Last time Oilers won Stanley Cup: Complete finals, playoff history for Edmonton

The Edmonton Oilers are one of the NHL’s most historic franchises.

After being created in 1971, originally as a member of the WHA, the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979 as part of a merger. Not long after, they emerged as one of the best teams in the league. From Wayne Gretzky to Mark Messier, some of hockey’s best all-time talent has gone through Edmonton.

Flash forward to 2025, and the Oilers remain alive in the hunt for the Stanley Cup title entering the conference finals. Now led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton is seeking to return to hockey glory for the first time in decades, but just how long has it been since the Oilers hoisted a Stanley Cup trophy?

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Here’s a full breakdown of the Oilers’ playoff history, from their titles to playoff appearances.

MORE: Inside the Toronto Maple Leafs’ history of playoff collapses

When was the last time the Oilers won the Stanley Cup?

The Oilers last won the Stanley Cup in 1990, defeating the Bruins in five games. That series is often remembered for a historic Game 1 that went three overtimes, which remains the longest title game in modern NHL history.

That 1990 title was the Oilers’ first since trading Gretzky, who had been the biggest piece of the team’s four previous championships. After trading Gretzky in 1988, then losing to the Gretzky-led Kings in the 1989 playoffs, Edmonton won 38 regular-season games led by Messier in 1989-90 before making a run to the Stanley Cup.

Goaltender Bill Ranford won the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals.

When was the last time the Oilers played in the Stanley Cup Final?

While they haven’t won the Stanley Cup in a few decades, the Oilers have come close. They appeared in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals after winning 49 regular-season games with a team led by McDavid and Zach Hyman.

However, after Edmonton beat Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Dallas to reach the Stanley Cup Final, the team fell to the Panthers in seven games. The Oilers nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback in the series, tying it at three games apiece after trailing 3-0, the first team since 1945 to do so in the championship series, but they proceeded to lose 2-1 in Game 7.

Even with the loss, McDavid received the Conn Smythe Trophy. Prior to 2024, Edmonton had most recently reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006. 

Oilers Stanley Cup playoff history

They have had long stretches without playoff success, but as a whole, the Oilers do have plenty of postseason trips as a franchise. Since joining the NHL in 1979-80, they have made 27 playoff appearances over 45 seasons, winning five championships.

Two eras in particular stand out in Edmonton’s history: 1980-92, a 12-year stretch in which the team made the playoffs every season and won all five of its titles, and its current six-year stretch dating back to 2020, making the postseason all six years.

Here is a complete look at the Oilers’ playoff history.