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2003–04 Edmonton Oilers season

The 2003–04 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 25th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a 36–26–11–9 record in 2002–03, earning 92 points, and returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. The Oilers were then defeated by the Dallas Stars in six games in the opening round.

During the off-season, the Oilers and Mike Comrie could not come to a contract agreement, and Comrie would not start the season with the team. Comrie would eventually be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in December for Jeff Woywitka and the Flyers' first-round draft pick in 2004.

The club would start off the season on the right foot, having a record of 10–7–2–0 in the first 19 games. However, Edmonton would go into a slump and have a 10–17–6–1 in their next 34 games, falling to 12th place in the Western Conference. The Oilers would later emerge from the slump and finish the season with a 16–5–4–4 in their remaining 29 games. Despite the season turnaround, the Oilers would finish in ninth in the West, two points behind the eighth-placed Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot, thereby failing to qualify for the post-season for the second time in three seasons.

Offensively, Ryan Smyth would lead the club with 23 goals, 36 assists and 59 points. Radek Dvorak would finish just behind Smyth with 50 points, while Ethan Moreau and Raffi Torres would each score 20 goals. Marc-Andre Bergeron would lead the defense with 9 goals and 26 points, while Eric Brewer would finish just behind him with seven goals and 25 points. Georges Laraque would lead the club in penalty minutes, with 99.

In goal, Tommy Salo would begin the season as the starter. However, he would lose his job and eventually be traded to the Colorado Avalanche before the season was over. He won 17 games and had a 2.58 goals against average (GAA), along with three shutouts, with Edmonton. Ty Conklin took over the starting duties, where he would win 17 games, attain a 2.42 GAA and earn a shutout along the way.

Heritage Classic

The Heritage Classic[1] was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003, in Edmonton between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the second NHL outdoor game and the first regular season outdoor game in the history of the NHL, and was modeled after the success of the "cold war" game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University in 2001. The first NHL game to be played outdoors was in 1991 when the Los Angeles Kings played the New York Rangers in an exhibition game outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.[2] The event took place in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in front of a crowd of 57,167, the largest number of people to ever watch a live NHL game, despite temperatures of close to -18 °C, -30 °C (-22 °F) with wind chill. It was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Edmonton Oilers joining the NHL in 1979. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television broadcast also set the record for most viewers of a single NHL game with 2.747 million nationwide. This was the first NHL game broadcast in HDTV on CBC. Montreal won the game 4–3.

Season standings

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

Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest

P – Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot


Schedule and results

Player statistics

Scoring

Goaltending

Awards and records

Awards

Milestones

Transactions

The Oilers were involved in the following transactions from June 10, 2003, the day after the deciding game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 7, 2004, the day of the deciding game of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.[10]

Trades

Players acquired

Players lost

Signings

Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.[44]

Notes

  1. ^ Renamed from Skyreach Centre in January
  2. ^ 4th-round pick in 2004[12]
  3. ^ In parentheses is the player's free agency group on July 1 if applicable.[24]
  4. ^ Cleary signed with Phoenix on July 15.[25]
  5. ^ Edmonton retained Haakana’s NHL rights through the 2005–06 season.[29]

References

  1. ^ "Heritage Website". Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
  2. ^ "Not exactly the first time". CBC News.
  3. ^ "2003-2004 Division Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  4. ^ "2003–2004 Standings by Conference". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "2003-04 Edmonton Oilers Schedule and Results". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Ty time in Edmonton". ESPN.com. November 18, 2003. Retrieved August 11, 2022. Conklin… has gone 3-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in his past four starts and earned NHL defensive player of the week honors.
  7. ^ "2004 YoungStars Game rosters". ESPN.com. January 24, 2004. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "ETHAN MOREAU NAMED OILERS MVP - OILERS ANNOUNCE PLAYER AWARDS". Edmonton Oilers. April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on June 29, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  9. ^ 2014–15 Edmonton Oilers Media Guide, p.173
  10. ^ "Hockey Transactions Search Results". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  11. ^ "Oilers trade down, select Pouliot 22nd". TSN.ca. June 21, 2003. Archived from the original on September 21, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Leetch returns to Rangers". UPI. July 30, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "OILERS ACQUIRE RIGHTS TO BRIAN LEETCH". Edmonton Oilers. June 30, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  14. ^ "OILERS OBTAIN JEFF WOYWITKA FROM PHILADELPHIA". Edmonton Oilers. December 16, 2003. Archived from the original on April 9, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  15. ^ "OILERS ADD GOALTENDING DEPTH". Edmonton Oilers. February 16, 2004. Archived from the original on March 7, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  16. ^ "OILERS ACQUIRE NEDVED AND MARKKANEN". Edmonton Oilers. March 3, 2004. Archived from the original on April 9, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "OILERS OBTAIN TOM GILBERT FROM COLORADO". Edmonton Oilers. March 9, 2004. Archived from the original on April 9, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "ROCKY THOMPSON and STEPHEN VALIQUETTE AGREE TO CONTRACTS WITH OILERS". Edmonton Oilers. July 15, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  19. ^ "DAN SMITH". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on January 23, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022. 21-Aug-03: Signed as a free agent by the Edmonton Oilers.
  20. ^ a b "Oilers sign Sarno, Wright". TSN.ca. September 2, 2003. Archived from the original on December 23, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  21. ^ "OILERS RECLAIM VALIQUETTE". Edmonton Oilers. October 8, 2003. Archived from the original on April 9, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  22. ^ "NHL'S 15TH ALL-TIME SCORER JOINS OILERS". Edmonton Oilers. November 17, 2003. Archived from the original on March 7, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  23. ^ "OILERS SIGN IGOR ULANOV". Edmonton Oilers. January 5, 2004. Archived from the original on March 7, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  24. ^ "2003 NHL free agent list". ESPN.com. July 1, 2003. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  25. ^ "Tuesday roundup: Coyotes sign free agent Cleary". ESPN.com. July 15, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "OILERS SIGN CORY CROSS". Edmonton Oilers. June 30, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  27. ^ "Blue Jackets sign Marchant". UPI. July 3, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  28. ^ "Thrashers Agree to Terms with Free Agent Forwards Kamil Piros, Brian Swanson". Atlanta Thrashers. July 24, 2003. Archived from the original on March 25, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "List of Available Free Agents". NHL.com. July 1, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  30. ^ "Kari Haakana klar för MODO Hockey". Modo Hockey (in Swedish). July 28, 2003. Archived from the original on August 5, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  31. ^ "20 chosen in NHL waiver draft". ESPN.com. October 3, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  32. ^ "Oilers center Oates retires after 19 seasons". ESPN.com. April 4, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  33. ^ a b c "OILERS INK TRIO OF BLUELINERS". Edmonton Oilers. July 3, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  34. ^ a b "OILERS INK SMITH TO A ONE-YEAR DEAL; HINZ RE-SIGN". Edmonton Oilers. July 28, 2003. Archived from the original on August 18, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  35. ^ "ISBISTER ACCEPTS NEW DEAL". Edmonton Oilers. July 29, 2003. Archived from the original on August 18, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  36. ^ a b "OILERS SIGN PAIR". Edmonton Oilers. August 1, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  37. ^ a b c "OILERS CONTINUE TO BOLSTER LINEUP". Edmonton Oilers. August 5, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  38. ^ "SMYTTY AND OILERS HAVE TWO-YEAR DEAL". Edmonton Oilers. August 14, 2003. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  39. ^ "FERNANDO PISANI". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on September 28, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022. 21-Aug-03: Re-signed by the Edmonton Oilers.
  40. ^ a b c d "Oilers re-sign Laraque, Moreau". TSN.ca. September 11, 2003. Archived from the original on December 22, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  41. ^ "Moreau re-signs with Oilers". CBC.ca. September 30, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  42. ^ "STAIOS INKS LONG TERM AGREEMENT". Edmonton Oilers. November 19, 2003. Archived from the original on April 9, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  43. ^ "OILERS SIGN GOALTENDER DESLAURIERS". Edmonton Oilers. May 31, 2004. Archived from the original on June 4, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  44. ^ "2003 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 8, 2022.