Kevin Lowe—An Oiler Original

Of all the great players who have worn Oilers’ colours over the team’s 25 years of residency in the National Hockey League, there may be none who bleeds team colours more than Kevin Lowe.

The Lachute, Quebec-born defender was the first-ever NHL draft choice of the Oilers in 1979, selected with the last pick in the first round. He scored the first-ever NHL goal in Oilers’ history on October 10, 1979, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He wore the Oiler uniform on his chest more than any other man in history; he suited up for the Oilers a record 1,037 times in his career, with 172 more playoff appearances. Both are all-time highs in team history.

Regarded as an intense competitor, Lowe expected success every time his skates touched the ice. It is a tradition he continues today as the current general manager of the hockey club.

Lowe caught the attention of Oilers’ scouts as the first-ever Anglo captain of the Quebec Remparts; the same Quebec major junior hockey club that had a decade before produced the great Guy Lafleur. Unlike most defenceman who immediately play in the minors after the draft, the Oilers thrust Lowe into the NHL schedule right away.

That first game was a launching pad for a great Oilers’ career that saw Lowe participate in all five of the team’s Stanley Cup wins. The Oilers named him their defenceman of the year three times (1982, 1987 and 1988), and he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1990 for combining on-ice excellence with community service. Lowe also proudly wore the red maple leaf of the national team on his chest for two major tournaments: the 1982 World Championships and the 1984 Canada Cup. He played in six All-Star games during his time in Edmonton and named the captain of the Oilers after Mark Messier joined the New York Rangers in 1991.

A year later, he would reunite with Messier in New York. He joined the Rangers for the 1992-93 season, and again he was selected to play in the All-Star Game for the seventh time in his career. The Rangers were an on-ice bust that season, failing to miss the playoff, and costing Lowe his only season out of the playoffs.

The next season Lowe, Messier and several of their ex-Oiler teammates would be responsible for New York's revival. The Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years with a seven-game final series victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Lowe now has six rings in his possession.

Lowe remained with the Rangers until 1996, when the Oilers called him again. He returned to Edmonton, to act as a teacher and a veteran presence for a young, exciting team. He played 64 games in the 1996-97 season, but injuries only allowed him to play only seven games the following year. He ended his playing career and immediately embarked on his new vocation as an assistant coach. In 1999, he took over as head coach of the Oilers, guiding the team to a playoff berth, and later the organization named him the successor to Glen Sather as the team’s general manager in 2000. Later, he was named to the management team for the Canadian national hockey program’s quest for a gold medal at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

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