Stavanger Oilers

Lore & Background

The Stavanger Oilers were established in 2000 as a company team by Finnish expatriate workers, after Hartti Kristola withdrew economic support from the traditional local club Viking Hockey. The club played its first official game in autumn 2001, with players from higher divisions of Finnish hockey and former Norwegian national team players alongside local amateurs. They went through the 2001/02 season unbeaten, scoring 304 goals, with Finnish forward Jari Kesti scoring or assisting on 226 of them. In 2002/03, the Oilers went 18 games unbeaten before their first loss, and secured promotion to the GET-ligaen after winning five qualification play-off games.

Reader's Guide

The Stavanger Oilers rose rapidly from the bottom of the league system to become a dominant force in Norwegian ice hockey. Their first elite season in 2003/04 saw them finish sixth, and by 2005/06 they reached their first play-off final, losing to Vålerenga. The club won its first Norwegian championship in 2010 and went on to win eight more titles through 2023, including five consecutive championships from 2013 to 2017. They also won the IIHF Continental Cup in 2013–14. The Oilers' 2022–23 season was particularly dominant: they finished first in the regular season with 192 goals scored and only 83 allowed over 45 games, then won the league championship. Key players included forwards Dan Kissel and Bryce Gervais, defenseman Martin Lefebvre, veteran Tommy Kristiansen, Markus Søberg, and goaltender Henrik Holm. The club retired the jersey numbers of Jari Kesti (#7) and Tomi Suoniemi (#22) in 2007.

Did You Know?

• The Oilers went unbeaten in their first season (2001/02), scoring 304 goals.
• Jari Kesti scored or assisted on 226 of the team's 304 goals in the 2001/02 season.
• The club won the IIHF Continental Cup in 2014–15.
• As of the 2023–24 season, the Oilers are one of two teams in the EliteHockey Ligaen from western Norway, alongside Frisk Asker Tigers.