Edmonton WHL

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In 2007-08, Edmonton, Alberta will re-join the Western Hockey League as its 22nd franchise. The franchise was officially granted on June 27, 2006, a couple months after the Edmonton Investors Group, also owners of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers were granted a conditional franchise.http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=4574&showToc=1&

The as-yet unnamed team will play in the Central Division of the Western Conference, out of the 16,839 seat Rexall Place.

While a team name has not been announced, it is commonly believed that the Oil Kings name will be revived for a third time.

WHL history in Edmonton

This franchise will be the fourth WHL team to play in Edmonton, preceeded by the first Edmonton Oil Kings (1966-76), the second Oil Kings (1978-79) and the Edmonton Ice (1996-98). The original Oil Kings franchise was initially very successful in the WHL, capturing two President's Cup titles, as well as three Memorial Cups - two of which predated the WHL. However, with the arrival of the World Hockey Association and the Oilers in 1972, the junior club's attendance began to plummet. Approximately 150,000 fans went to Oil Kings games in 1971-72. That number dropped to 90,000 the next year, and 68,000 the year after. http://whl.ca/about/history.php?id=96&showToc=1. The original Oil Kings would move to Portland, Oregon in 1976, becoming the Portland Winter Hawks.

An attempt at reviving the Oil Kings in 1978 would last only one season, as the juniors were once again unable to compete with the pros. Bill Hunter purchased the Flin Flon Bombers and brought them to Alberta's capital. However, the team only averaged about 500 fans per game, and rumours that the team would again relocate began to swirl before the first season was even complete. http://whl.ca/about/history.php?id=97&showToc=1 The second Oil Kings would relocate again to become the Great Falls Americans, where the team would only last 28 more games before folding.

Despite the long held belief that major-junior hockey could not survive against the pros, the WHL returned to Calgary in 1995, and Edmonton in 1996. At the time, both the Oilers and Calgary Flames were struggling on the ice, and at the gate. Both franchises were nervous about the competition. The two franchises handled the junior clubs in radically different fashions. The Flames would purchase the Calgary Hitmen in 1997, and have since built the team into one of the WHL's most financially successful organizations. The Oilers refused to work with the Edmonton Ice, blocking them from playing in Northlands Coliseum, thus relegating them to the substandard Northlands Agricom. The Ice would relocate to Cranbrook, British Columbia after two underwhelming seasons.

With the Flames owned Hitmen leading the WHL in attendance the past four seasons, and the Vancouver Giants also proving to be a major success at the gate, the Oilers ownership group have spent the last three years attempting to purchase a WHL team, even going so far as to put out an open offer of $5 million - well over market value - for any WHL franchise in 2004. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Brownlee/2005/04/16/1000098-sun.html With no takers, and with the 2004-05 NHL lockout looming, the Oilers chose to relocate their AHL team to Rexall Place as the Edmonton Roadrunners. Despite finishing third in the AHL in attendance, the Oilers suspended the Roadrunners after only one season rather than have their minor league team competing against themselves. The Oilers then resumed their quest for a WHL team.

When the aborted sale of the Tri-City Americans to Chilliwack, British Columbia interests forced the league to place an expansion team in Chilliwack, the door for Edmonton was finally reopened. While the WHL had previously refused to consider further expansion, believing 20 teams was enough, the addition of the Chilliwack Bruins left the league with an odd number of teams. Prefering an even number of teams, the WHL announced its return to Edmonton on March 16, 2006 with the granting of a conditional expansion franchise.

External links

• [Edmonton WHL website]
• [WHL website]

References