No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup Final since 1993, but a few have come within a few wins of snapping the drought over the last three decades. The Oilers are about to take their shot.
The Canadiens played for the Cup in 2021, becoming the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup Final since the Canucks came one win away in 2011. The Senators had a chance in 2007 but lost in five games to the Ducks.
One of Canada’s best opportunities to get on the board over the past three decades actually came when the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final — well before Connor McDavid was in Edmonton’s sights and at a time when the NHL looked much different than it does today.
Here’s a look back at the Oilers’ last Stanley Cup Final appearance before 2024.
MORE: Predictions, odds for 2024 Stanley Cup Final
When was the last time the Oilers went to the Stanley Cup Final?
The Oilers last reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2006, when they came within one win of a championship before losing to the Hurricanes.
Just like this season, Edmonton didn’t win its division in 2005-06. In fact, the Oilers only narrowly made the playoffs with 95 points. That got them a matchup with the 58-win Red Wings, but they managed to upset Detroit in six games.
The Oilers knocked out the Sharks and Mighty Ducks on their way to the Stanley Cup Final, but nothing played out quite as smoothly against Carolina. The Oilers quickly dropped the first two games of the series, with Rod Brind’Amour scoring a late game-winner for the Hurricanes in Game 1. That gave way to a 5-0 rout by Carolina in Game 2.
Edmonton ultimately trailed 3-1 after Game 4 but kept its season alive with an overtime win in Game 5 and a shutout in Game 6. That was all the Oilers had in the tank. The Hurricanes prevailed in Game 7, ensuring Canada’s Cup drought would last at least another year.
What was different about 2006? Everything. Connor McDavid was just 9, Sidney Crosby was a rookie with the Penguins, and the iPhone hadn’t yet been released.
Oil country has been waiting 18 years for this one folks 🫢👀
What do you remember from the year 2006? pic.twitter.com/lSFe6mEpya
— BarDown (@BarDown) June 3, 2024
Wayne Gretzky, just seven years removed from his playing career, was in year one as head coach of the Coyotes. The NHL as a whole was reeling and hoping to rebuild momentum and goodwill after the 2004-05 season was canceled due to a lockout. That made the 2006 Stanley Cup Final the first in two years.
Ratings suffered, as the first two games of the series were watched by fewer than one million people in the U.S., though the Oilers hailing from Canada was at least a small factor. The same trend would occur the following year when the Senators faced the Ducks, but no Stanley Cup Final game since has dipped under one million viewers.
MORE: Breaking down Connor McDavid’s playoff history
The jury will be out on television ratings until this year’s Stanley Cup Final is complete, but the series certainly has the potential to be thoroughly entertaining. Between the duo of McDavid and Draisaitl making their first appearance and a loaded Panthers squad looking to complete the mission they couldn’t a year ago, these two high-flying offenses can make the series a thriller.
Oilers 2006 roster
Here’s a look at the points leaders from the 2005-06 Oilers:
| Player | Points | Position |
| Ales Hemsky | 77 | RW |
| Shawn Horcoff | 73 | LW |
| Jarret Stoll | 68 | C |
| Ryan Smyth | 66 | LW |
| Chris Pronger | 56 | D |
| Raffi Torres | 41 | LW |
| Fernando Pisani | 37 | C |
| Marc-Andre Bergeron | 35 | D |
| Radek Dvorak | 28 | RW |
| Steve Staios | 28 | D |
| Ethan Moreau | 27 | LW |
| Marty Reasoner | 26 | C |
| Michael Peca | 23 | C |
| Jaroslav Spacek | 19 | D |
| Jason Smith | 17 | D |
| Sergei Samsonov | 16 | LW |
| Georges Laraque | 12 | RW |
The Oilers also saw four different goaltenders start games during the 2005-06 season:
| Goaltender | W-L | Save pct. | GAA |
| Jussi Markkanen | 15-12-6 | .880 | 3.13 |
| Mark Morrison | 10-4-2 | .884 | 2.83 |
| Ty Conklin | 8-5-1 | .880 | 2.80 |
| Dwayne Roloson | 8-7-4 | .905 | 2.43 |
Oilers Stanley Cup Final appearances
The Oilers are making their eighth Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history. Here’s a complete list of each time they played for the Cup:
| Year | Opponent | Result |
| 1983 | Islanders | Loss |
| 1984 | Islanders | Win |
| 1985 | Flyers | Win |
| 1987 | Flyers | Win |
| 1988 | Bruins | Win |
| 1990 | Bruins | Win |
| 2006 | Hurricanes | Loss |
| 2024 | Panthers | TBD |
The Oilers won their first Stanley Cup in 1984, ending the Islanders’ bid for a fifth consecutive championship. That was only the beginning of a dynasty, as Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup Final four more times in the next six seasons. All ended in a championship.
It’s been a more challenging 34 years for the Oilers since 1990, with 2006 being their only Stanley Cup Final appearance between their last title and this year’s berth. The Oilers can make it six Stanley Cup championships with a series win over the Panthers.
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