1983-84 Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky Jersey

The Edmonton Oilers began their 1983-84 season on October the 5th by hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the 14:25 mark of the second period Wayne Gretzky fed Glenn Anderson, who converted the pass on the power play to tie the game at 2-2 for Gretzky's first point of the season. He would later score his first goal of the season with a shorthanded tally at 2:33 of the third period to give the Oilers a 4-2 lead on their way to an eventual 5-4 win.

In the second period of the Oilers next game at Winnipeg, Gretzky had an assist at the 53 second mark and then scored two goals, the first one shorthanded, as part of the Oilers 8-6 win.

Gretzky had three more points in the Oilers 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota North Stars on October 9th, scoring a goal with one second left in the first period and then assisting on a pair of Jari Kurri goals, the second being the overtime game winner.

The Detroit Red Wings were the next to visit the Northlands Coliseum and Gretzky burned them for five points, the opening goal at 10:06 of the first period followed by a pair of assists to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead after one. He extended the lead to 4-0 with a goal from Anderson and Mark Messier just 27 seconds into the second period. Detroit rallied for 3 goals later in the second period to draw to within 1, but the Oilers pulled away with 4 third period goals, with Gretzky getting an assist on last one to make the final 8-3 for Edmonton.

On October 15th, Edmonton traveled to Calgary to take on the Flames. The Oilers prevailed with Gretzky assisting Kurri on the first goal and scoring his 7th of the season 1:06 into the third period, which proved to be the game winner as the Oilers won 4-3.
The Flames and Oilers then reconvened the next night in Edmonton for the second half of their home and home series. The Oilers had an easier time of it at home, winning 5-1 with Gretzky registering 2 assists and the final goal of the game for a 3 point night.

On the 19th, the Oilers and Vancouver Canucks teamed up for a high scoring track meet in Vancouver. Vancouver led 6-3 after two periods, but that was soon to change. The Oilers and Canucks traded goals in the first two minutes for a 7-4 lead for the Canucks, but then Edmonton reeled off six consecutive goals in 13:04, which began with a goal by Gretzky from Messier and Paul Coffey. Gretzky also scored the final goal into an empty net for his 10th goal and 20th point of the season after just seven games as the Oilers won 10-7 after trailing by 4 with five minutes left in the second period.

Gretzky then scored a goal on the road against the Los Angeles Kings followed by 3 assists back home against the Canucks in a 5-5 tie. He added a goal in an 8-3 loss in Toronto followed by an assist in a 3-1 win in Montreal against the Canadiens. Their road trip concluded with a 5-4 win in Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers with Gretzky contributing one goal to close out the first month of the season with 13 goals and 14 assist for 2 points.

November began with an 11-3 pounding of the Washington Capitals back in Edmonton. Gretzky oopened the scoring with a goal at 8:31 of the first period and finished the night with 2 goals and 3 assists. Next to visit was the Pittsburgh Penguins, who the Oilers dispatched 7-3 with Gretzky contributing 3 assists.

The fans in Winnipeg were treated to a display of Gretzy's dominance on November 6th when after being held scoreless in the first period, he scored 2 goals and an assist in the second period and then completed his first hat trick of the season at 12:39 of the third. After registering assists on the next 2 Oilers goals, he scored his 4th goal and 7th point of the night with just 7 seconds remaining in Edmonton's 8-5 win. The 7 points put him over the 40 mark with 42 in his only 15th game of the season.

Next to face the Oilers juggernaut was the Quebec Nordiques, who went down 7-4 as Gretzky had a second period assist on a goal by Kurri and then scored his 20th goal of the season in his 16th game.

The following night in Washtington D. C., Gretzky scored a goal in the first period, was held off the scoresheet in the second and then assisted on another Kurri goal to open the third period. After 2 Captials goals to make the score 4-4, the Oilers put their foot to the floor and reeled off 3 goals over the game's final seven minutes with Gretzky getting the first assist on all three for a 7-4 win and a 5 point night for Gretzky.

Edmonton's road trip then moved to Detroit as Gretzky had 2 goals and 2 assists in the first period and fnished the scoring with his 24th goal of the season to complete his second hat trick of the season and register his second consecutive 5 point game in a 7-3 win, the Oilers eighth consecutive victory, the first of three times that season they would win eight in a row.

The Oilers five game road trip came to a conclusion in Chicago against the Black Hawks. Their winning streak also came to a conclusion with a 5-3 loss, but Gretzky once more assisted on a goal by Kurri.

Back at home, the Oilers blanked the Buffalo Sabres 7-0 as Gretzky was credited with 3 assists, 2 on goals by Kurri. The New Jersey Devils were the next to try their luck at the Northlands Coliseum. After deceiving themselves by scoring the first 2 goals of the game, Gretzky got the Edmonton Express rolling with his 25th goal of the season at 5:43 of the first period. His assist on a goal by Kurri at 15:18 gave Edmonton a lead they would never relinquish. Gretzky added a goal and two assists in the second period and followed that with 2 assists and completed the scoring with a shorthanded goal, this third of the game and third hat trick of the year at 18:05 for a final score of 13-4.

Gretzky's 8 points were a career high and a feat he would repeat only on more time during his stellar career. His 8 points would also put him over the 60 mark, with now 66, in just his 21st game of the season.

Another high scoring game against the Jets was up next, as Gretzky scored once in a 7-6 Oilers come from behind win with two goals in the last 13 minutes.

In a 7-3 win over the Kings in Los Angeles, Gretzky waited until the mid point of the third period to assist on the Oilers final two goals. At Minnesota, Gretzky scored a goal at 11:55 of the first period in a 2-2 tie, which raised Edmonton's record to 19-3-2.

While the Blues handed the Oilers their second loss of the month 8-6, Gretzky assisted on 5 of the Oilers 6 goals. Edmonton then closed out November with a 3-3 tie at home to the Philadelphia Flyers, with Gretzky registering a goal and an assist. The goal was his 17th of the month and 30th of the season. The assist was his 33rd of November, giving him 50 points for November and 77 overall in just 26 games played through the first two months of the season.

December began with the Oilers defeating the Kings 7-3 at home with Gretzky earning 3 assists for his 80th point of the season in 27 games. Gretzky had a first period assist in a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders at home on December 4th and their four game home stand concluded with a stunning 5-4 Oilers win after falling behind 4-0 before the game was even half over. Messier scored from Gretzky to start the comeback at 15:21 of the second before 4 third period goals, one of which was assisted by Gretzky, to give Edmonton the comeback win, highlighted by the winning goal just 26 seconds after the tying goal.

Three days later the two teams met again in Vancouver, with the Canucks turning the tables with a 3-2 win, with Gretzky assisting on the second Oilers goal. From there, it was a cross-continent trip to Long Island to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Islanders, who roared out to a 5-1 lead after the first period, but Gretzky still managed 2 points from an assist and a goal in the third period, his first goal in five games and the 300th of his career. Additionally, his assist extended his consecutive game point scoring streak to 31, breaking his own previous record of 30.

The Oilers then invaded Madision Square Garden the next night to face the Rangers. Gretzky opened the scoring with a goal just 8 seconds into the game. After adding an assist in the second period, he completed his fourth hat trick of the season with 2 third period goals followed by another assist as Edmonton won 9-4 thanks to Gretzky's 5 point night, which included his 800th career point.

Back in Edmonton on December 17th, the Oilers hosted the Nordiques. Gretzky assisted on both of the Oilers first period goals and then two of the three second period goals. Edmonton kept on coming, scoring three goals in the third period, with Gretzky getting his fifth assist on the 7th Oilers goal and then scoring the 8th an final goal in a 8-1 win for a 6 point game.

Then on this date in 1983, the Oilers traveled to Winnipeg to face the Jets. Gretzky assisted on Messier's power play goal at 7:43 of the first period. He then scored his 36th goal of the season at 10:21 from Coffey on a power play. Edmonton made it 3-0 at 11:01 and the Jets scored their first goal at 17:40, also on a power play. With the Oilers down a man with Coffey in the penalty box, Ken Linseman scored from Messier and Gretzky shorthanded at 18:33.

The assist was Gretzky's 64th of the season to go with his 36 goals, giving him 100 points for the season in his 34th game, setting an NHL record for the fastest 100 points in league history. Gretzky then scored his 37th goal unassisted at 4:12 of the second period for a 4 point game.

The win against the Rangers started a 13 game unbeaten streak for the Oilers, with only a tie on December 23rd versus Calgary being the only slight blemish on a 12-0-1 run which concluded with an eight game winning streak equaling their best of the season.

Gretzky would also keep his scoring streak alive, and would eventually reach 51 consecutive games, scoring 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points during the streak, which included a second 8 point night on January 4, 1984 when he scored 4 goals and 4 assists. 

On January 7th, Gretzky would score his 50th goal of the season in his 42nd game, doing it in style with a hat trick. It would be the second of three times Gretzky would score 50 goals in 50 games or less. Eventually, he was held off the scoreboard by goaltender Markus Mattson and the Kings on January 28, 1984.

A five game losing streak in early February, with both Gretzky and Kurri out with injuries, was answered with another eight game winning streak once the injured duo returned. Edmonton would go on to finish first in the Smythe Division with a 57-18-5 record for 119 points, good for the President's Trophy as the team with the most regular season points, 15 ahead of the Islanders and Boston Bruins. The 57 wins and 119 points were both new club records.

Gretzky would finish with 87 goals and 118 assists for 205 points to win his fourth consecutive Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer. It was his second 200 point season to date. He would eventually win the Art Ross Trophy seven consecutive times and ten overall. He woud score ten hat tricks that season, including four times scoring 4 goals in a game. He would also set a new league record with 12 shorthanded goals in a single season.

Gretzky would also win his fifth straight Hart Trophy as the league MVP and Lester B. Pearson Award as Outstanding Player.

In the playoffs, the Oilers swept the Jets in three games, outlasted the Flames in seven, swept the North Stars in four and then defeated the Islanders in five games, ending the New York dynasty at four Stanley Cups and beginning one of their own. Gretzky led the league in playoff scoring with 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points, seven better than Kurri for the Oilers.

Today's featured jersey is a 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky jersey. The Oilers would go on to win the Stanley Cup at the conclusion of the season, and interestingly, each of the four times the Oilers would win the cup with Gretzky as captain, it would be at home in their white jerseys

When Edmonton first entered the NHL in 1979 following the demise of the WHA, they changed the colors of crest of their jerseys but, aside from minor detail changes to fonts for names and numbers and some tweaking of shades of color, they kept the same style for 17 seasons through the 1995-96 season.

Photo courtesy of Classic Auctions

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1984 NHL All-Star Game Wayne Gretzky jersey worn the season of his 51 game scoring streak when he set the record for the Fastest 100 Points. 

This style was worn by the NHL All-Stars for three years starting in 1984. Gretzky would wear it in both 1984 and 1986 when the Campbell Conference was considered the road team and wore the dark version. He wore the white home version in 1985.

During the 1984 game, Gretzky scored a goal in a 7-6 loss by the Campbell Conference.

Today's video section begins with highlights of Gretzky's 8 point night against the Devils.

Next, Gretzky breaks his own 30 game scoring streak record when he scores in his 31st consecutive game on December 13, 1983.

Finally, Gretzky's streak hits 51 straight games on January 27, 1984.