1979–80 Edmonton Oilers season
The 1979–80 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' eighth season and their first season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers were of four WHA organizations that were granted NHL expansion franchises under the terms of an expansion agreement that took effect on June 22, 1979.
| 1979–80 Edmonton Oilers | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th Smythe |
| Conference | 8th Campbell |
| 1979–80 record | 28–39–13 |
| Home record | 17–14–9 |
| Road record | 11–25–4 |
| Goals for | 301 (9th) |
| Goals against | 322 (20th) |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Larry Gordon |
| Coach | Glen Sather |
| Captain | Ron Chipperfield (Oct-Mar) Blair MacDonald (Mar-Apr) |
| Alternate captains | None |
| Arena | Northlands Coliseum |
| Average attendance | 15,431 (100.1%) |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Houston Apollos (CHL) Dayton Gems (IHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Wayne Gretzky (51) |
| Assists | Wayne Gretzky (86) |
| Points | Wayne Gretzky (137) |
| Penalty minutes | Colin Campbell (196) |
| Plus/minus | Doug Hicks (+18) |
| Wins | Eddie Mio (9) |
| Goals against average | Ron Low (3.42) |
The Oilers were led offensively by rookie superstar Wayne Gretzky, as he tied for the lead league in points at 137, however lost the Art Ross Trophy due to scoring 2 fewer goals than winner Marcel Dionne. Gretzky, however, won the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP of the NHL but was declared ineligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy due to his playing days in the WHA.
Edmonton played six goaltenders during the season and was led by Eddie Mio's nine wins, while Ron Low, who came over in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques, would go 8–2–1 in 11 games with the Oilers.
They made the playoffs, however, they were quickly swept out by the powerful Philadelphia Flyers in 3 games, but Oilers fans were very excited about being part of the NHL, and of the future of the team.