From Heartbreaks to Hope: The Rollercoaster of Edmonton Oilers Opening Nights Since the Start of the 21st Century
Since the turn of the century, Edmonton Oilers fans have seen some things on opening night—things that have defined their loyalty, tested their patience, and occasionally sparked euphoric hope. From shocking trades and rookie debuts to embarrassing blowouts and nail-biting wins, the Oilers’ opening nights have not only kicked off hockey seasons but served as annual emotional flashpoints for a fan base as passionate as any in the NHL. For a team with a storied history yet decades-long chase for another Stanley Cup, each season opener has carried the weight of expectation—and often, the sting of unfulfilled potential.
Opening night, by definition, is symbolic. For some teams, it’s a clean slate. For others, it’s a continuation of a dynasty. For the Edmonton Oilers, it’s often been a confusing cocktail of optimism and dread. The 21st century began with a team still clutching the pride of its 1980s glory, though the championship banners had long since gathered dust. Fans still packed Rexall Place (later Rogers Place), brimming with hope that the rebuilding year would finally give way to something greater. Unfortunately, that hope was often met with a grim reminder of the long road still ahead.
In the early 2000s, the Oilers were fighting for relevance in a rapidly changing league. These were the post-Gretzky, post-Messier years—the team’s golden age long behind them, yet the echoes still rang through the building. Players like Ryan Smyth and Doug Weight carried the team with heart and hustle, but opening nights often exposed just how far Edmonton was from being a real contender. Wins came sporadically. Losses—especially lopsided ones—were harder to stomach because they reminded fans that grit alone couldn’t close the talent gap.
But not all opening nights were bleak. In the 2005–06 season, after a long lockout wiped out the previous campaign, NHL hockey returned. The Oilers landed Chris Pronger and Michael Peca, two big-ticket additions that sent shockwaves through the league and jolted fans with cautious optimism. That year’s opener against the Colorado Avalanche was electric. Though the Oilers ultimately lost in a shootout, the atmosphere in Rexall Place was unlike anything seen in years. That energy carried through a memorable playoff run, culminating in a Stanley Cup Final appearance that remains the high-water mark for the franchise this century. Though they fell one win short of glory, fans still remember that season’s opening night as the start of a magical, improbable ride.
Then came the wilderness years. Between 2007 and 2015, Edmonton became synonymous with the “rebuild.” High draft picks piled up like snowdrifts on Jasper Avenue. The team drafted Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, and others with the promise of a youthful core that would restore the franchise’s former dominance. But opening night after opening night proved the rebuild was more circular than linear. Mismanagement, poor coaching decisions, and an often-leaky defense saw the Oilers stumble out of the gate year after year.
Fans would tune in with hope, sometimes bolstered by a new coach or the latest No. 1 draft pick, only to watch their team get outskated, outshot, and outclassed in the first game of the season. Who could forget the 2014 opener, when the Oilers were routed 5–2 by the Calgary Flames? That loss set the tone for another bottom-of-the-standings campaign. Or the year before that, when Devan Dubnyk gave up six goals to the Winnipeg Jets on opening night, forcing Edmonton to chase the game from the drop of the puck? These weren’t just losses—they were emotional gut punches.
And then, everything changed.
In 2015, the Oilers won the draft lottery. Again. But this time, it was different. This time, the prize was Connor McDavid—a generational talent hailed as the best prospect since Sidney Crosby. His arrival wasn’t just another top pick; it was a seismic shift. Edmonton knew it had something special, and the 2015 opening night was treated like a coronation. Fans buzzed with excitement as McDavid skated in his first NHL game, even though the Oilers lost 3–1 to the St. Louis Blues. The final score hardly mattered. A new era had begun.
McDavid’s early years saw Edmonton still struggling with consistency, but his presence injected hope into even the most cynical fans. By 2016, opening night had become must-watch hockey again. The Oilers christened the brand-new Rogers Place with a thrilling 7–4 victory over their archrivals, the Calgary Flames. McDavid notched two goals and an assist, officially announcing the arrival of Edmonton’s new king. The energy in the building was electric, a sharp contrast to the solemn, uncertain tones of earlier years.
That 2016–17 season—McDavid’s first as captain—culminated in the Oilers’ return to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. The opening night win had been a sign, after all. The team’s blend of speed, skill, and physicality was finally clicking, and fans dared to believe that the dark days were over. While the team was eliminated in the second round, the momentum from that season would echo for years to come.
Still, progress in Edmonton has never been linear. Subsequent opening nights brought mixed results. The 2017–18 season began with another victory over Calgary, a 3–0 shutout that further inflated expectations. But the Oilers then stumbled to a disappointing season, missing the playoffs entirely. Opening night wins, it seemed, didn’t always forecast success. Yet they still mattered—to the fans, to the players, and to a city whose mood often hinges on the first 60 minutes of NHL action each fall.
More recently, under head coach Jay Woodcroft and with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl entering their prime, the Oilers have become a legitimate contender. Opening night has reflected that change. No longer the hapless underdogs, the Oilers now take the ice with swagger and expectation. The 2021–22 opener was a thrilling 3–2 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks, with McDavid scoring twice, including the game-winner. The building erupted, the fans once again daring to believe this might finally be the year.
By the time the 2023–24 season opener rolled around, Edmonton was on the short list of Cup favorites. But in true Oilers fashion, the team was blown out 8–1 by the same Canucks. It was a humbling reminder that even the most talented rosters aren’t immune to flat starts. Panic set in among fans and media, but the team rebounded and eventually made a deep playoff run. The message was clear: opening night matters, but it doesn’t define the season. Still, for those few hours, it feels like it does.
This duality—between hype and heartbreak, promise and performance—is what makes Edmonton Oilers opening nights so unique. For over two decades, these games have been more than ceremonial puck drops. They’ve served as barometers for a team in perpetual flux, mirroring the hopes and fears of its loyal followers. The Oilers’ opening nights have been a stage for future legends, a reminder of past failures, and, more often than not, a spark that lights the emotional fire of another unpredictable season.
As the team moves further into the McDavid era—and perhaps into a new golden age—Oilers fans have learned not to let opening night define everything, even if it still means everything in the moment. They’ve seen too much, lived through too many false starts and rebuilding promises, to get swept up entirely in one result. And yet, each October (or increasingly late September), they show up, jerseys on, eyes wide, hearts open. Because for all the pain and frustration, there’s always the chance—however slim—that this year, it all begins on night one.
In a city where hockey is religion, and legends are born under the bright lights of opening night, the Edmonton Oilers continue to inspire, infuriate, and amaze. One game may not determine a season, but in Edmonton, it sure as hell sets the tone.
