1997–98 Edmonton Oilers season
| 1997–98 Edmonton Oilers | |
|---|---|
| Division | 3rd Pacific |
| Conference | 7th Western |
| 1997–98 record | 35–37–10 |
| Home record | 20–16–5 |
| Road record | 15–21–5 |
| Goals for | 215 |
| Goals against | 224 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Glen Sather |
| Coach | Ron Low |
| Captain | Kelly Buchberger |
| Alternate captains |
Boris Mironov Doug Weight |
| Arena | Edmonton Coliseum |
| Average attendance | 16,245 (95.0%) |
| Minor league affiliate(s) |
Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) New Orleans Brass (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Doug Weight (26) |
| Assists | Doug Weight (44) |
| Points | Doug Weight (70) |
| Penalties in minutes | Drake Berehowsky (169) |
| Plus/minus |
Todd Marchant (+9) Dean McAmmond (+9) |
| Wins | Curtis Joseph (29) |
| Goals against average | Curtis Joseph (2.63) |
The 1997–98 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 19th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a 36–37–9 record in 1996–97, earning their first Stanley Cup playoff spot in five seasons. The Oilers then defeated the heavily-favoured Colorado Avalanche before losing to the Dallas Stars in the second round.
Edmonton began the season slowly, and on January 4, with a record of 11–22–9, the Oilers traded Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin. The trade seemed to spark Edmonton, as they would finish the year 24–15–1, making the playoffs for the second-straight season after finishing in seventh place in the Western Conference.
Offensively, Doug Weight had another solid season, leading the Oilers in goals (26), assists (44) and points (70). Ryan Smyth would be the only other player to score at least 20 goals for the team. Dean McAmmond had a breakout season, finishing second to Weight with 50 points, as well as third in goals, with 19. Bill Guerin had a solid half season in Edmonton, scoring 13 goals and 29 points in 40 games. Boris Mironov would lead the defence with 16 goals and 46 points, while Drake Berehowsky would lead the team with 169 penalty minutes.
In goal, Curtis Joseph would get the majority of playing time, winning 29 games, posting a goals against average (GAA) of 2.63 and setting the club record with shutouts in a season at eight. Bob Essensa would back him up once again, contributing a solid GAA of 2.55 and winning six games. The Oilers also tied the Dallas Stars for most power-play goals scored (77) and finished with the most power-play opportunities (483) in the League.
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