Grit and Glory: Celebrating 40 Years of the Edmonton Oilers

The complete story of the Edmonton Oilers–from Wayne Gretzky and the dynasty years, to Connor McDavid and the future, and everything in between

When the Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL in 1979, the team owner, Peter Pocklington, proclaimed they would win their first Stanley Cup within five years. A bold statement that turned out to be half right- they not only won the Cup in 1984, but won it four more times over the next six years, forging one of the most dominant dynasties ever.

The Oilers have always been a team of determination–fast scoring, hard hitting, and creative hockey that has earned them loyal fans across North America. The team has faced adversity, both on and off the ice. As a small market team, the Oilers have struggled to compete in the NHL, but always found a way. From the biggest trade in history that saw the Great One leave for L.A., to the eleventh hour negotiations that kept the team in Edmonton with a cadre of thirty-seven passionate owners–there is no club like it. And now with super star Connor McDavid leading the roster there’s never been greater promise for the future.

With forty years of NHL action to celebrate, acclaimed sports writer Lorna Schultz Nicholson takes a journey back to the Oiler’s phenomenal highs and challenging lows, the larger than life characters and amazing records, to tell the remarkable story of the hardest working club in the game. Fully illustrated with rare and exciting images, and published in full partnership with the Edmonton Oilers, this is the must have book for Oilers fans, and hockey fans, everywhere.