1987–88 Edmonton Oilers season

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1987–88 Edmonton Oilers season

The Oilers entered their ninth NHL season as defending champions after winning the Stanley Cup the previous year. They finished 2nd in both the Smythe Division and the Campbell Conference with a 44–25–11 record, scoring 363 and allowing 288. Home games were at Northlands Coliseum, with an average attendance of 17,503.

Key people
- General manager and coach: Glen Sather
- Captain: Wayne Gretzky; Alternate captains: Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier
- Team leaders: Goals — Craig Simpson and Jari Kurri (43); Assists — Wayne Gretzky (109); Points — Wayne Gretzky (149)
- Penalty minutes — Steve Smith (286); Plus/minus — Steve Smith (+40)
- Goaltending — Grant Fuhr: 40 wins, 3.43 GAA, 4 shutouts; first Oilers goalie to win the Vezina Trophy
- Notable move: At the trade deadline, the Oilers traded goaltender Andy Moog and Moe Lemay to the Boston Bruins for Bill Ranford, Geoff Courtnall, Alan May, and a second-round pick

Season notes
- Gretzky finished with 149 points, missing 16 games due to a knee injury; it was the first time since his rookie season that he did not lead the league in scoring.
- Jari Kurri and Craig Simpson led the team in goals (43 each); Mark Messier set a career-high with 111 points.
- Paul Coffey was traded to the Penguins during the season; Steve Smith stepped up on defense with 55 points and the team’s single-season record 286 penalty minutes.

Playoffs
- The Oilers defeated the Winnipeg Jets in five games.
- They crushed their rivals, the Calgary Flames, sweeping them in the Smythe Division finals.
- Edmonton then beat the Detroit Red Wings in five games to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
- They swept the Boston Bruins in the Finals to win the Stanley Cup, the Oilers’ fourth Cup in five years. Grant Fuhr set the playoff record with 16 wins, and Wayne Gretzky earned the Conn Smythe Trophy with 43 playoff points. (Game 4 of the Final was interrupted by a power failure at the Boston Garden, but the Oilers still clinched the series.)

Draft note
- The Oilers attempted to select Dave Wensley in the 1987 supplemental draft, but the claim was ruled invalid due to eligibility requirements.