 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Stavanger Oilers" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Stavanger Oilers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Stavanger,Norway |
| League | EliteHockey Ligaen |
| Founded | 10 November 2000; 24 years ago (2000-11-10) |
| Home arena | DNB Arena |
| Colors | White, black, yellow |
| Owner(s) | Tore Christiansen |
| General manager | Pål Haukali Higson |
| Head coach | Anders Gjøse[1] |
| Captain | Mathias Trettenes |
| Website | oilers.no |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 7 (2011/12, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23) |
| Playoff championships | 9 (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023) |
Stavanger Ishockeyklubb, commonly referred to as theStavanger Oilers, is aNorwegian professionalice hockey team based inStavanger,Norway. They currently play in theFjordkraftligaen, which is the top division in Norwegian ice hockey. As of 2023, it is the only team in the league from western Norway. The Oilers play their home matches inDNB Arena.
Stavanger Oilers were established as a company team byFinnish expatriate workers in 2000.Viking Hockey had traditionally been the dominant hockey club inStavanger. The club's establishment was led by the Finnish businessmanHartti Kristola, who withdrew his economic support fromViking to focus on Oilers.
The club played their first official game in the autumn of 2001, with players from the higher divisions of Finnish hockey, as well as a number of formerNorwegian national ice hockey team players[who?]. These played alongside amateur local players. Stavanger Oilers, starting at the bottom of the league system, went through the 2001/02 season unbeaten, scoring 304 goals. The club top scorer, FinnishforwardJari Kesti, scored or assisted on 226 of them.
In 2002/03 Oilers went through their first 18 games unbeaten. Ahead of the season, the team received more Finnish players, as well as two ofViking Hockey's players,Tommy Edlund andThomas Kristensen. The club's first loss came away againstGjøvik Hockey, was followed by another loss the next day to the same team. Oilers also got beaten by local rivalsBergen IK, who were the first team to defeat Oilers inSiddishallen. The team reached first place at the end of the season, with Bergen finishing second. PlayerJari Kesti scored 150 points from Oilers 296 goals, and countrymenTomi Suoniemi andJarkko Ollikainen both scored more than 100 points. Promotion to theGET-ligaen was secured following five victories in the qualification play-offs, with the only defeat coming against Bergen in apenalty shootout.
Ahead of its first season in theGET-ligaen, more Finnish players and some young Norwegian players joined Oilers. At the start of the season the team beatLillehammer 5–1 in the opening match, followed by a 10–0 away win atManglerud Star in the second match. The first defeat came at home against fellow promoters Bergen. At the end of the season, Oilers finished sixth in the table. Again,Jari Kesti was the club top scorer, for the third season in a row. In the playoffs, Oilers beatTrondheim by three games to one in the quarter-finals, winning the final game insudden death in front of a sell-out crowd of 2600 people inSiddishallen.Teemu Kohvakka scored the deciding goal with only 14 seconds left of the first period of sudden death. In the semifinals, Oilers were beaten byStorhamar in three straight games.
The second elite season saw two players leave the club:Jari Kesti signed forVålerenga andChristian Dahl Andersen went to Swedish sideArboga. Both came back during the same seasons, after unsuccessful stints in their new clubs. OwnerHartti Kristola withdrew his financial backing, and a local business executive,Tore Christensen, took over control of the club. Oilers' performances varied throughout the season, and after a loss against bottom side Bergen,Matti Riekkinen resigned as the team coach. He was replaced bySwedeGunnar Johansson in January 2005. The team finished the season in seventh place, losing againstVålerenga in the play-off quarter-finals.
Ahead of the 2005/06 season, Swedish playersBengt Höglund,Martin Johansson andFredrik Sundin were brought in, along with the Norwegian national team playerSnorre Hallem. The club had its best season to date, finishing in fourth place in theGET-ligaen. In the playoffs, Oilers beatSparta Warriors by four games to two in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals against second-placedStjernen, each team won their home games until Oilers decided the series through a 2–1 victory in the seventh and final game of the series, away atStjernehallen. The first-ever play-off final featured a hockey team fromStavanger ended in a defeat in four straight games againstVålerenga.
In the 2006/07 season, players joining includedHenric Höglund fromStjernen and Norwegian national team playersMarius Trygg andLars Peder Nagel. At the end of the season, they finished in third place, which was still the club's best result to date. This was the third time that a team fromStavanger had won the bronze medals in the league, withViking winning the bronze twice in the past. At the end of the season, past playersJari Kesti andTomi Suoniemi were also honoured, as their respective shirt numbers, #7 and #22, were officially retired by the club. In the playoffsComet were beaten by four games to two in the quarter-finals, while Oilers lost toStorhamar Dragons by the same score-line in the semi-finals. The club won the2013–14 IIHF Continental Cup.
The Stavanger Oilers had a dominant 2022-2023 season in the Norwegian Eliteserien, claiming the regular season title and finishing first overall. Their offense was particularly impressive, racking up 192 goals while allowing just 83 over the 45-game season. The Oilers' consistency led them into the playoffs, where they continued to perform at a high level, eventually winning the league championship.
Key players for the team included forward Dan Kissel, known for his offensive contributions and experience. Alongside him, Bryce Gervais, another standout forward, added significant depth to their scoring lineup, contributing crucial points throughout the season. Martin Lefebvre also played a crucial role on defense, not only fortifying the team’s backline but also contributing offensively with a strong two-way game. Veteran Norwegian forward Tommy Kristiansen brought physicality and leadership, while Markus Søberg added both experience and skill, playing a central role in the team’s forward group.
Goaltending was another strong point, with Henrik Holm providing a reliable last line of defense. Holm's performance in net helped secure the Oilers' low goals-against record, reinforcing their position as one of the toughest teams to score against. With contributions across their lineup, the Stavanger Oilers’ team effort and standout individual performances were key to their championship-winning season.
As of 13 September 2024
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Oilers. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Stavanger Oilers seasons.
| Norwegian Champions | Regular Season Champions | Promoted | Relegated |
| Season | League | Regular season[3] | Postseason | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | OTW | OTL | GF | GA | Pts | Finish | |||
| 2018–19 | Eliteserien | 48 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 172 | 109 | 101 | 3rd | Lost in Semi-finals, 2–4 (Storhamar) |
| 2019–20 | Eliteserien | 45 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 194 | 90 | 113 | 1st | The play-offs were cancelled |
| 2020–21 | Eliteserien | 24 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 97 | 52 | 48 | 3rd | |
| 2021–22 | Eliteserien | 45 | 30 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 162 | 89 | 105 | 1st | Won Norwegian Championship, 4–0 (Storhamar) |
| 2022–23 | Eliteserien | 45 | 31 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 192 | 83 | 99 | 1st | Won Norwegian Championship, 4–3 (Storhamar) |
| 2023-2024 | Eliteserien | 45 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 165 | 92 | 100 | 2nd | Semifinal loss |
Source:[4]
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Number retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Jari Kesti | C | 2001–2004, 2005–2006 | 7 September 2006 |
| 22 | Tomi Suoniemi | C | 2001–2006 | 7 September 2006 |
