Schultz Nicholson - Grit and glory: celebrating 40 years of the Edmonton Oilers

Creating a winning team takes a lot of people, and I had many to help me along the way. I thank Barry Fraser for drafting the way he did and Peter Pocklington for letting me coach the team the way I wanted. And the city of Edmonton is just terrific. I was born in High River, Alberta, and grew up in Viking and Wainwright, Alberta. My first junior hockey game was played in the old Edmonton Gardens. Being in Edmonton for as long as I was suited me and my family just fine.

Now, about gelling a team. It all started when we got Wayne from Indianapolis and I knew we had to surround him with the right players. I watched these boys grow up and I knew right from the beginning I had a good group. They were humble and talented and thats quite the combination. But they were boyskids really. I knew that was going to be a problem. So, I wanted to let them experience other things beside playing hockey and being celebrities and just going to bars. There was no shortage of bars for them to go to in Edmonton, so we made sure to do other things. We went fishing and target shooting and these were things some of them had never done before. These opportunities were good for them and they had a good time together. We also went snowmobilingthat might not have been the smartest thing to do. Snowmobiles can be dangerous. Pocklington got stuck in a tree hole once and we had to go back and dig him out. And Buchberger ran into a fence post. I had a lot of fun around the players and I really wanted to give them another interest in life. Kids need to have fun.

But I also had hockey players. They were fast and I always wanted them to be on the offence even when we were up by a lot of goals. I never felt that they were over-confident and I never told them to let up. The rule was to just keep going. My job was fairly easy because I had such good players. I didnt have to do some big pregame speech. Once they were ready in the dressing room, I always read the opposing teams line-up to them. Then one of the players (probably Essa or Kevin) would hit the back of our door with his stick and we would sit there and boo the opposing team. All I had to say was kick the hell out of them. Then they would file out, because they knew what to do.

I had the best group of guys, who loved and appreciated each other. I had great captains in Wayne, Mark, and Kevin. And we had a city and an owner behind us. Im lucky to have had such a great run in Edmonton.

Glen Sather, President of the New York Rangers

Ive been with the Oilers for most of my life and it has been quite the ride. I am blessed to have played and coached here, and have management roles. Ive enjoyed the pinnacles of success, but seen my share of failures as well.

Its a very tough and often unforgiving business. Perhaps Mike Keenan, my coach when I played for the New York Rangers, put it most succinctly. He said, Therere only two things in hockey, winning and misery. Ive experienced both. People see the glamorous side of the game, and that of course can be wonderful, but you have to be all in, all the time. Ive always kept in mind something veteran teammate Pat Price said to me in my rookie season: kid, if you want to stay sane in this game, dont let your highs take you too high or your lows take you too low. Great advice for longevity in the NHL.

As you might imagine, playing was the most rewarding job. When youre a player, you focus on getting ready for a game. If youre fortunate and win, youre in a relaxed mode until the next game. If you lose, you do your best to put it behind you. Either way, your focus is only on the next game.

As you go higher in the hockey world, those moments of peace grow shorter. A coach has to get everybody ready. When you win a game, you get a few moments to enjoy it, but you must quickly shift gears and prepare for the next. As a general manager, win or lose, there is no time to be satisfied; theres always something that needs to be done. When I was considering taking the GM position with the Oilers, Glen Sather sagely advised me that, from his personal experience, playing was the most fun, followed by coaching, and then managing. Ten years later and I knew what he was talking about. Managing a team is a difficult and thankless job. But that is the reality of being in a hockey market with the highest of expectations. And I wouldnt have it any other way. Those relationships with the team and the city are precious, and its the most exciting place to be.

Now, the Edmonton Oilers have the expanding core of a very good hockey team, and with Connor McDavid as the leader, there is every good reason for optimism as the Oilers head toward success over the next decade. This book takes a look back, celebrating the stories of our past. As we enjoy them, I join you in looking ahead to the future.

Kevin Lowe, Vice-Chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group

Im an Alberta boy . When I was a kid growing up in Banff, I was a huge Oilers fan. So when I was drafted by the Oilers I had to pinch myself; it was so surreal. It was like a dream come true. My parents had already moved from Banff to Red Deer for my brothers hockey and once I started playing for the Oilers they got to come to all the games. They already had Flames tickets and gave them up so they could come to the Oilers games. When we made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 200506, it was like a dream. We took it to game 7 and I dont live in regret about that lossnot for a minute. Not winning that final game put a lot of things into perspective. I have a great family and I have won gold medals for Canada. Being with the Oilers allowed me to accomplish things along my journey. I owe Glen Sather a lot for drafting me and seeing me through.