NASHVILLE — The Wayne Gretzky-led 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers have been chosen by fans as the greatest NHL team of all time, the league announced Monday.
The league said in a statement that more than 3.6 million votes for the greatest team cast were over a six-week period beginning at the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs as part of the NHL's centennial celebration. The NHL's 96 Cup winners since the League's inaugural season in 1917-18 competed in head-to-head voting.
The 1984-85 Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup final to win their second straight championship. Along with Gretzky, the team's roster was stacked with Hall of Famers including Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr.
"We had a love for the game," Gretzky said in a statement. "All of us loved being at the rink. We loved playing and we loved practising. I think from Messier, to (Glenn) Anderson, to (Coffey), to Kevin Lowe, to Kurri, we showed up for practice. We practised hard."
Gretzky set records for assists (30) and points (47) in one playoff year. He also tied the modern record shared by Jean Beliveau (1956) and Mike Bossy (1982) for most goals in the Stanley Cup final, with seven in five games.
The Canadian Press
