It is time to congratulate Edmonton Oilers’ captain Ethan Moreau, who won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy during the 2009 NHL Awards. Obviously, the Oilers captain made an impression not just on Oil fans, but Moreau also made an impression on those who value and reward contributions off the ice. But, perhaps the greatest impact has been on those who probably never will be able to afford or might never be able to be able to attend an Oilers’ game – and we are talking about those in some kind of need.

Moreau, like many Oilers before him, is devoted to charitable causes in Edmonton. Ethan’s work has two main focuses. First, he works for Edmonton’s world famous
Stollery Children's Hospital; second, he works for those who attend Edmonton’s Inner City High School. But, it doesn’t stop there: he also makes appearances for other causes like Cystic Fibrosis.

Moreau makes the humble claim that he slipped into the work because he saw other Oilers also doing it. He had good role models like Kevin Lowe himself, fan favorite Kelly Buchberger, and even Billy Guerin who just won the Cup with the Penguins. Moreau says he really enjoys working and spends a good deal of time at the Stollery, but he also enjoys his time at Inner City High.
Whether you think Ethan Moreau is the greatest Oil captain who ever skated or not, sometimes there is much more than hockey – and Oil fans everywhere should throw their hat on the ice for such dedication. Thanks Ethan for being such a good role model for the kids you meet both in the Stollery and at Inner City High School. The Oiler Insider salutes your work.

Despite words to the contrary and Brent Sutter who himself said coaching the Calgary Flames was a dead issue, it looks as though it's not so dead after all. TSN is reporting that Sutter is about to be named head coach of the Calgary Flames?



So, how exactly did this happen? With Sutter under contract for one more year in New Jersey, we are about to hear one of two things. Either a) Sutter was given permission by Lou Lamarillo and the New Jersey Devils to seek employment elsewhere or b) Calgary is holding a press conference to tell us that Brent Sutter will take over in 2010. I'm of the opinion that that the first option is more likely.



Lou Lamarillo, not always known as a coach and GM who makes a lot of sense timing wise, has topped himself here. Sure, no one wants a coach behind the bench that doesn't want to be there, but what good reason does he have for letting a very good and desireable coach out of his contract? Pay? Friendship? We may never know, but all around this is good news for the Calgary Flames who will have a new coach, closer to home.

When I got married last September, my wife promised that she'd stick by me in sickness and in health, for better or worse, till death do us part. I'm about to test her limits.

With the creation of oilersinsider.blogspot.com, it's quite possible that she's now truly discovered my sickness. That it's going to get worse before it gets better and that something 's going to need to die to take me from my love of the Oilers.

When I was 9 years old, our family adpoted its second dog. I was so enthused by the Oil at that time, that I begged and pleaded that I get to name her. After all she was the second dog and I was the second born child. Tentatively, they agreed, but to their delight and the agreement of my parents, Tikannen did not grab hold as quickly as I might have liked.

Somewhat destroyed, I suggested a comprimise. One that no one on earth could dispute. If we brought home man's best friend, and the "man" at the time was named Wayne Gretzky, it only made sense that Jari Kurri fit. Scratch the Jari and we'd found a winner. In hindsight of course, the dog being female and all, it might not have been fair to Mr. Kurri, but I'm hoping should he ever hear this story, he'd be flattered by my ode to scoring mastery.

At least I didn't name her Pronger, in which case I'd have been apologizing to the dog...

Simply put, I love the Edmonton Oilers. My day often involves the typical "hey, how's it going? Good. You? Not bad. What you up to?" style phone calls with my friends and family; but two things either come out when I answer the "what you up to?" part. 1) Work or 2) reading about the Oilers -- and often involved in the latter when I should be involved in the former.

I spend so much time filling people in about what I read and hear that it dawned on me at about 2:30am, perhaps a blog. My guess is that I'll quickly find out if anyone beyond my immediate circle of influence gives a damn; but that's ok. I've always wanted to started a blog and I simply can't think of a better topic. In fact; I've even convinced my father - an author of some dozen or so published works of educational greatness, (he'll love that part) to join me with the odd article every now and again.

So honey... here's my promise. I take you in sickness and health, for better or worse till death do us part. I promise to keep these updates to a fair and acceptable level (with the exception of draft day, free agency and should the Oil ever make the playoffs again) and will immidately look for assistance if for some odd reason this happens to become even remotely popular.

I love you, and I love this incredibily frustrating and often underachieving team called the Edmonton Oilers. My hope is that we can all just get along.

With the rumour mill swirling over the Oilers' interest in Dany Heatley or the making of cap space for a signing the likes of Hossa, Bouwmeester or Gaborik; the Oilers are surprisingly not actively trying to move Dustin Penner.

While a trade including Penner is possible, should it better the Oilers team; an Oilers Insider source says that the coaching staff is actually looking forward to bigger and better things for Penner under the Pat Quinn and Tom Renney regime and hope to use him in a dominant second line role.

While a number of Oiler faithfull firmly believe the 6'4" 245lbs forward is vastly overpaid and a mistake by the team in a time that Oiler fans longed for a splash in the free agent market; the Oilers actually still feel Penner has the ability to not only live up to his contract, but exceed it.

Penner has proven that under the right cirumstances with the right linemates, he can be just the type of player the Oilers are looking for and is a player the Oilers feel will bounce back with the coaching changes.

Under Craig McTavish, it is well documented that Penner was on a short list of players MacTavish chose to use to set an example and while Penner may not openly admit it, we're hearing he's as excited about the change in staff as the staff is to see a new Dustin Penner.

With Hossa currently looking for job security, word is he's opened the door to teams other than Detroit to aquire his services.

Hossa, who rejected numerous long-term offers last summer including one from the Edmonton Oilers to the tune of 9yrs and $81 million, chose to sign a one-year, $7.45 million deal with the Wings, with the chance to win the Stanely Cup. This year, while Hossa says "Detroit is on the top of my list, for sure," he has stated that he will weigh his options this summer, hoping not to change destinations each year. Hossa told the News. "I don't feel like moving all the time."

The problem is that Detroit has only $4 million in cap space and a couple solid forwards in Mikael Samuelsson (a UFA this summer) and Jiri Hudler set to become a restricted free agents.

So what does this means for the Oilers who reportedly still have interest in Hossa? Should they be able to put one of those famous long term contracts together ala the Red Wings, they have a legitimate chance of signing the 70-90 point winger, who was pleased with the Oilers last season.