The Nova Scotia Oilers were a minor professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
based in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
from 1984 to 1988. The Oilers played their home games at the
Halifax Metro Centre, and were the AHL affiliate of the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
, whose logo theirs resembled.
The Oilers played four seasons before moving on.
Larry Kish coached the first three seasons, followed by
Ron Low in the fourth season. After the 1987–88 season, the team was relocated to
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...
becoming the
Cape Breton Oilers
The Cape Breton Oilers were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team was the top minor league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers' organization relocated the team from Hal ...
. The void the Oilers left in Halifax was filled by the
Halifax Citadels
The Halifax Citadels were a professional ice hockey team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League between 1988 and 1993. They were created by the relocation of the Fredericton Express and filled a void left by th ...
.
Season-by-season results
;
Regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...
;
Playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
Notable NHL alumni
List of Nova Scotia Oilers alumni who played more than 100 games in Nova Scotia and 100 or more games in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
.
See also
*
List of ice hockey teams in Nova Scotia
*
Sports teams in Halifax, Nova Scotia
References
Defunct ice hockey teams in Nova Scotia
Edmonton Oilers minor league affiliates
Ice hockey teams in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Ice hockey clubs established in 1984
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1988
1984 establishments in Nova Scotia
1988 disestablishments in Nova Scotia
{{Canada-icehockey-team-stub