July 7, 2022 by Eric Friesen

The Edmonton Oilers officially announced the return of their classic royal blue and orange jerseys starting in 2022-23 on Thursday. The Oilers’ new royal blue and orange uniform harkens back to their inaugural concept in 1979, while featuring a modern take on the iconic jersey.

It has become more than just a hockey jersey to the Oilers fans over the last four decades. It’s a symbol of the glory days in Oil Country, and the legacy of one of the most storied franchises in NHL history.

“We are excited to re-introduce these iconic jerseys and are grateful for the input from both the leadership group in our locker room and our great fans,” said OEG President and Chief Revenue Officer Stew MacDonald. “There is a great history to this jersey, including five Stanley Cup championships, and we look forward to the team creating many more historic moments in blue and orange starting this fall.”

The Oilers donned the threads from their entrance in the NHL in 1979-80 through 1995-96, then again from 2008-09 until 2016-17. The Oilers wore the white jersey during each of their first four Stanley Cup victories in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988, and the royal blue jersey during their fifth Cup win in 1990.

Over the next decade, the Oilers only wore their original jersey on special occasions, such as the 2003 Heritage Classic and Mark Messier’s jersey retirement night in 2007.

In 2008-09, the Oilers brought back their classic royal blue jersey as their alternate for their 30th anniversary season. The following season, the Oilers made the royal blues their home jersey (it was their road jersey for the first 17 seasons in franchise history).

At the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers unveiled the classic white jersey, when it was presented to first-overall selection Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. In 2017-18, the Oilers went away from these jerseys for the second time, changing their home base colour from blue to orange.

The shade of orange was also brightened and they switched from royal blue to navy blue. In 2018-19, the Oilers sported their original look four times as part of their 40th anniversary celebration, and has not been worn since.

The classic royal blue and orange jerseys are undoubtedly the most popular uniforms the team has ever had, and the organization should never change their primary jerseys again. They can always experiment with alternates, but their home and away set should be permanent.

The Oilers first-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal will be the first player to don the jersey in its second return on a full-time basis.