head coach: Ron Low

roster: C - Doug Weight, Jason Arnott, Todd Marchant, Steve Kelly, Boyd Devereaux. LW - Dean McAmmond, Rem Murray, Ryan Smyth, Mats Lindgren, Bill Huard, Joe Hulbig, Ray Whitney, Jason Bowen. RW -, Mike Grier, Andrei Kovalenko, Kelly Buchberger, Dennis Bonvie. D - Drew Bannister, Drake Berehowsky, Sean Brown, Greg deVries, Kevin Lowe, Bryan Marchment, Boris Mironov, Craig Millar. G - Curtis Joseph, Bob Essensa.

injuries: Kevin Lowe, d (inner ear infection, placed on IR Oct 23, out indefinitely); Bill Huard, lw (2nd degree sprain of MCL in right knee Oct. 13, out indefinitely).

transactions: Recalled Craig Millar, d, from Hamilton (AHL) Oct 24.

standings:

Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
Colorado     15   7   2   6    20   49   38
Anaheim      14   5   5   4    14   32   35
Los Angeles  15   5   6   4    14   48   44
Edmonton     14   5   7   2    12   29   43
Calgary      15   3   9   3     9   39   50
San Jose     14   4  10   0     8   34   46
Vancouver    15   3  10   2     8   36   55

game results:

10/21 Boston      L 2-1
10/24 Pittsburgh  W 4-3
10/29 Phoenix     W 3-2
11/01 at Boston   L 3-1

team news:

by Simon D. Lewis, Edmonton Oilers

An Old Familiar Tune

Stop me if you've heard this before. The Oilers are a young team with scads of upside potential. They're a whisker away from being contenders. They win one; they lose two and tie one. Isn't this just like last year's scenario?

The boys in blue just can't put it all together. They're not scoring with any consistency and they seem to be pathologically incapable of turning in a solid first period. Luckily, goaltender Curtis Joseph has found his game and is once more keeping his team close in most contests. Against Phoenix he robbed Rick Tocchet with a glove save many of you probably saw on assorted highlight packages.

GM Glenn Sather hasn't pulled the trigger on any trades yet, but it ain't far away.

"Some guys aren't doing it. Like Danny McGillis. We've got to get his head out of his butt for us to be successful," head coach Ron Low said.

Houston Oilers!!!?

It seems that there is something like an offer on the table for the Oilers. Houston Rockets owner, Leslie Alexander, is reportedly ready to put some money down. Supposedly he has agreed to leave the team in Edmonton for a minimum of three years. After that, if the team were unprofitable, he would move them to Houston. Oddly enough, this time frame is exactly coincident with the amount of time it would take a new arena to be built in Houston.

Nothing is settled yet. The current Oiler owner, Peter Pocklington, is well known for his squirmy and unpredictable business behaviour. He has already called and subsequently postponed two press conferences concerning this deal.

On October 30 John Short, a local newspaper columnist, published a list of Pocklington quotes over the years concerning the on again, off again Oiler crisis situation. Two of the more telling quotes pertain to his financing of the Oilers in 1994.

May 15, 1994 - "I have the letter of credit. It's a gold-trimmed, clean letter of credit."

May 17, 1994 - "I did have it. I was told I had it."

Until you see Leslie Alexander with a title to the team in his hand, don't believe a thing.

On the Road Again

Yes, sir! It's time for another of those Eastern Road Trips. They're the curse of the Mountain and Pacific time zone teams. The Oilers started their own road war on Nov. 1 in Beantown with a lame loss to the Bruins. Next up: Rangers, Islanders, Philly, Washington and Buffalo. Perhaps the team chemistry will benefit from the close contact of team meals and bus trips. If it doesn't, the Oilers could be in big trouble.

They opened the season with a 3-4-1 record in eight home games. If they go into the tank while down east, they're going to be a long way behind the leaders and possible out of a playoff spot. They get two home games after the eastern swing and then they hit the road again for another four games. That bad play at home in the early going could haunt them over the next month.

Boyd on the Bubble

It looks like the decision has been made on Boyd Devereaux. He played his tenth NHL game against the Bruins on Nov. 1, meaning the Oilers have to protect him in waiver and future expansion drafts.

He's only 19 but he's fitting in. He's not scoring or generating points, but his speed is scaring opponents, he's a regular on the penalty kill and he knows what's what in his own end of the ice. That last fact alone sets him apart from the great majority of rookies. Also, he's got zero attitude. He's very much the sit- quietly-and-listen type of guy that many high-priced junior grads should take an example from.

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