The Kings–Oilers rivalry is a professional ice hockey rivalry between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The rivalry was widely known to be one of the most fierce matchups through the 1980s and 1990s with frequent playoff matchups occurring, in addition to the notorious trade of Wayne Gretzky and Marty McSorley. The Kings and Oilers have combined for seven Stanley Cups between them and have met in the playoffs nine times.
History
1979–1988: Beginnings of the rivalry
During the Oilers' first years in the NHL, their roster included a young star, Wayne Gretzky, who instantly became a candidate for the Art Ross Trophy against the Kings' Marcel Dionne. At the end of the 1979–80 NHL season, Gretzky and Dionne were both tied with 137 points, but the award was given to Dionne, who had two more goals (53 against Gretzky's 51). Dionne had also played one more game that season than Gretzky, leading him to remark during a press conference after which the scoring title was awarded to Dionne that he had been taught "that an assist was as good as a goal."
The two teams met in the playoffs for the first time during the 1981–82 season. That season, Gretzky dominated the NHL record books with the single-season points record with 212 (92 goals and 120 assists). The Oilers also won the division while only in their third NHL season. The Kings, after an impressive 1980–81 season, collapsed to the fifth worst record among NHL teams. They qualified for the playoffs, being fourth in the division as the Colorado Rockies had posted an even worse record. This set the stage for the top-seeded and heavily-favored Oilers to meet in the first round against the Kings. After a two-game split in Edmonton, Game 3 in Los Angeles began with a dominating Oilers 5–0 lead after two periods. However, in a miraculous comeback, the Kings managed to tie the game 5–5 in the third period, scoring the tying goal with five seconds left on a two-man advantage. The Kings won the game 6–5 in overtime. This game is often referred to as the Miracle on Manchester. The Kings won the series in five games but did not advance past the second round.
The Kings missed the playoffs for the next two seasons while the Oilers competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1983 and won their first Stanley Cup in 1984. Both Finals were played against the dynasty New York Islanders. The two teams finally met again in 1985, but this time the Oilers swept the Kings in three games. Following that, the Oilers won their second straight Stanley Cup. The two teams met again during the 1987 playoffs under a new best-of-seven playoff format in the first round, and again the Oilers won, this time in five games, going on to win another Stanley Cup.
1988–1992: Gretzky switches sides
On August 9, 1988, the Oilers announced they were trading Gretzky along with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley, to the Kings for two younger players (Jimmy Carson and Martin Gélinas), three first-round draft picks, and US$15 million in cash, becoming one of the most shocking trades in league history. The trade introduced a high level of animosity between the two teams as Oilers fans expressed immense shock and anger towards the trade. In Gretzky's first game in Edmonton after the trade, he received a four-minute standing ovation from the Oilers fans. The arena was a sold-out crowd and was the Oilers' biggest crowd ever to that date (17,503). After the game, Gretzky took a moment to thank the Edmonton fans: "I'm still proud to be a Canadian. I didn't desert my country. I moved because I was traded and that's where my job is. But I'm Canadian to the core. I hope Canadians understand that." After the 1988–89 season, the Oilers constructed a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky outside Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head.
Gretzky immediately elevated the Kings in the 1988–89 season to vast improvements. For the first time, the Kings finished ahead of Edmonton, finishing second in the Smythe Division over the third-placed Oilers. This also led to another first round match up between both teams. However, this time Gretzky faced off against the Oilers. The Oilers began the series with a 3–1 series lead over the Kings, but Los Angeles went on to win three straight games to win the series. The next three seasons would also see the Kings and Oilers face off in the playoffs, culminating in the Oilers winning all three times and winning the Stanley Cup in 1990.