Since the Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season, a total of 625 players have suited up for at least one game with the team.
They’ve come in a wide range of skillsets, personalities, nationalities, and, of course, heights. In fact, exactly one foot separates the tallest from the shortest players in franchise history. Here’s a look.
Tallest Oilers
Vincent Desharnais (6-foot-7)
While he’s almost always the biggest dog in the fight, 6-foot-7, 227-pound defenceman Vincent Desharnais (no relation to David) was very much the underdog on his journey to the NHL.
Desharnais was drafted by Edmonton in the seventh round, 183rd overall, in 2016, following his freshman campaign with the men’s hockey team Providence College. However, he didn’t sign with the Oilers until 2022, after nearly four seasons of pro hockey, proving himself in the minor leagues.
The Laval, Que., native appeared in 114 regular-season and 28 playoff games for the Oilers in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He departed Edmonton as a free agent and bounced around the NHL last season, going from the Vancouver Canucks to the Pittsburgh Penguins to the San Jose Sharks.
Mikko Koskinen (6-7)
It’s no surprise that one of the two tallest players to ever play for the Oilers is a goalie. Size was one of the biggest assets for the 6-foot-7 Mikko Koskinen, who spent four seasons in Edmonton from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
Koskinen shared starter duties with Cam Talbot in 2018-19, and then with Mike Smith the next three seasons. He led Edmonton in wins twice (2018-19, 2021-22), goals-against average twice (GAA; 2018-19, 2019-20) and save percentage twice (SV%; 2018-19, 2019-20).
The native of Finland won 83 regular-season games with the Oilers, which ranks as seventh most in franchise history. After becoming an NHL free agent in 2022, Koskinen returned to Europe, where he played the final two seasons of his pro career in Switzerland.
Shortest Oilers
Fred Brathwaite (5-foot-7)
Tall goalies are all the rage in hockey now, but back in his day, 5-foot-7 netminder Fred Brathwaite didn’t let his height prevent him from a lengthy NHL career, which began in Edmonton.
After going undrafted, Brathwaite signed with the Oilers in 1993 after concluding his junior career in the Ontario Hockey League. He played for Edmonton until 1995-96, backing up two of the greatest goalies in franchise history, first Bill Ranford and later Curtis Joseph.
Appearing in 40 games over three seasons with the Oilers, Brathwaite compiled a record of 5-17-2 with a GAA of 3.52 and SV% of .885. He went on to play for the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Lindsay Middlebrook (5-foot-7)
Goaltender Lindsay Middlebrook appeared in just one game for the Oilers, making 30 saves to backstop Edmonton to a 4-3 win against the host New Jersey Devils on March 1, 1983.
The 5-foot-7 netminder had been a member of the Devils only 10 days earlier, before being traded to Edmonton along with centre Paul Miller in exchange for goalie Ron Low and blueliner Ron McTaggart on Feb. 19, 1983.
Middlebrook is one of only two goalies (along with Mike Minard) in franchise history to win their only start with the Oilers. He never saw the NHL again following the 1982-83 season, finishing his career with 37 NHL games played over stints with the Oilers, Devils, Minnesota North Stars and Winnipeg Jets.
David Desharnais (5-foot-7)
The shortest skater to ever put on an Oilers jersey, 5-foot-7 centre David Desharnais only spent about 10 weeks in Edmonton.
On Feb. 28, 2017, Desharnais was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenceman Brandon Davidson. The transaction was completed on the eve of the trade deadline, as Edmonton rounded out its roster for the final playoff push.
Desharnais notched four points in 18 regular-season games and added four points in 13 postseason contests with the Oilers, and he scored a memorable goal, in overtime of Game 5 of Edmonton’s first-round series victory over the Sharks. He left the Oilers as a free agent, signing with the New York Rangers in the 2017 offseason.
Related: Edmonton Oilers 2025 Training Camp: By the Numbers
Edmonton is now preparing for its 46th season in the NHL, but it doesn’t appear that there will be any changes to this list any time soon. Of the 55 players in Oilers training camp, the tallest is 6-foot-6 (defenceman Luke Prokop) while the shortest is 5-foot-9 (forward Seth Griffith).
