jeff Skinner on Thursday became the oldest player in Oilers history to score their first Stanley Cup Playoffs goal. Skinner was thirty-three years and thirteen days. The old record had been held by defenceman Stave Staios who scored in 2006 at thirty-two years and two-hundred ninety-nine days.

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5. Another neat piece of Oilers and Stanley Cup history: Kris Knoblauch is the first coach since 1970 to go to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first two seasons in the National Hockey League. The man who did it previously was none other than Stan Bowman’s legendary father Scotty in St. Louis from 1968-1970.

4. Second-guessing a bench boss is just part of being a fan. It comes with the territory. But it is hard to mount a serious argument with what Kris Knoblauch has accomplished in his first two campaigns (not even two full years, remember). His knack for being able to push just the right buttons at just the right time is uncanny. And it gets better the bigger the moment. The Edmonton Oilers’ win-loss record under Knoblauch in playoffs games four through seven stands at an astonishing 18-2.

3. I had a conversation with one of my older brothers the other day about winning championships. Glen scored the winning goal (in O.T.) that sent the Swift Current Midget Legionnaires to nationals (then named The Wrigley’s) in 1976. I scored twice in the game provincial final game I played in a decade later, only we lost. As a result, he and I remember those two experiences very differently. So, I can relate in a small way to how the Oilers, having lost in the finals the year previous, are driven toward a different outcome. That loss never quite leaves you.

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2. As a much younger man I broke my arm while playing hockey. The break was just a shade above the wrist. It was bad luck, my own player ran into me, but in a comparable manner to how Zach Hyman was run into by Mason Marchment. No bone displacement in my case. I did not need surgery. But I still missed five weeks of action and then played three more with a playing cast. I was not the same the rest of the year. So, I have zero surprise that Hyman is done for the season. The end result is a real shame, and a loss for the club for certain. But…it gives another player(s) an opportunity to step up and make a difference in his absence. Who might it end up being?

1. The three finalists for the 2025 Jim Gregory Award were announced a while back. The “General Manager of the Year” is decided by a vote of a forty-two-member panel of G.M.’s, executives, and media members. And the award has always been given based on results up to the end of the regular season. This year’s nominees are Kevin Cheveldayoff of Winnipeg, Bill Zito of Florida, and Jim Nill of Dallas. Mr. Nill has been nominated three years in a row. Now, I mean no disrespect to any of these men. They are all deserving candidates based on the qualifications as they sit today. Mr. Zito’s team the Florida Panthers is in the finals this campaign. And they do not control the rules governing the award.

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But what exactly are we rewarding here? I mean…is it not the primary job of any General Manager this league to win? Yet only one of the past seven winners of The Jim Gregory took home The Stanley Cup that season. That was Joe Sakic in Colorado in 2022. George McPhee, Don Sweeney, Lou Lamoriello (twice) and Jim Nill (now thrice, as mentioned) were all rewarded despite ultimately coming up short. Sure, having a great NHL regular season is all super and everything. But it means nothing in the end. Ask the players from the other side who have to watch the winners hoist the cup.

Mr. Nill is an excellent and widely respected executive. But he has twice in back-to-back attempts been unable to get his team past the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals. Yet, has there been a vote for Ken Holland, who vanquished Dallas last season, or for Stan Bowman who eliminated the Stars this year? Nope. Crickets for Edmonton from the voting panel. But it is not even them I am pointing a finger at.

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Don’t get me wrong. Brian Burke had a great idea when he came up with this award back when he was with the league. I just have a tough time imagining he meant for it to recognize second, third or fourth best. This should not be a Participaction ribbon. And Canadian readers of a certain vintage will get the reference.

The two finalists for this year’s and every Jim Gregory Award should be the people whose teams are in the Stanley Cup Finals:

And in 2025 those guys are Bill Zito and Stan Bowman.

Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social. This article is not AI generated.

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In memory of Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.

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