# 2002–03 Edmonton Oilers season

The 2002–03 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 24th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a 38–28–12–4 record in 2001–02, earning 92 points, however, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996, finishing in 9th place in the Western Conference.
The Oilers got off to a slow start, winning only 1 of their first 7 games, going 1–4–2, however, the club turned around the tough start and move above the .500 mark on November 25 and never go below again for the remainder of the season. As the trade deadline approached in mid-March, and the club comfortably in a playoff position, Edmonton made a couple of deals, trading defenceman Janne Niinimaa and a second-round draft pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft to the New York Islanders in exchange for Brad Isbister and prospect Raffi Torres. The Oilers also traded Anson Carter and Aleš Píša to the New York Rangers for Radek Dvořák and Cory Cross. Edmonton finished the season with a 36–26–11–9 record, earning 92 points, the same amount as the previous season, and clinch the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Offensively, Ryan Smyth led the club with 27 goals and 61 points, while Todd Marchant had a breakout season, earning 40 assists and 60 points. Anson Carter had 25 goals and 55 points in 68 games before being dealt to the New York Rangers. Mike York and Mike Comrie each broke the 20 goal plateau, with 22 and 20 goals respectively. Eric Brewer led the Oilers defense with eight goals and 29 points, while Scott Ferguson had a team high 120 penalty minutes.
In goal, Tommy Salo once again got a majority of the playing time, winning 29 games, while posting a 2.71 goals against average (GAA) and earning four shutouts. Backup Jussi Markkanen had a very solid season, winning seven games, had a team-high 2.59 GAA and posted three shutouts.
The Oilers finished first overall in the NHL in short-handed goals scored, with 13.
After a year of absence, Edmonton returned to the post-season and would face their old rivals, the Dallas Stars, who finished with 111 points in the regular season. This was the sixth playoff meeting between the clubs in the past seven years, with Dallas winning four series in a row. Edmonton started the series on the right note, defeating the Stars 2–1 on the road. Dallas, however, routed the Oilers in Game 2 to even the series as it shifted to Edmonton The Oilers took a 2–1 series lead with a solid 3–2 victory in Game 3, but Dallas rebound in Game 4 to tie the series up at two games apiece. The Stars took control of the series, winning Game 5, 5–2, and end the series in Game 6, beating Edmonton 3–2, thereby eliminating the Oilers for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

## Season standings

Northwest Division :
| No. | CR | | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | 3 | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 42 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 251 | 194 | 105 |
| 2 | 4 | Vancouver Canucks | 82 | 45 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 264 | 208 | 104 |
| 3 | 6 | Minnesota Wild | 82 | 42 | 29 | 10 | 1 | 198 | 178 | 95 |
| 4 | 8 | Edmonton Oilers | 82 | 36 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 231 | 230 | 92 |
| 5 | 12 | Calgary Flames | 82 | 29 | 36 | 13 | 4 | 186 | 228 | 75 |
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.
Western Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Z- Dallas Stars | PA | 82 | 46 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 245 | 169 | 111 |
| 2 | Y- Detroit Red Wings | CE | 82 | 48 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 269 | 203 | 110 |
| 3 | Y- Colorado Avalanche | NW | 82 | 42 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 251 | 194 | 105 |
| 4 | X- Vancouver Canucks | NW | 82 | 45 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 264 | 208 | 104 |
| 5 | X- St. Louis Blues | CE | 82 | 41 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 253 | 222 | 99 |
| 6 | X- Minnesota Wild | NW | 82 | 42 | 29 | 10 | 1 | 198 | 178 | 95 |
| 7 | X- Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | PA | 82 | 40 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 203 | 193 | 95 |
| 8 | X- Edmonton Oilers | NW | 82 | 36 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 231 | 230 | 92 |
| 8.5 |||||||||||
| 9 | Chicago Blackhawks | CE | 82 | 30 | 33 | 13 | 6 | 207 | 226 | 79 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Kings | PA | 82 | 33 | 37 | 6 | 6 | 203 | 221 | 78 |
| 11 | Phoenix Coyotes | PA | 82 | 31 | 35 | 11 | 5 | 204 | 230 | 78 |
| 12 | Calgary Flames | NW | 82 | 29 | 36 | 13 | 4 | 186 | 228 | 75 |
| 13 | Nashville Predators | CE | 82 | 27 | 35 | 13 | 7 | 183 | 206 | 74 |
| 14 | San Jose Sharks | PA | 82 | 28 | 37 | 9 | 8 | 214 | 239 | 73 |
| 15 | Columbus Blue Jackets | CE | 82 | 29 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 213 | 263 | 69 |
Divisions: PA – Pacific, CE – Central, NW – Northwest
Z – Clinched Conference; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot

## Schedule and results
### Regular season

2002–03 regular season :
October: 2–4–2–1 (home: 1–2–1–1; road: 1–2–1–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
1October 10Philadelphia Flyers2–2Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,8390–0–1–01Recap
2October 12Edmonton Oilers3–2Nashville PredatorsSalo17,1131–0–1–03Recap
3October 15Edmonton Oilers0–3Dallas StarsSalo18,5321–1–1–03Recap
4October 17Edmonton Oilers3–4San Jose SharksSalo17,0171–2–1–03Recap
5October 19Boston Bruins4–3Edmonton OilersSalo16,8391–3–1–03Recap
6October 22Edmonton Oilers3–3Colorado AvalancheOTSalo18,0071–3–2–04Recap
7October 24St. Louis Blues2–1Edmonton OilersMarkkanen16,0331–4–2–04Recap
8October 26Mighty Ducks of Anaheim3–4Edmonton OilersMarkkanen16,3572–4–2–06Recap
9October 28Dallas Stars4–3Edmonton OilersOTMarkkanen16,2602–4–2–17Recap :
November: 9–4–2–0 (home: 3–1–2–0; road: 6–3–0–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
10November 1Buffalo Sabres1–1Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,2012–4–3–18Recap
11November 3Edmonton Oilers4–1Chicago BlackhawksSalo12,5313–4–3–110Recap
12November 5Edmonton Oilers2–5New York RangersSalo18,0863–5–3–110Recap
13November 8Edmonton Oilers2–4New York IslandersSalo14,0933–6–3–110Recap
14November 9Edmonton Oilers6–3New Jersey DevilsMarkkanen15,0954–6–3–112Recap
15November 11Edmonton Oilers1–6Boston BruinsMarkkanen11,1234–7–3–112Recap
16November 12Edmonton Oilers3–2Minnesota WildSalo18,0645–7–3–114Recap
17November 15St. Louis Blues0–5Edmonton OilersSalo16,3016–7–3–116Recap
18November 16Los Angeles Kings4–1Edmonton OilersSalo16,4616–8–3–116Recap
19November 19Chicago Blackhawks1–3Edmonton OilersSalo16,0337–8–3–118Recap
20November 21Edmonton Oilers3–1Calgary FlamesSalo17,6608–8–3–120Recap
21November 23Detroit Red Wings1–1Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,8398–8–4–121Recap
22November 25Edmonton Oilers5–4Detroit Red WingsOTMarkkanen20,0589–8–4–123Recap
23November 27Edmonton Oilers3–1Columbus Blue JacketsSalo17,74510–8–4–125Recap
24November 30Colorado Avalanche0–1Edmonton OilersSalo16,83911–8–4–127Recap :
December: 6–5–0–3 (home: 4–2–0–0; road: 2–3–0–3)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
25December 3Minnesota Wild1–2Edmonton OilersOTSalo15,52712–8–4–129Recap
26December 5Edmonton Oilers2–3Tampa Bay LightningSalo13,45412–9–4–129Recap
27December 7Edmonton Oilers4–0Florida PanthersMarkkanen14,14413–9–4–131Recap
28December 8Edmonton Oilers3–0Atlanta ThrashersSalo12,17914–9–4–133Recap
29December 11Carolina Hurricanes1–4Edmonton OilersSalo16,09115–9–4–135Recap
30December 13Colorado Avalanche3–4Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83916–9–4–137Recap
31December 14Vancouver Canucks6–3Edmonton OilersSalo16,83916–10–4–137Recap
32December 17Edmonton Oilers3–4Minnesota WildOTMarkkanen18,56816–10–4–238Recap
33December 19Edmonton Oilers1–2Colorado AvalancheSalo18,00716–11–4–238Recap
34December 21Edmonton Oilers3–4Vancouver CanucksOTSalo18,42216–11–4–339Recap
35December 26Vancouver Canucks4–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,83916–12–4–339Recap
36December 28Toronto Maple Leafs2–3Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83917–12–4–341Recap
37December 30Edmonton Oilers3–4Phoenix CoyotesOTSalo15,58917–12–4–442Recap
38December 31Edmonton Oilers1–4Dallas StarsMarkkanen18,53217–13–4–442Recap :
January: 7–3–2–2 (home: 5–2–0–2; road: 2–1–2–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
39January 2Minnesota Wild2–1Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83917–13–4–543Recap
40January 4Montreal Canadiens4–5Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83918–13–4–545Recap
41January 6Edmonton Oilers5–5San Jose SharksOTSalo16,64818–13–5–546Recap
42January 8Edmonton Oilers1–0Mighty Ducks of AnaheimMarkkanen12,39019–13–5–548Recap
43January 9Edmonton Oilers5–4Los Angeles KingsSalo15,78320–13–5–550Recap
44January 11Ottawa Senators2–0Edmonton OilersSalo16,83920–14–5–550Recap
45January 13Columbus Blue Jackets5–8Edmonton OilersSalo16,05721–14–5–552Recap
46January 16Los Angeles Kings0–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,83922–14–5–554Recap
47January 18Nashville Predators3–2Edmonton OilersOTMarkkanen16,83922–14–5–655Recap
48January 20Edmonton Oilers3–4Calgary FlamesSalo17,83222–15–5–655Recap
49January 22Detroit Red Wings3–4Edmonton OilersOTMarkkanen16,83923–15–5–657Recap
50January 24Phoenix Coyotes5–1Edmonton OilersSalo16,83923–16–5–657Recap
51January 29Minnesota Wild1–5Edmonton OilersSalo16,46924–16–5–659Recap
52January 30Edmonton Oilers3–3Vancouver CanucksOTSalo18,42224–16–6–660Recap :
February: 2–7–1–2 (home: 1–2–1–1; road: 1–5–0–1)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
53February 5Mighty Ducks of Anaheim1–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,83925–16–6–662Recap
54February 7Calgary Flames4–3Edmonton OilersMarkkanen16,83925–17–6–662Recap
55February 8Chicago Blackhawks3–0Edmonton OilersSalo16,83925–18–6–662Recap
56February 11Edmonton Oilers5–4Toronto Maple LeafsSalo19,39926–18–6–664Recap
57February 13Edmonton Oilers0–2Ottawa SenatorsSalo18,11526–19–6–664Recap
58February 15Edmonton Oilers2–3Montreal CanadiensSalo21,27326–20–6–664Recap
59February 18Edmonton Oilers3–4Pittsburgh PenguinsOTSalo13,55226–20–6–765Recap
60February 20Edmonton Oilers2–6Detroit Red WingsSalo20,05826–21–6–765Recap
61February 22Vancouver Canucks3–2Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83926–21–6–866Recap
62February 23Atlanta Thrashers3–3Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83926–21–7–867Recap
63February 25Edmonton Oilers2–4Colorado AvalancheSalo18,00726–22–7–867Recap
64February 27Edmonton Oilers1–4St. Louis BluesMarkkanen19,25526–23–7–867Recap :
March: 10–2–3–1 (home: 6–2–0–0; road: 4–0–3–1)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
65March 1Edmonton Oilers3–3Columbus Blue JacketsOTMarkkanen18,13626–23–8–868Recap
66March 4San Jose Sharks1–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,83927–23–8–870Recap
67March 6Edmonton Oilers2–1Los Angeles KingsSalo18,11828–23–8–872Recap
68March 7Edmonton Oilers4–1Mighty Ducks of AnaheimSalo15,81829–23–8–874Recap
69March 10Toronto Maple Leafs3–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,83929–24–8–874Recap
70March 11Edmonton Oilers5–2Calgary FlamesSalo17,71430–24–8–876Recap
71March 13New York Islanders5–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,83930–25–8–876Recap
72March 15Dallas Stars3–4Edmonton OilersSalo16,83931–25–8–878Recap
73March 17Edmonton Oilers5–3Nashville PredatorsSalo15,33432–25–8–880Recap
74March 20Edmonton Oilers2–3Phoenix CoyotesOTSalo13,22132–25–8–981Recap
75March 22Washington Capitals3–5Edmonton OilersSalo16,83933–25–8–983Recap
76March 23Nashville Predators2–3Edmonton OilersOTSalo16,83934–25–8–985Recap
77March 26Phoenix Coyotes3–4Edmonton OilersSalo16,83935–25–8–987Recap
78March 28Columbus Blue Jackets0–4Edmonton OilersMarkkanen16,83936–25–8–989Recap
79March 30Edmonton Oilers4–4Chicago BlackhawksOTSalo14,59236–25–9–990Recap
80March 31Edmonton Oilers5–5St. Louis BluesOTMarkkanen18,50336–25–10–991Recap :
April: 0–1–1–0 (home: 0–1–1–0; road: 0–0–0–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
81April 3San Jose Sharks3–3Edmonton OilersOTMarkkanen16,83936–25–11–992Recap
82April 5Calgary Flames4–1Edmonton OilersSalo16,83936–26–11–992Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point)
  Overtime loss (1 point) :

### Playoffs

2003 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. (1) Dallas Stars – Stars win 4–2
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 9Edmonton Oilers2–1Dallas StarsSalo18,5321–0Recap
2April 11Edmonton Oilers1–6Dallas StarsSalo18,5321–1Recap
3April 13Dallas Stars2–3Edmonton OilersSalo16,8392–1Recap
4April 15Dallas Stars3–1Edmonton OilersSalo16,8392–2Recap
5April 17Edmonton Oilers2–5Dallas StarsSalo18,5322–3Recap
6April 19Dallas Stars3–2Edmonton OilersSalo16,8392–4Recap :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :

## Player statistics
### Scoring

* Position abbreviations: C = Centre; D = Defence; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
* † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
* ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
| No. | Player | Pos | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 94 | Ryan Smyth | LW | 66 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 5 | 67 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −1 | 16 |
| 26 | Todd Marchant | LW | 77 | 20 | 40 | 60 | 13 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
| 22 | Anson Carter‡ | C | 68 | 25 | 30 | 55 | −11 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Mike York | C | 71 | 22 | 29 | 51 | −8 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 89 | Mike Comrie | C | 69 | 20 | 31 | 51 | −18 | 90 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 10 |
| 10 | Shawn Horcoff | C | 78 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 10 | 55 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Ethan Moreau | LW | 78 | 14 | 17 | 31 | −7 | 112 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −4 | 16 |
| 19 | Marty Reasoner | C | 70 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 19 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | 2 |
| 83 | Ales Hemsky | RW | 59 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −5 | 0 |
| 2 | Eric Brewer | D | 80 | 8 | 21 | 29 | −11 | 45 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 44 | Janne Niinimaa‡ | D | 63 | 4 | 24 | 28 | −7 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Steve Staios | RW | 76 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 13 | 96 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 28 | Jason Chimera | LW | 66 | 14 | 9 | 23 | −2 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Daniel Cleary | RW | 57 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 5 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 34 | Fernando Pisani | RW | 35 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | 2 |
| 27 | Georges Laraque | LW | 64 | 6 | 7 | 13 | −4 | 110 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 21 | Jason Smith | D | 68 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 64 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 19 |
| 37 | Brian Swanson | C | 44 | 2 | 10 | 12 | −7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Radek Dvorak† | RW | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | −3 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Scott Ferguson | D | 78 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 120 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 | Alexei Semenov | D | 46 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −7 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 |
| 33 | Jiri Dopita‡ | C | 21 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −4 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Brad Isbister† | LW | 13 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 12 |
| 23 | Cory Cross† | D | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −3 | 20 |
| 14 | Jani Rita | LW | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Ales Pisa‡ | D | 48 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 47 | Marc-Andre Bergeron | D | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| 12 | Josh Green‡ | C | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −3 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | Jarret Stoll | C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Jussi Markkanen | G | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 |
| 12 | Bobby Allen | D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 55 | Alex Henry‡ | D | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | Kari Haakana | D | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Tommy Salo | G | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 0 |

### Goaltending

| No. | Player | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | GP | W | L | T | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI |
| 35 | Tommy Salo | 65 | 29 | 27 | 8 | 1708 | 172 | 2.71 | .899 | 4 | 3814 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 161 | 18 | 3.15 | .888 | 0 | 343 |
| 30 | Jussi Markkanen | 22 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 533 | 51 | 2.59 | .904 | 3 | 1180 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 4.30 | .917 | 0 | 14 |

## Awards and records
### Awards

| Type | Award/honour | Recipient |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Eric Brewer |
| League (in-season) | NHL Player of the Week | Tommy Salo (March 10) |
| League (in-season) | NHL Rookie of the Month | Ales Hemsky (March) |
| League (in-season) | NHL YoungStars Game selection | Ales Hemsky |
| League (in-season) | NHL YoungStars Game selection | Shawn Horcoff |
| Team | Community Service Award | Georges Laraque |
| Team | Defenceman of the Year | Steve Staios |
| Team | Molson Cup | Tommy Salo |
| Team | Most Popular Player | Ryan Smyth |
| Team | Top Defensive Forward | Todd Marchant |
| Team | Top First Year Oiler | Ales Hemsky |
| Team | Unsung Hero | Ethan Moreau |
| Team | Zane Feldman Trophy | Todd Marchant |
| Team | Zane Feldman Trophy | Tommy Salo |

### Milestones

Regular season :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Ales Hemsky | 1st NHL game | October 10, 2002 |
| Alex Henry | 1st NHL game | October 10, 2002 |
| Ales Hemsky | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | October 12, 2002 |
| Kari Haakana | 1st NHL game | October 17, 2002 |
| Steve Staios | 600th NHL PIM | October 26, 2002 |
| Jason Smith | 100th NHL point | October 28, 2002 |
| Ales Pisa | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | November 3, 2002 |
| Georges Laraque | 300th NHL game | November 5, 2002 |
| Ethan Moreau | 2nd NHL Gordie Howe hat trick | November 9, 2002 |
| Janne Niinimaa | 500th NHL PIM | November 9, 2002 |
| Mike Comrie | 100th NHL point | November 15, 2002 |
| Ryan Smyth | 400th NHL PIM | November 16, 2002 |
| Janne Niinimaa | 500th NHL game | November 23, 2002 |
| Steve Staios | 400th NHL game | November 23, 2002 |
| Scott Ferguson | 100th NHL PIM | November 27, 2002 |
| Jason Smith | 600th NHL game | December 5, 2002 |
| Anson Carter | 400th NHL game | December 7, 2002 |
| Scott Ferguson | 100th NHL game | December 7, 2002 |
| Jason Chimera | 1st NHL assist | December 8, 2002 |
| Mike Comrie | 100th NHL PIM | December 8, 2002 |
| Alexei Semenov | 1st NHL game | December 30, 2002 |
| Bobby Allen | 1st NHL game | December 31, 2002 |
| Ales Hemsky | 1st NHL goal | January 4, 2003 |
| Fernando Pisani | 1st NHL game | January 8, 2003 |
| Georges Laraque | 600th NHL PIM | January 13, 2003 |
| Mike York | 100th NHL assist | January 13, 2003 |
| Fernando Pisani | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | January 20, 2003 |
| Alexei Semenov | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | January 20, 2003 |
| Jani Rita | 1st NHL goal 1st NHL point | January 22, 2003 |
| Jarret Stoll | 1st NHL game 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | January 29, 2003 |
| Fernando Pisani | 1st NHL goal | February 5, 2003 |
| Alexei Semenov | 1st NHL goal | February 7, 2003 |
| Eric Brewer | 300th NHL game | February 8, 2003 |
| Ethan Moreau | 600th NHL PIM 500th NHL game | February 13, 2003 |
| Anson Carter | 300th NHL point | February 18, 2003 |
| Jani Rita | 1st NHL assist | February 18, 2003 |
| Mike York | 300th NHL game | February 20, 2003 |
| Ales Pisa | 1st NHL goal | February 22, 2003 |
| Marty Reasoner | 100th NHL PIM | February 22, 2003 |
| Todd Marchant | 200th NHL assist | February 23, 2003 |
| Marty Reasoner | 200th NHL game | February 27, 2003 |
| Marc-Andre Bergeron | 1st NHL game | March 11, 2003 |
| Fernando Pisani | 1st NHL hat-trick | March 22, 2003 |
| Cory Cross | 100th NHL point | March 26, 2003 |
| Scott Ferguson | 1st NHL Gordie Howe hat trick | March 26, 2003 |
| Radek Dvorak | 600th NHL game | March 28, 2003 |
| Marc-Andre Bergeron | 1st NHL goal 1st NHL point | March 31, 2003 |
| Marc-Andre Bergeron | 1st NHL assist | April 5, 2003 |
| Scott Ferguson | 100th NHL game | April 5, 2003 |
| Jussi Markkanen | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | TBD |
Playoffs :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Ales Hemsky | 1st NHL game | April 9, 2003 |
| Fernando Pisani | 1st NHL game | April 9, 2003 |
| Alexei Semenov | 1st NHL game | April 9, 2003 |
| Mike York | 1st NHL game | April 9, 2003 |
| Shawn Horcoff | 1st NHL goal 1st NHL point | April 9, 2003 |
| Cory Cross | 50th NHL PIM | April 11, 2003 |
| Ryan Smyth | 50th NHL PIM | April 11, 2003 |
| Jussi Markkanen | 1st NHL game | April 11, 2003 |
| Fernando Pisani | 1st NHL goal 1st NHL point | April 13, 2003 |
| Tommy Salo | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | April 13, 2003 |
| Mike York | 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | April 13, 2003 |
| Jason Chimera | 1st NHL game 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | April 17, 2003 |
| Shawn Horcoff | 1st NHL assist | April 17, 2003 |
| Marc-Andre Bergeron | 1st NHL game 1st NHL assist 1st NHL point | April 19, 2003 |

## Transactions

The Oilers were involved in the following transactions from June 14, 2002, the day after the deciding game of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 9, 2003, the day of the deciding game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| June 18, 2002 (2002-06-18) | To Philadelphia Flyers3rd-round pick in 2003Conditional 5th-round pick in 2004 | To Edmonton OilersJiri Dopita |
| June 22, 2002 (2002-06-22) | To Montreal Canadiens1st-round pick in 2002 | To Edmonton Oilers1st-round pick in 20028th-round pick in 2002 |
| June 22, 2002 (2002-06-22) | To Buffalo SabresJochen Hecht | To Edmonton OilersAtlanta’s 2nd-round pick in 2002Nashville’s 2nd-round pick in 2002 |
| June 30, 2002 (2002-06-30) | To New York Rangers4th-round pick in 2003 | To Edmonton OilersRights to Mike Richter |
| October 7, 2002 (2002-10-07) | To Washington CapitalsMike Grier | To Edmonton Oilers2nd-round pick in 2003Vancouver’s 3rd-round pick in 2003 |
| December 12, 2002 (2002-12-12) | To New York RangersJosh Green | To Edmonton OilersConditional draft pick in 2004 |
| January 17, 2003 (2003-01-17) | To Montreal Canadiens Claude Julien | To Edmonton Oilers Conditional 5th-round pick in 2003 |
| March 11, 2003 (2003-03-11) | To New York IslandersJanne Niinimaa2nd-round pick in 2003 | To Edmonton OilersBrad IsbisterRaffi Torres |
| March 11, 2003 (2003-03-11) | To New York RangersAnson CarterAles Pisa | To Edmonton OilersCory CrossRadek Dvorak |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Term | Via | Ref |
| August 19, 2002 (2002-08-19) | J. J. Hunter | Columbus Cottonmouths (ECHL) | 2-year | Free agency | |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team | Via |
| July 4, 2002 (2002-07-04) | Mike Richter | New York Rangers | Free agency (III) |
| July 9, 2002 (2002-07-09) | Sven Butenschon | Florida Panthers | Free agency (VI) |
| July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23) | Alexander Fomichev | Amur Khabarovsk (RSL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23) | Chris Hajt | Washington Capitals | Free agency (UFA) |
| July 24, 2002 (2002-07-24) | Greg Leeb | Augsburger Panther (DEL) | Free agency (VI) |
| July 24, 2002 (2002-07-24) | Domenic Pittis | Nashville Predators | Free agency (UFA) |
| August 5, 2002 (2002-08-05) | Marc Lamothe | Detroit Red Wings | Free agency (UFA) |
| August 22, 2002 (2002-08-22) | Kevin McDonald | Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| September 6, 2002 (2002-09-06) | Alain Nasreddine | New York Islanders | Free agency (VI) |
| October 11, 2002 (2002-10-11) | Peter Sarno | Espoo Blues (Liiga) | Free agency (II) |
| October 24, 2002 (2002-10-24) | Alex Henry | Washington Capitals | Waivers |
| December 28, 2002 (2002-12-28) | Jiri Dopita | HC Olomouc (CZE-1) | Release |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Term | Contract type |
| July 15, 2002 (2002-07-15) | Kristian Antila | 2-year | Entry-level |
| July 15, 2002 (2002-07-15) | Kari Haakana | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 15, 2002 (2002-07-15) | Todd Marchant | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 15, 2002 (2002-07-15) | Ales Pisa | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 27, 2002 (2002-07-27) | Scott Ferguson | 2-year | Re-signing |
| July 30, 2002 (2002-07-30) | Mike Grier | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 30, 2002 (2002-07-30) | Alex Henry | 1-year | Re-signing |
| August 2, 2002 (2002-08-02) | Jason Chimera | 2-year | Re-signing |
| August 2, 2002 (2002-08-02) | Josh Green | 1-year | Re-signing |
| August 5, 2002 (2002-08-05) | Anson Carter | 1-year | Re-signing |
| August 12, 2002 (2002-08-12) | Jason Smith | 1-year | Arbitration award |
| August 19, 2002 (2002-08-19) | Mike Morrison | 2-year | Entry-level |
| September 3, 2002 (2002-09-03) | Jarret Stoll | 3-year | Entry-level |
| September 4, 2002 (2002-09-04) | Fernando Pisani | 1-year | Re-signing |
| September 9, 2002 (2002-09-09) | Mike York | 3-year | Re-signing |
| September 12, 2002 (2002-09-12) | Eric Brewer | 2-year | Re-signing |
| September 25, 2002 (2002-09-25) | Ales Hemsky | 3-year | Entry-level |
| May 28, 2003 (2003-05-28) | Dan Baum | 3-year | Entry-level |
| May 28, 2003 (2003-05-28) | Doug Lynch | 3-year | Entry-level |

## Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 2002 NHL entry draft at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Oilers selection of Robin Kovar at 123rd overall in the fourth round was ruled invalid since Kovar wasn’t eligible for the draft.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 15 | Jesse Niinimaki | Finland | Ilves (SM-liiga) |
| 2 | 31 | Jeff Deslauriers | Canada | Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) |
| 2 | 36 | Jarret Stoll | Canada | Kootenay Ice (WHL) |
| 2 | 44 | Matt Greene | United States | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) |
| 3 | 79 | Brock Radunske | Canada | Michigan State University (NCAA) |
| 4 | 106 | Ivan Koltsov | Russia | Severstal Cherepovets (RSL) |
| 4 | 111 | Jonas Almtorp | Sweden | Modo Hockey (Elitserien) |
| 4 | 123 | Robin Kovar | Czech Republic | HC Vsetin (Czech Extraliga) |
| 5 | 148 | Glenn Fisher | Canada | Fort Saskatchewan Traders (AJHL) |
| 6 | 181 | Mikko Luoma | Finland | Tappara (SM-liiga) |
| 7 | 205 | Jean-Francois Dufort | Canada | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) |
| 7 | 211 | Patrick Murphy | Canada | Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL) |
| 8 | 244 | Dwight Helminen | United States | University of Michigan (NCAA) |
| 8 | 245 | Tomas Micka | Czech Republic | Slavia Praha (Czech Extraliga) |
| 9 | 274 | Fredrik Johansson | Sweden | Frolunda HC (Elitserien) |