Ryan Smyth and Lee Fogolin inducted into the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame

Earlier this summer, the Edmonton Oilers announced that they would establish an Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame. It would include people, not just players, who have played a huge role in Edmonton Oilers history. Prior to this announcement, the only people honored by the organization were those whose jerseys were retired, and the organization has a policy that only players who are in the Hockey Hall of Fame retire their jerseys. Establishing an Oilers Hall of Fame allows the organization to honor those who have played an important role in the history and structure of the organization and Edmonton.

The 2022 Oilers Hall of Fame inaugural class will be those who will have a banner hanging at Rogers Place: Al Hamilton, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Kevin Lowe, Glen Sather and Rod Phillips . They were automatically inducted based on their respective Oilers banner honors, but they will not hold a ceremony to commemorate their induction into the Oilers Hall of Fame, as they already had it when their jersey was retired. Some of them will be present on November 3rd to observe and support the introduction of Lee Fogolin and Ryan Smyth.

Fogolin was drafted by the Oilers from the Buffalo Sabers in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft. He played 586 regular season games with Edmonton, recording 36 goals and 124 assists and an impressive +153. He captained the Oilers for a few seasons and won the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985. He was also the face of Mr. Plywood commercials for a number of seasons. He was a true handyman in real life, so the patches made sense. The promotions worked and he was eventually joined by Dave Semenko for a few spots and even Randy Gregg.

Fogolin was highly regarded by the Oilers’ young stars. He was like an older brother/father figure to her.

“He was the foundation for all of us,” Kevin Lowe said in a text. “He was a dedicated, hardworking leader on the ice and off the ice he was respectful, honest and a great family man that we all could look up to,” added Lowe.

The Oilers Hall of Fame won’t just be for players who have earned points. They want it to be for people who’ve made an impact in a variety of ways, and Fogolin did that. The players and people in the organization in the 1980s believe his attitude and leadership were critical to their success.

Ryan Smyth was the heartbeat of the Edmonton Oilers for 14 seasons. Edmonton drafted him sixth overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft and played 48 games for the Oilers in 1995-1996 after playing just nine games in the AHL. In 1997, he skyrocketed with 39 goals and became the favorite of most Oilers fans because of his tenacious work ethic and tireless dedication. He played 971 games for the Oilers, second only to Lowe. He is fifth all-time with 296 goals and sixth with 631 points.

He also had great success representing Canada at various tournaments. He won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics (2002), 2004 World Championships, 2003 and 2004 World Championships, 2012 Spengler Cup and 1995 World Juniors. He captained Canada six times at the IIHF World Championships, earning the nickname “Captain Canada.” “.

Smyth didn’t just shine for the Oilers, he lived in the community. He and his wife Stacey worked with numerous charities in Edmonton and donated significant amounts of time and money to various causes.

Fogolin and Smyth will pick up Thursday, November 3 when the Oilers host the New Jersey Devils.

HALL OF FAME DECISIONS…

A few people have contacted me and asked how recruits are selected.

There is a panel of 11 members who vote. The selection committee includes former Oilers Wayne Gretzky, Ron Low, Louie DeBrusk and Chris Joseph, former player and manager Bruce MacGregor, media members Jim Matheson, Terry Jones, Bob Stauffer and myself along with community members Chief Wilton Littlechild (International Chief and former U of A Golden Bear) and Shannon Szabados, two-time Team Canada gold medalist.

How the process works is simple. In August, the committee meets and each member nominates an individual deemed worthy of induction into the Oilers Hall of Fame. They present reasons why they deserve the honor. Once all 11 people have introduced themselves, a ballot will be mailed out. To be included, a person must receive nine votes.

Only two members were admitted this year, but a maximum of three can be admitted in the coming years.

A total of seven names were presented this year. Some members nominated the same person. The committee does not speak to each other before the meeting. So if two of us represent the same person, that person gets two votes.

The ballots are secret and not discussed among members, so I only know who I’m voting for and I can’t discuss my ballot. I can say I nominated Smyth.

I am honored to be a member of the committee and really enjoyed the process. The presentations are great and really make you think of someone you may not have considered. I think an Oilers Hall of Fame is long overdue and there are many people like Smyth and Fogolin who have done great things for the organization and deserve to be honored. It will be fun to see who gets elected in the future.

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