1997–98 Edmonton Oilers season

1997–98 Edmonton Oilers
Division 3rd Pacific
Conference 7th Western
1997–98 record 35–37–10
Home record 20–16–5
Road record 15–21–5
Goals for 215
Goals against 224
Team information
General Manager Glen Sather
Coach Ron Low
Captain Kelly Buchberger
Alternate captains Boris Mironov
Doug Weight
Arena Edmonton Coliseum
Average attendance 16,245 (95.0%)
Minor league affiliations Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)
New Orleans Brass (ECHL)
Team leaders
Goals Doug Weight (26)
Assists Doug Weight (44)
Points Doug Weight (70)
Penalties in minutes Drake Berehowsky (169)
Plus/minus Todd Marchant (+9)
Dean McAmmond (+9)
Wins Curtis Joseph (29)
Goals against average Curtis Joseph (2.63)
<1996–97 1998–99>

The 1997–98 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 19th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a 36–37–9 record in 1996–97, earning their first Stanley Cup playoff spot in five seasons. The Oilers then defeated the heavily-favoured Colorado Avalanche before losing to the Dallas Stars in the second round.

Edmonton began the season slowly, and on January 4, with a record of 11–22–9, the Oilers traded Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin. The trade seemed to spark Edmonton, as they would finish the year 24–15–1, making the playoffs for the second-straight season after finishing in seventh place in the Western Conference.

Offensively, Doug Weight had another solid season, leading the Oilers in goals (26), assists (44) and points (70). Ryan Smyth would be the only other player to score at least 20 goals for the team. Dean McAmmond had a breakout season, finishing second to Weight with 50 points, as well as third in goals, with 19. Bill Guerin had a solid half season in Edmonton, scoring 13 goals and 29 points in 40 games. Boris Mironov would lead the defence with 16 goals and 46 points, while Drake Berehowsky would lead the team with 169 penalty minutes.

In goal, Curtis Joseph would get the majority of playing time, winning 29 games, posting a goals against average (GAA) of 2.63 and setting the club record with shutouts in a season at eight. Bob Essensa would back him up once again, contributing a solid GAA of 2.55 and winning six games. The Oilers also tied the Dallas Stars for most power-play goals scored (77) and finished with the most power-play opportunities (483) in the League.[1]

On March 2, 1998, Scott Fraser scored just 11 seconds into the overtime period to give the Oilers a 5-4 road win over the Colorado Avalanche.[2] It would prove to be the fastest overtime goal scored during the 1997–98 regular season.[3]

The Oilers would open the playoffs against the Pacific Division-winning Colorado Avalanche, who eliminated Edmonton from the playoffs the previous spring, and finished with 15 more points during the regular season. The Oilers, however, would surprise the Avalanche in the opening game, winning 3–2, but Colorado would storm back to win three in a row to go up 3–1 in the series. The Oilers would hold off the Avalanche in Game 5 with a 3–1 in Denver, then would return home for the sixth game to shut-out Colorado 4–0, forcing a deciding Game 7. Curtis Joseph would earn his second-straight shutout in the game, as Edmonton would win 2–0 and the series 4–2, eliminating the heavily-favoured Avalanche.

In the second round, Edmonton would play against Dallas, whom the Oilers defeated the previous year in the opening round. The Stars finished with an NHL-best 109 points in the regular season. The Stars would beat Edmonton in the first game, but Curtis Joseph would shut-out Dallas in Game 2, evening the series as it returned to Edmonton for the next two games. The third game would be scoreless in regulation time, though the Stars would score in the first overtime period to take a 2–1 series lead. The Oilers' offence then went dry as they would score only two goals in the next two games, losing them both, and the series 4–1.

Season standings

Pacific Division
No. GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 Colorado Avalanche 82 39 26 17 231 205 95
2 Los Angeles Kings 82 38 33 11 227 225 87
3 Edmonton Oilers 82 35 37 10 215 224 80
4 San Jose Sharks 82 34 38 10 210 216 78
5 Calgary Flames 82 26 41 15 217 252 67
6 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 82 26 43 13 205 261 65
7 Vancouver Canucks 82 25 43 14 224 273 64

Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Western Conference[4]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 p – Dallas Stars CEN 82 49 22 11 242 167 109
2 x – Colorado Avalanche PAC 82 39 26 17 231 205 95
3 Detroit Red Wings CEN 82 44 23 15 250 196 103
4 St. Louis Blues CEN 82 45 29 8 256 204 98
5 Los Angeles Kings PAC 82 38 33 11 227 225 87
6 Phoenix Coyotes CEN 82 35 35 12 224 227 82
7 Edmonton Oilers PAC 82 35 37 10 215 224 80
8 San Jose Sharks PAC 82 34 38 10 210 216 78
9 Chicago Blackhawks CEN 82 30 39 13 192 199 73
10 Toronto Maple Leafs CEN 82 30 43 9 194 237 69
11 Calgary Flames PAC 82 26 41 15 217 252 67
12 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim PAC 82 26 43 13 205 261 65
13 Vancouver Canucks PAC 82 25 43 14 224 273 64

Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific

bold – Qualified for playoffs; x – Won Division; p – Won Presidents' Trophy

Schedule and results

1997–98 Game Log

Legend:       Win (2 points)       Loss (0 points)       Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Season stats

Scoring leaders

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Doug Weight 79 26 44 70 69
Dean McAmmond 77 19 31 50 46
Boris Mironov 81 16 30 46 100
Todd Marchant 76 14 21 35 71
Ryan Smyth 65 20 13 33 44

Goaltending

Player GP TOI W L T GA SO Save % GAA
Bob Essensa 16 825 6 6 1 35 0 .913 2.53
Curtis Joseph 71 4132 29 31 9 181 8 .905 2.63

Playoff stats

Scoring leaders

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Doug Weight 12 2 7 9 14
Bill Guerin 12 7 1 8 17
Boris Mironov 12 3 3 6 27
Roman Hamrlik 12 0 6 6 12
Rem Murray 11 1 4 5 2

Goaltending

Player GP TOI W L GA SO Save % GAA
Curtis Joseph 12 716 5 7 23 3 .928 1.93
Bob Essensa 1 27 0 0 1 0 .909 2.22

Awards and records

Records

  • 10: A new Oilers record for most shutouts in a career by Curtis Joseph on February 2, 1998.

Milestones

Regular Season
Player Milestone Reached
Todd Marchant 100th NHL Point October 1, 1997
Boyd Devereaux 1st NHL Game October 5, 1997
Bryan Marchment 1,300th NHL PIM October 11, 1997
Jason Bowen 100th NHL PIM October 21, 1997
Steve Kelly 1st NHL Assist October 24, 1997
Drake Berehowsky 200th NHL PIM October 29, 1997
Boyd Devereaux 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
November 3, 1997
Craig Millar 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
November 5, 1997
Curtis Joseph 400th NHL Game November 8, 1997
Ladislav Benysek 1st NHL Game November 15, 1997
Georges Laraque
Mike Watt 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Sean Brown 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
November 17, 1997
Joe Hulbig
Mike Grier 100th NHL Game November 19, 1997
Bill Huard 200th NHL Game
Mike Watt 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
November 22, 1997
Doug Friedman 1st NHL Game November 25, 1997
Doug Weight 400th NHL Point November 28, 1997
Jason Arnott 100th NHL Goal November 30, 1997
Greg de Vries 100th NHL PIM December 2, 1997
Dean McAmmond 100th NHL Point December 3, 1997
Joe Hulbig 1st NHL Goal December 5, 1997
Dan McGillis 100th NHL Game
Rem Murray
Mats Lindgren 100th NHL Game December 7, 1997
Doug Weight 300th NHL Assist December 10, 1997
Kelly Buchberger 1,600th NHL PIM December 20, 1997
Bryan Marchment 100th NHL Point
Kelly Buchberger 700th NHL Game December 27, 1997
Dean McAmmond 200th NHL Game
Doug Weight 400th NHL PIM
Boyd Devereaux 1st NHL Goal January 20, 1998
Dan McGillis 100th NHL PIM January 23, 1998
Greg de Vries 100th NHL Game January 31, 1998
Curtis Joseph 200th NHL Win February 2, 1998
Terran Sandwith 1st NHL Game
Boris Mironov 100th NHL Assist February 6, 1998
Roman Hamrlik 200th NHL Point February 25, 1998
Boris Mironov 400th NHL PIM
300th NHL Game
February 27, 1998
Bill Guerin 500th NHL PIM February 28, 1998
Scott Ferguson 1st NHL Game March 4, 1998
Bill Guerin 400th NHL Game
Drake Berehowsky 300th NHL PIM March 7, 1998
Mike Grier 100th NHL PIM
Roman Hamrlik 400th NHL Game
Valeri Zelepukin 400th NHL PIM
Scott Fraser 1st NHL Assist March 9, 1998
Roman Hamrlik 500th NHL PIM March 13, 1998
Dean McAmmond 100th NHL PIM March 15, 1998
Valeri Zelepukin 400th NHL Game
Frank Musil 100th NHL Assist March 18, 1998
Todd Marchant 200th NHL PIM March 25, 1998
Ryan Smyth 100th NHL Point April 1, 1998
Bobby Dollas 500th NHL Game April 3, 1998
Doug Weight 500th NHL Game April 8, 1998
Frank Musil 1,200th NHL PIM April 11, 1998
Playoffs
Player Milestone Reached
Drake Berehowsky 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
April 22, 1998
Dean McAmmond 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
Scott Fraser 1st NHL Game
Kelly Buchberger 100th NHL PIM April 24, 1998
Curtis Joseph 50th NHL Game April 28, 1998
Drake Berehowsky 1st NHL Goal May 2, 1998
Bill Guerin 100th NHL PIM
Curtis Joseph 5th NHL Shutout
Dean McAmmond 1st NHL Assist
Mats Lindgren 1st NHL Goal May 4, 1998
Scott Fraser 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
May 13, 1998
Scott Fraser 1st NHL Assist May 16, 1998

Transactions

Trades

June 18, 1997 To Philadelphia Flyers
Matt Cerven
To Edmonton Oilers
7th round pick in 1997–Chad Hinz
July 16, 1997 To Tampa Bay Lightning
Vladimir Vujtek
3rd round pick in 1998Dmitry Afanasenkov
To Edmonton Oilers
Brantt Myhres
3rd round pick in 1998Alex Henry
August 12, 1997 To Pittsburgh Penguins
Jiri Slegr
To Edmonton Oilers
*3rd round pick in 1998Brian Gionta
August 25, 1997 To New York Islanders
Mariusz Czerkawski
To Edmonton Oilers
Dan LaCouture
October 15, 1997 To Philadelphia Flyers
Brantt Myhres
To Edmonton Oilers
Jason Bowen
December 30, 1997 To Tampa Bay Lightning
Bryan Marchment
Steve Kelly
Jason Bonsignore
To Edmonton Oilers
Roman Hamrlik
Paul Comrie
January 4, 1998 To New Jersey Devils
Jason Arnott
Bryan Muir
To Edmonton Oilers
Bill Guerin
Valeri Zelepukin
January 9, 1998 To Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Drew Bannister
To Edmonton Oilers
Bobby Dollas
March 9, 1998 To Ottawa Senators
Scott Ferguson
To Edmonton Oilers
Frank Musil
March 24, 1998 To Philadelphia Flyers
Dan McGillis
2nd round pick in 1998Jason Beckett
To Edmonton Oilers
Janne Niinimaa

*Later traded to the New Jersey Devils

Free agents

Player Former team
F Doug Friedman Colorado Avalanche
F Bill Huard Dallas Stars
F Scott Fraser Calgary Flames
G Jean-Francois Labbe Colorado Avalanche
D Drake Berehowsky Pittsburgh Penguins
F Ray Whitney San Jose Sharks
Player New team
D Luke Richardson Philadelphia Flyers
F Louie DeBrusk Tampa Bay Lightning

Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
114 Michel Riesen   Switzerland EHC Biel (Switzerland)
241 Patrick Dovigi  Canada Erie Otters (OHL)
368 Sergei Yerkovich  Belarus Las Vegas Thunder (IHL)
494 Jonas Elofsson  Sweden Farjestad BK (Sweden)
5121 Jason Chimera  Canada Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
6141 Peter Sarno  Canada Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
7176 Kevin Bolibruck  Canada Peterborough Petes (OHL)
7187 Chad Hinz  Canada Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
8205 Chris Kerr  Canada Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
9231 Alexander Fomitchev  Russia St. Albert Saints (AJHL)

Roster

1997-98 Edmonton Oilers
Goaltenders

Defensemen

Wingers

Centres

References

  1. http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1998.html
  2. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oilers-top-avalanche/
  3. http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1998_games.html
  4. "1997-1998 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
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