Editing Edmonton Oilers (section)

===WHA years (1972–1979)===
On November 1, 1971, the Edmonton Oilers became 1 of the 12 founding WHA franchises. The original owners were [[Bill Hunter (ice hockey)|"Wild Bill" Hunter]] (1920–2002) and partner, [[Charles Allard|Dr. Charles A. "Chuck" Allard]] (1919–1991)<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DnCsBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA675 | title=Sports in America from Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia | isbn=9781317459477 | last1=Riess | first1=Steven A. | date=March 26, 2015 | publisher=Routledge}}</ref> (father of [[Vancouver]] lawyer [[Peter A. Allard School of Law|Peter Allard]])<ref>{{cite web | url=https://historyproject.allard.ubc.ca/law-history-project/profile/peter-allard-qc | title=Peter A. Allard, QC}}</ref> who, a decade later, also brought the [[Second City Television|''SCTV'']] sketch comedy TV series to Edmonton.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ecitydoc.com/download/charles-alexander-allard-md-frcsc-facs-1919-1991-3_pdf | title=&#91;PDF&#93; charles alexander allard, md, FRCSC, facs 1919–1991 – Free Download PDF}}</ref> Hunter also owned the [[Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)|Edmonton Oil Kings]], a junior hockey franchise,<ref name=whl>{{cite web |url=http://www.whl.ca/page/whl-history |title=WHL History |publisher=Western Hockey League |access-date=November 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113222758/http://www.whl.ca/page/whl-history |archive-date=November 13, 2010}}</ref> and founded the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (now known as the [[Western Hockey League]] (WHL)).<ref name=whl/> Hunter's efforts to bring major professional hockey to [[Edmonton]] via an expansion NHL franchise had been rebuffed by the NHL. So, he looked to the upstart WHA instead. It was Hunter who chose the "Oilers" name for the new WHA franchise. This was a name that had previously been used as a nickname for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |last=MacNeil |first=Rob |url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/09/17/nhl_team_names/ |title=What's in a name? |publisher=Sportsnet |date=September 17, 2010 |access-date=November 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009142207/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/09/17/nhl_team_names/ |archive-date=October 9, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Hunter also served as head coach during 1972–73, 1974–75 and 1975–76 seasons.

After the newly founded [[Calgary Broncos]] folded before the commencement of the inaugural WHA season, the Oilers were renamed the '''Alberta Oilers''' as it was planned to split their home games between Edmonton and [[Calgary]]. Possibly for financial reasons or to allow for a less complicated return of the WHA to Calgary, though, the team ultimately played all of its home games in the [[Edmonton Gardens]] and changed its name back to the Edmonton Oilers the following year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hockey.ballparks.com/WHA/AlbertaOilers/index.htm |title=Northlands Coliseum |publisher=Ballparks |access-date=November 3, 2010}}</ref> They won the first game in WHA history 7–4 over the [[Ottawa Nationals]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Bonanno |first=Rocky |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=426216 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101117123740/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=426216 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 17, 2010 |title=WHA and NHL merged 30-years ago |publisher=National Hockey League |date=June 22, 2009 |access-date=November 3, 2010}}</ref>

The Oilers drew fans with players such as [[defenceman]] and team [[captain (hockey)|captain]] [[Al Hamilton]], [[goaltender]] [[Dave Dryden]] and [[forward (hockey)|forwards]] [[Blair MacDonald]] and [[Bill Flett]]. However, a relatively little-noticed move in [[1976–77 WHA season|1976]] had an important impact on the history of the franchise. That year, journeyman forward [[Glen Sather]] was acquired by the Oilers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pelletier |first=Joe |url=http://oilerslegends.blogspot.com/2006/11/glen-sather.html |title=Glen Sather |publisher=greatesthockeylegends.com |access-date=November 3, 2010}}</ref> It turned out to be his final season as a player and he was named player-coach late in the season, moving to the bench full-time after the season. Sather was the coach or [[List of Edmonton Oilers general managers|general manager]] of the Oilers for the next 23 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=b199701&type=Builder&page=bio&list=ByName#photo |title=Glen Sather |publisher=Legends of Hockey |access-date=November 3, 2010}}</ref>

Although the Oilers' on-ice performance for most of the WHA's history was mediocre, they remained well-supported and financially stable by WHA standards. In 1976, Hunter and Allard sold the franchise to [[Vancouver, Canada|Vancouver]] real estate tycoon [[Nelson Skalbania]], who later became notorious for flipping property, both [[real estate|real]] and [[Professional sports league organization|franchised]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kdmMKQ_h1IwC&pg=PA19 | title=Calgary Flames: Fire on Ice | isbn=9781551537948 | last1=Stewart | first1=Monte | year=2004 | publisher=Heritage House Publishing Co}}</ref> Skalbania soon made local businessman [[Peter Pocklington]] a full partner, then sold his shares to him the following year. The team's fortunes improved dramatically in [[1978–79 WHA season|1978]] when Pocklington acquired underage player [[Wayne Gretzky]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-history-wha-team-acquires-wayne-gretzky-peter-driscoll-and-eddie-mio-from-indianapolis-racers-for-825000-nov-2-1978/ | title=Edmonton Oilers acquire Wayne Gretzky, Peter Driscoll and Eddie Mio from Indianapolis Racers for $825,000}}</ref> as well as goaltender [[Eddie Mio]] and forward [[Peter Driscoll]], for cash, from Skalbania's recently folded [[Indianapolis Racers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=18630 |title=Eddie Dario Mio |publisher=Legends of Hockey |access-date=November 10, 2010}}</ref>

His first year of WHA experience prevented Gretzky from being an official [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]] NHL rookie; his first and only WHA season, [[1978–79 WHA season|1978–79]], saw the Oilers finish first in the WHA standings, posting a league-best 48–30–2 record.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shrpsports.com/wha/stand/1979.htm |title=Final WHA Standings 1978–79 |publisher=ShrpSports |access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> However, Edmonton failed to win the championship, as they fell to the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]] in the [[Avco World Trophy]] finals. [[Dave Semenko]] of the Oilers scored the last goal in WHA history in the third period of the final game, which they lost 7–3.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/last54.html |title=World's Last WHA Game |publisher=The Longest List of the Longest Stuff at the Longest Domain Name at Long Last |access-date=November 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231044758/http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/last54.html |archive-date=December 31, 2009 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>

The Oilers joined the NHL for [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]], along with fellow WHA teams [[Hartford Whalers]], [[Quebec Nordiques]] and the Jets following a [[NHL–WHA merger|merger agreement]] between the two leagues. Of these four teams, only Edmonton has avoided relocation and renaming; the Nordiques became the [[Colorado Avalanche]] in 1995, the Jets became the [[Arizona Coyotes|Phoenix Coyotes]] in 1996 and the Whalers became the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilkie |first=Bruce |url=http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-wha-merger-30th-anniversary/ |title=NHL-WHA Merger 30th Anniversary |publisher=The Hockey Writers |access-date=November 11, 2010}}</ref>