Best player to wear each jersey number for the Edmonton Oilers: #1 to #10

Well, here we are, the dead of summer.

The bulk of offseason has already happened across the league and, other than a few contracts that need to get signed, it appears the Edmonton Oilers roster for next season is set.

How should we spend all this free time? I say we should get weird with it and have a bit of fun.

During Edmonton’s 44 years in existence, almost every legal jersey number from 1 to 99 has been worn by at least a single player in an NHL game. Most numbers have had multiple players represent them, but who was the best player for each one?

In this ten-part series I will attempt to answer that question. From here on out, there will be no discussion about who wore the number 47 with the most pride or who everyone will think about when they see an Oilers jersey with the number 62 on it.

This list includes Edmonton Oilers that span the franchise’s history and will be, if they aren’t already, household names for years to come.

With that, let’s get this party started and determine who the most iconic Oiler to wear #1 to 10 are.

#1 – Ty Conklin

I can already hear it now, “Conklin!? Does this guy know Grant Fuhr wore #1 for a time!?”

Yes, I am well aware that Grant Fuhr started his Oilers career wearing this number, and frankly I don’t care all that much. Fuhr wore the number for a single season before switching and wasn’t able to do much while in possession of it.

That is why Ty Conklin, who donned the single digit from 2002 to 2004 with the Oilers, is the de-facto choice at this position. Though never really getting a solid hold as the team’s starter during this period, Conklin appeared in 43 games with Edmonton during this span where he had a 19–14–4 record.

He may be most well-known for turning over the puck in Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals to give the Carolina Hurricanes first blood, but an important note, he was wearing 29 when that happened.

#2 – Lee Fogolin

The second captain in Oilers history and inaugural member of the Oilers Ring of Honour is easily the best player in franchise history to wear #2.

Fogolin played just under 600 games with Edmonton and won two Stanley Cups with the team in 1984 and 1985. He wasn’t just a passenger on those teams either as he picked up 160 points as a defender during his eight seasons as an Oiler.

Now there is a chance that this spot is eventually held but another Oilers defenceman in the years to come but for now, this is solidly Fogolin’s spot to lose.

#3 – Al Hamilton

It didn’t take long to hit the first retired number.

Al Hamilton is the best Oiler to wear #3 because he was the only Oiler to ever wear it with the number being retired in 1980.

Hamilton’s time with Edmonton doesn’t appear significant as he only played in 31 NHL games with the Oilers and put up 19 points, but that isn’t including his time in the WHA.

Hamilton is probably the most famous and recognizable player for the WHA’s Edmonton Oilers. He served as captain for the first four seasons with pre-NHL Oilers and was the highest scoring player in franchise history with 250 points in 376 games.

He may not be well known to fans nowadays, but he earned his keep during his time.

#4 – Kevin Lowe

From the oldest retired number to the newest, Kevin Lowe beat out some recent Oilers superstars for this honour.

While #4 might be most well-known as Taylor Hall’s number to younger fans, there is no question that Lowe stands as a much more iconic figure in the franchise’s history. He holds the all-time record for most games played with 1037.

He was with the team for all five Stanley Cup victories and is, to this day, one of the best defencemen to ever play for the club. He also ranks second in points from Edmonton defencemen with 383.

He was also very close to bringing a sixth cup to Edmonton in 2006 after making a few very good trades as the team’s general manager. Hell, he is still with the team in some capacity today.

Though the later half of his management tenure may have soured some on Lowe’s legacy, there is no doubt he will stand alone as the best player to don #4.

#5 – Steve Smith

We are once again looking back to a 1980s era defender.

While Steve Smith might be most well-known for an infamous own-goal that inadvertantly caused the Calgary Flames to win their only Stanley Cup, I am willing to forgive.

Smith was perhaps the third or fourth best defender that the dynasty Oilers had behind Paul Coffey and Lowe. He won three cups with the club in 1987, 1988, and 1990. He’s also fifth all-time in defensive scoring with 218 points.

Like Lowe, Smith spent some time with the Oilers organization after his retirement, serving as an assistant coach from 2010 to 2014.

He might not get a jersey retirement, but he’s a surefire bet for the Oilers Ring of Honour.

#6 – Adam Larsson

Spoiler alert: This is the most recent player in today’s instalment.

Though Adam Larsson’s arrival will forever be shrouded in controversy, he remains one of the best defensive defencemen to play for the Oilers in the modern era.

He served as a critical member of the team that ended the decade of darkness and was a staunch leader on and off the ice. Those seasons he spent alongside Oscar Klefbom will not soon be forgotten.

Even as he currently skates with the Seattle Kraken, there isn’t much doubt in in my mind that Adam Larsson was the best of orange and blue to wear #6.

#7 – Paul Coffey

While we are talking about great Oilers defenders, let’s talk about the best of the bunch.

Paul Coffey is not only the best defenceman to ever play for the Oilers, but also the league itself. He has three Norris trophies under his belt, four Stanley Cups, and ranks second all-time in points and goals by NHL defenders, behind only Ray Bourque.

He spent the bulk of his career in Edmonton as the team’s top defender, picking up 669 points in seven seasons.

Absolutely no contest here, Paul Coffey will always be #7 in Edmonton.

#8 – Zdeno Ciger

We go from one of the best players in NHL history to one that only a select number of fans probably remember.

Ciger came to the Oilers in 1993 in a trade that saw Bernie Nicholls go to the New Jersey Devils. At that moment in time, Ciger wasn’t that much of a hot commodity, having just scored 48 points in his first three NHL seasons.

While he didn’t reach superstardom, he carved out a niche role for the Oilers over the course of four seasons, and finished things off with a 70-point campaign in 1996 to end his tenure in Edmonton.

He would go on to play to two more seasons in the NHL, with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning but would never hit the heights he did in Edmonton.

#9 – Glenn Anderson

Oilers legends loved single digits, huh?

Glenn Anderson is the third retired number on this list and, like the rest, he definitely deserved it.

His career was spent playing in the shadow of guys like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri, but despite that he still made a name for himself as one of the best Oilers to suit up for a game.

Anderson holds the franchise record with 126 poweplay goals and is also third in franchise goals in general with 417. While teams focused on Gretzky and Kurri, Anderson cleaned up with heaps of goals of his own.

Like Lowe, Anderson stuck around for all five Oilers Stanley Cups and is easily the best #9 in franchise history.

#10 – Shawn Horcoff

We end off today’s instalment with a a player that probably got a bit too much hate during his time in Edmonton.

Shawn Horcoff had humble beginnings with the Oilers in the early 2000s before exploding for 73 points in the 2006 season. He then built upon that season by being Edmonton’s best forward en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

This earned him a big payday and while he kept up as a reliable 50-point scorer for a few seasons, the lack of team success and his large contract started to draw the ire of the fanbase. He served as the team’s captain through some of the team’s worst seasons on record and he did it with class all the way through.

It’s hard to believe he was the highest scoring Oiler in the 2000s.