If you followed the Edmonton Oilers after the dynasty years, you know the story. Not the five Stanley Cups. Not Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. The other story—the one with fewer highlights and far more patience. After their surprise run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers missed the playoffs for ten straight seasons. Fans called it the “Decade of Darkness.”
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For Oilers’ fans, it’s an apt name and, ironically, well-earned. Promises of Oilers’ progress rarely matched the results. Still, fans stuck around. Not because it was easy, but because the team matters in Edmonton. Win or lose, the Oilers’ fanbase is one of the NHL’s best.
From Stanley Cup Contenders to Rebuilding on Repeat
In 2006, Edmonton pushed all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The city buzzed. Both of us remember where we were sitting and watching the games. It was that big a deal.
Then it all fell apart. Chris Pronger requested a trade. Key players left. The momentum vanished almost overnight. What followed was a decade of churn—coaching changes, trades that fizzled, and high draft picks who couldn’t quite turn things around. Each season seemed to start with optimism and end with “maybe next year.”
Oilers Got Top Draft Picks and Big Hopes, But Not Much to Show for It
On paper, the Oilers should have been building something. From 2010 to 2015, they picked first overall four times—Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, and finally, Connor McDavid. Hall became a Hart Trophy winner elsewhere. Nugent-Hopkins became a steady, underrated center. Yakupov never found his footing.
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The talent seemed to be there, but depth and direction were not. Edmonton’s rebuild felt endless, and the Decade of Darkness stretched on. Bad draft choices? Poor coaching or team culture? Whatever the Oilers tried, it just didn’t build a contending team.
What Never Changed in Edmonton? The Fans Stayed Solid
Here’s what didn’t collapse: the fanbase. Even in the bleakest years, attendance remained among the NHL’s top half. Rexall Place wasn’t always sold out, but it stayed loud. Around the city, you still saw Oilers jerseys and flags, even in March when the season was long gone.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
For Edmonton, hockey was never just entertainment. It was identity—families gathering for games, friends debating whether Ales Hemsky was underrated, or whether Shawn Horcoff was captain material. Other markets saw empty seats when the playoffs disappeared; Edmonton leaned in harder.
Connor McDavid Became the Turning Point Everyone Needed
When Edmonton won the 2015 Draft lottery, it felt like the clouds finally lifted. McDavid wasn’t just another top pick; he was a once-in-a-generation talent. For a fanbase that had endured ten years of false dawns, his arrival meant everything.
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By 19, he was captain. With Leon Draisaitl rising alongside him, the Oilers finally had a core that could deliver. In 2016–17, playoff hockey returned to Edmonton, along with a long-overdue first-round series win. The city rediscovered its roar.
Why the Dark Years Still Matter in Edmonton
Everyone loves a winner, but true loyalty is tested in failure. Edmonton proved itself in those years when nothing seemed to go right. The connection between fans and team deepened not because of success, but because of resilience. Players like Ryan Smyth, Hemsky, Horcoff, Jordan Eberle, and Devan Dubnyk didn’t lift Cups, but they carried the crest with effort night after night. That mattered.
(Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)
So when McDavid and Draisaitl finally turned promise into reality, it wasn’t just exciting—it felt earned. The Decade of Darkness gave fans a shared history, a badge of perseverance, and a reason to believe that when success finally arrived, it would be all the more meaningful.
The Oilers’ Fanbase Demonstrates Loyalty You Can’t Fake
The Oilers of the 2000s and early 2010s won’t be remembered for banners. But legacy isn’t only about trophies. Sometimes it’s the years of heartbreak that reveal a city’s character. Edmonton didn’t fold during the Decade of Darkness. It doubled down, kept believing, and emerged stronger for it.
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Today, the Oilers are one of hockey’s most thrilling teams. But ask any long-time fan and they’ll tell you: the story didn’t begin with McDavid. It started when the lights were darkest—and Oilers fans refused to walk away.
[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]
