2003–04 Edmonton Oilers season

The 2003–04 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 25th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a 36–26–11–9 record in 2002–03, earning 92 points, and returned to the playoffs after a 1 year absence. The Oilers were then defeated by the Dallas Stars in 6 games in the opening round.
During the off-season, the Oilers and Mike Comrie could not come to a contract agreement, and Comrie would not start the season with the team. Comrie would eventually be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in December for Jeff Woywitka and the Flyers 1st round draft pick in 2004.
The club would start off the season on the right foot, having a record of 10–7–2–0 in the first 19 games, however, Edmonton would go into a slump and have a 10–17–6–1 in their next 34 games, and sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Oilers would come out of their slump, and finish the season with a 16–5–4–4 in their remaining 29 games, but it wouldn't be enough, as the Oilers would finish in 9th spot in the West, 2 points behind the 8th place Nashville Predators, and fail to qualify for the post-season for the 2nd time in 3 seasons.
Offensively, Ryan Smyth would lead the club with 23 goals, 36 assists and 59 points. Radek Dvorak would finish just behind Smyth with 50 points, while Ethan Moreau and Raffi Torres would each score 20 goals. Marc-Andre Bergeron would lead the defense with 9 goals and 26 points, while Eric Brewer would finish just behind him with 7 goals and 25 points. Georges Laraque would lead the club in penalty minutes with 99.
In goal, Tommy Salo would begin the season as the starter, however, he would lose his job and eventually be traded to the Colorado Avalanche before the season was over. He won 17 games and had a 2.58 GAA, along with 3 shutouts, with Edmonton. Ty Conklin took over the starting duties, and he would also win 17 games, have a 2.42 GAA and earn a shutout along the way.
==Heritage Classic==
The Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the second NHL outdoor game and the first regular season outdoor game in the history of the National Hockey League, and was modeled after the success of the "cold war" game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University in 2001. The first NHL game to be played outdoors was in 1991 when the Los Angeles Kings played the New York Rangers in an exhibition game outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The event took place in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in front of a crowd of 57,167, the largest number of people to ever watch a live NHL game, despite temperatures of close to -18 °C, -30 °C (-22 °F) with wind chill. It was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Edmonton Oilers joining the NHL in 1979. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television broadcast also set the record for most viewers of a single NHL game with 2.747 million nationwide. This was the first NHL game broadcast in HDTV on CBC.
==Season standings==
==Game log==
# 	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record 	Pts
1 	October 9 	San Jose Sharks 	2–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–0–0–0 	2
2 	October 11 	Edmonton Oilers 	0–3 	Vancouver Canucks 	1–1–0–0 	2
3 	October 14 	Edmonton Oilers 	0–1 	Calgary Flames 	1–2–0–0 	2
4 	October 16 	Buffalo Sabres 	1–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	2–2–0–0 	4
5 	October 18 	Colorado Avalanche 	3–6 	Edmonton Oilers 	3–2–0–0 	6
6 	October 21 	St. Louis Blues 	6–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	3–3–0–0 	6
7 	October 23 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–6 	Colorado Avalanche 	3–4–0–0 	6
8 	October 25 	Calgary Flames 	4–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	3–5–0–0 	6
9 	October 30 	Columbus Blue Jackets 	3–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–5–0–0 	8
10	November 1 	Detroit Red Wings 	4–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–5–1–0 	9
11	November 4 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–2 	Montreal Canadiens 	5–5–1–0 	11
12	November 6 	Edmonton Oilers 	3–3 	Ottawa Senators 	5–5–2–0 	12
13	November 8 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–4 	Boston Bruins 	5–6–2–0 	12
14	November 10	Edmonton Oilers 	5–4 	New York Rangers 	6–6–2–0 	14
15	November 11	Edmonton Oilers 	3–4 	Boston Bruins 	6–7–2–0 	14
16	November 13	Edmonton Oilers 	2–0 	Minnesota Wild 	7–7–2–0 	16
17	November 15	Calgary Flames 	1–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	8–7–2–0 	18
18	November 18	Chicago Blackhawks 	2–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	9–7–2–0 	20
19	November 20	Toronto Maple Leafs 	2–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	10–7–2–0 	22
20	November 22	Montreal Canadiens 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	10–8–2–0 	22
21	November 25	Edmonton Oilers 	3–3 	Columbus Blue Jackets 	10–8–3–0 	23
22	November 26	Edmonton Oilers 	1–7 	Detroit Red Wings 	10–9–3–0 	23
23	November 28	Colorado Avalanche 	4–1 	Edmonton Oilers 	10–10–3–0 	23
24	November 30	San Jose Sharks 	2–1 	Edmonton Oilers 	10–11–3–0 	23
25	December 3 	Minnesota Wild 	1–0 	Edmonton Oilers 	10–12–3–0 	23
26	December 6 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	3–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	11–12–3–0 	25
27	December 9 	Carolina Hurricanes 	3–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	11–13–3–0 	25
28	December 11	Edmonton Oilers 	2–2 	San Jose Sharks 	11–13–4–0 	26
29	December 12	Edmonton Oilers 	3–3 	Phoenix Coyotes 	11–13–5–0 	27
30	December 14	Edmonton Oilers 	3–2 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	12–13–5–0 	29
31	December 16	Edmonton Oilers 	2–4 	Los Angeles Kings 	12–14–5–0 	29
32	December 18	Minnesota Wild 	1–1 	Edmonton Oilers 	12–14–6–0 	30
33	December 20	Vancouver Canucks 	3–0 	Edmonton Oilers 	12–15–6–0 	30
34	December 23	Edmonton Oilers 	1–2 	Calgary Flames 	12–16–6–0 	30
35	December 27	Edmonton Oilers 	6–2 	Vancouver Canucks 	13–16–6–0 	32
36	December 28	Calgary Flames 	2–1 	Edmonton Oilers 	13–17–6–0 	32
37	December 30	Minnesota Wild 	2–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	13–17–7–0 	33
38	January 2 	Edmonton Oilers 	2–1 	Minnesota Wild 	14–17–7–0 	35
39	January 4 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–3 	Chicago Blackhawks 	15–17–7–0 	37
40	January 5 	Edmonton Oilers 	2–3 	New Jersey Devils 	15–17–7–1 	38
41	January 8 	Edmonton Oilers 	2–4 	New York Islanders 	15–18–7–1 	38
42	January 10 	Edmonton Oilers 	3–0 	Philadelphia Flyers 	16–18–7–1 	40
43	January 11 	Edmonton Oilers 	0–1 	Washington Capitals 	16–19–7–1 	40
44	January 13 	Florida Panthers 	2–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	17–19–7–1 	42
45	January 15 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	0–1 	Edmonton Oilers 	18–19–7–1 	44
46	January 17 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–2 	Nashville Predators 	18–20–7–1 	44
47	January 18 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–4 	Columbus Blue Jackets 	18–20–8–1 	45
48	January 20 	Dallas Stars 	0–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	19–20–8–1 	47
49	January 22 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	3–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	19–21–8–1 	47
50	January 24 	Nashville Predators 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	19–22–8–1 	47
51	January 27 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–3 	Colorado Avalanche 	19–23–8–1 	47
52	January 29 	Chicago Blackhawks 	2–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	20–23–8–1 	49
53	January 31 	Los Angeles Kings 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	20–24–8–1 	49
54	February 2 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	1–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	21–24–8–1 	51
55	February 4 	St. Louis Blues 	3–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	22–24–8–1 	53
56	February 11	Atlanta Thrashers 	1–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	23–24–8–1 	55
57	February 13	Edmonton Oilers 	0–3 	Minnesota Wild 	23–25–8–1 	55
58	February 15	Edmonton Oilers 	2–2 	Nashville Predators 	23–25–9–1 	56
59	February 16	Edmonton Oilers 	1–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	23–26–9–1 	56
60	February 18	Edmonton Oilers 	5–1 	Colorado Avalanche 	24–26–9–1 	58
61	February 21	Vancouver Canucks 	3–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	25–26–9–1 	60
62	February 23	Detroit Red Wings 	1–1 	Edmonton Oilers 	25–26–10–1	61
63	February 25	Edmonton Oilers 	2–4 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	25–27–10–1	61
64	February 27	Edmonton Oilers 	7–2 	Phoenix Coyotes 	26–27–10–1	63
65	February 29	Edmonton Oilers 	4–5 	Dallas Stars 	26–27–10–2	64
66	March 2 	Phoenix Coyotes 	4–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	27–27–10–2	66
67	March 4 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–1 	St. Louis Blues 	27–27–11–2	67
68	March 7 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–3 	Chicago Blackhawks 	28–27–11–2	69
69	March 9 	Edmonton Oilers 	1–1 	Calgary Flames 	28–27–12–2	70
70	March 10 	Colorado Avalanche 	3–2 	Edmonton Oilers 	28–27–12–3	71
71	March 12 	Vancouver Canucks 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	28–27–12–4	72
72	March 14 	Ottawa Senators 	1–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	29–27–12–4	74
73	March 16 	Columbus Blue Jackets 	2–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	30–27–12–4	76
74	March 19 	Nashville Predators 	4–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	31–27–12–4	78
75	March 21 	Edmonton Oilers 	5–2 	San Jose Sharks 	32–27–12–4	80
76	March 22 	Edmonton Oilers 	2–1 	Los Angeles Kings 	33–27–12–4	82
77	March 24 	Dallas Stars 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	33–27–12–5	83
78	March 26 	Los Angeles Kings 	1–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	34–27–12–5	85
79	March 28 	Phoenix Coyotes 	2–4 	Edmonton Oilers 	35–27–12–5	87
80	March 30 	Edmonton Oilers 	0–1 	St. Louis Blues 	35–28–12–5	87
81	March 31 	Edmonton Oilers 	3–1 	Dallas Stars 	36–28–12–5	89
82	April 3 	Edmonton Oilers 	2–5 	Vancouver Canucks 	36–29–12–5	89
==Season stats==
===Scoring leaders===
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Ryan Smyth 	82	23	36	59 	70
Radek Dvorak 	78	15	35	50 	26
Mike York 	61	16	26	42 	15
Shawn Horcoff	80	15	25	40 	73
Raffi Torres 	80	20	14	34 	65
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	T	GA 	SO	Save %	GAA
Jussi Markkanen 	7 	393 	2 	2 	2	12 	0 	.934 	1.83
Ty Conklin 	39	2085	17	14	4	84 	1 	.912 	2.42
Tommy Salo 	44	2486	17	18	6	107	3 	.896 	2.58
Steve Valiquette	1 	13 	0 	0 	0	2 	0 	.714 	9.23
==Transactions==
====Trades====
June 21, 2003 	To New Jersey Devils1st round pick in 2003 - Zach Parise 	To Edmonton Oilers1st round pick in 2003 - Marc Pouliot2nd round pick in 2003 - Jean-Francois Jacques
June 30, 2003 	To New York RangersJussi Markkanen*4th round pick in 2004 - Roman Kukumberg 	To Edmonton OilersBrian Leetch
December 16, 2003	To Philadelphia FlyersMike Comrie 	To Edmonton OilersJeff Woywitka1st round pick in 2004 - Rob Schremp3rd round pick in 2005 - Danny Syvret
February 16, 2004	To Vancouver CanucksPeter Sarno 	To Edmonton OilersTyler Moss
March 7, 2004 	To New York RangersStephen ValiquetteDwight Helminen2nd round pick in 2004 - Dane Byers	To Edmonton OilersPetr NedvedJussi Markkanen
March 9, 2004 	To Colorado AvalancheTommy Salo6th round pick in 2005 - Justin Mercier 	To Edmonton OilersTom Gilbert
*Later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
====Free agents====
{|class="wikitable"	 	
Player 	Former team 	Contract terms
D Rocky Thompson 	Florida Panthers 	2 years,
G Stephen Valiquette	New York Islanders 	1 year,
F Jamie Wright 	Philadelphia Flyers 	2 years,
F Adam Oates 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	1 year, $1.95 million
D Igor Ulanov 	Florida Panthers 	1 year, $2 million
====Draft picks====
Edmonton's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
Round	# 	Player 	Nationality	College/junior/club team (league)
1 	22 	Marc Pouliot 	 	Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
2 	51 	Colin McDonald 	 	New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
2 	68 	Jean-Francois Jacques	 	Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
3 	72 	Mikhail Zhukov 	 	Arboga (Sweden)
3 	94 	Zack Stortini 	 	Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
5 	147	Kalle Olsson 	 	Frolunda (Sweden)
5 	154	David Rohlfs 	 	Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL)
6 	184	Dragan Umicevic 	 	Sodertalje SK (SEL)
7 	214	Kyle Brodziak 	 	Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
7 	215	Mathieu Roy 	 	Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
8 	248	Josef Hrabal 	 	HC Vsetin (Czech.)
9 	278	Troy Bodie 	 	Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
==References==
*SHRP Sports
*The Internet Hockey Database
*National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007
Category:Edmonton Oilers seasons
Category:2003 in hockey
Category:2004 in hockey