June 21, 2022 by Ryan Lotsberg

Edmonton Oil Kings

2021-22 Regular Season: 2nd WHL Eastern Conference, 2nd Overall WHL. 50-14-3-1 (104 points)

Path to the Memorial Cup:

Round 1: 4-0 vs Lethbridge Hurricanes

Round 2: 4-0 vs Red Deer Rebels

Round 3: 4-1 vs Winnipeg Ice

WHL Final: 4-2 vs Seattle Thunderbirds

Leading Scorer: Dylan Guenther – 91 points in 59 games

Leading Playoff Scorer(s): Dylan Guenther – 21 points in 16 games, Carter Souch – 21 points in 19 games

NHL Drafted Prospects:

Dylan Guenther (2021 Round 1, 9th overall ARI)

Jake Neighbours (2020 Round 1, 26th overall STL)

Sebastian Cossa (2021 Round 1, 15th overall DET)

Kaiden Guhle (2020 Round 1, 16th overall MTL)

Luke Prokop (2020 Round 3, 73rd overall NSH)

Justin Sourdif (2020 Round 3, 87th overall FLA)

Jakub Demek (2021 Round 4, 128th overall VGK)

Jaylen Luypen (2021 Round 7, 216th overall CHI)

The Edmonton Oil Kings have been waiting for this week for three years. Four of the 2022 Oil Kings were on the 2019 team that lost in the WHL Eastern Conference Final. 

One of those players is current captain Jake Neighbours, who turned seventeen in March of that season. Josh Williams is another player from that team. Local products and playoff scoring leaders Dylan Guenther and Carter Souch are the other holdovers from that 2019 team. 

They would have to wait for another chance at glory. We all know that the 2020 playoffs were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020-21 WHL season was shortened to 24 games and was dubbed a “development season”. That meant that there were no playoffs once again in 2021. The Oil Kings had the best record in the WHL during that shortened season.

There are nine current Oil Kings that were on both of the teams that didn’t get the chance to play in the playoffs. They got their chance this spring, and they have made the most of it so far.

They dispatched the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Red Deer Rebels in the first and second rounds of the 2022 playoffs. They beat Matthew Savoie and the Winnipeg Ice in five games. They won a tough series against a solid Seattle Thunderbirds team that gave them all they could handle. Sound structure, shot blocking, and hard hitting weren’t enough for the Thunderbirds to slow down the Oil Kings on their way to St John’s.

The Oil Kings are loaded with top talent. Leading scorer Dylan Guenther was the ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft. Jake Neighbours was a first round pick of the Blues in 2020, and he played nine NHL games this past season.

GM Kirt Hill was busy loading up for a run at the Memorial Cup prior to the trade deadline. He added three impact players. Sherwood Park product Kaiden Guhle was drafted by Montreal 16th overall in 2020. He won the WHL Playoff MVP award as a defenceman. Luke Prokop, another Edmonton product, is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenceman that plays a tough game and got 16 points in 19 playoff games this spring. Finally, Florida Panthers prospect Justin Sourdif brings the physicality in an offensive role for the Oil Kings.

The Oil Kings are strong in goal as well. Sebastian Cossa had the third best goals against average in the country during the regular season. Cossa has been impressive in the playoffs, but the other goalies in this tournament have also been impressive.

Just in case you needed more convincing that the Oil Kings are loaded, they had five players represent Canada in the COVID-shortened 2022 World Junior Championships: Guenther, Neighbours, Sourdif, Cossa, and Guhle (the captain). 

Guenther was hurt during the WHL Finals, and he was wearing a knee brace while celebrating their Ed Chynoweth Cup victory. Hill has confirmed that Guenther won’t play in the Memorial Cup. Losing their leading scorer would kill most teams, but the Oil Kings have the firepower to survive. The Oil Kings can win track meets, and they can shut it down. They can play any way that is needed to win.

The time has come for the Oil Kings. This is the moment that this core group has been waiting three years to have. They will only have one thing on their minds this coming week. They’re not satisfied with just winning the WHL Championship. This is a powerful team that’s coming into the Memorial Cup hungry and motivated.