Glen Sather

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Lore & Background

Sather's most defining moment came in 1978 when owner Peter Pocklington asked if he should acquire Wayne Gretzky. Sather replied, "Whatever you have to do, get him," a move considered risky by pundits like Howie Meeker. He immediately allowed Gretzky to live with his family. Following the Oilers' absorption into the NHL in 1979, Sather was promoted to president and general manager after taking them to the first round of the playoffs. He relied heavily on chief scout Barry Fraser's advice, selecting Paul Coffey in the first round, Jari Kurri in the fourth, and Andy Moog in the seventh during the inaugural NHL draft. After a slow 4–9–5 start to the 1980–81 season, Sather stepped behind the bench himself, demoting Bryan Watson to assistant. The team finished 25–26–11 under his interim guidance but surged late, sweeping the favored Montreal Canadiens in the opening round of the playoffs. In 1981, he selected Grant Fuhr and Steve Smith based on Fraser's counsel. By 1983, Sather named John Muckler associate head coach, splitting duties while winning the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year in 1985–86.

In Their Own Story

The 1988 offseason marked a seismic shift when Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers finished third in the Smythe Division and were eliminated by Gretzky's Kings in the first round in seven games. Following this, Sather relinquished his head coach title to Muckler but remained general manager. The team returned to the Final for the 1989–90 season, defeating the Boston Bruins in five games for their fifth Stanley Cup. However, the dynasty began to fracture as key players like Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, and Esa Tikkanen departed for higher salaries, exacerbated by Paul Coffey's 1987 exit and owner Peter Pocklington's cost-cutting measures. The lack of depth in the minor-league system finally caught up with the team; after winning their last division title in 1986–87, they missed the playoffs entirely for the first time in 1993. Of the 17 first-round picks Sather chose from 1982 to 2000, only Jeff Beukeboom (1983), Jason Arnott (1993), and Ryan Smyth (1994) proved successful. Despite these challenges, Sather kept the team in Edmonton when Pocklington was forced to sell in 1998, preventing a move to Houston, Texas.

Reader's Guide

Sather's tenure as general manager ended in 2000 when he was succeeded by Kevin Lowe after the Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs for three consecutive years (1999–2001). His draft record post-1986 highlighted a deficiency in player development, with only three successful first-rounders among 17 selections. The financial precariousness of the franchise in the 1990s prevented retaining top talent or acquiring free agents, leading to years of rebuilding. Despite the decline from their dynasty peak, Sather ensured the Oilers returned to the playoffs in 1997 and did not miss the postseason again under his management until he left. His front-office career with the Oilers concluded after a tenure spanning from 1976 as player-coach to 2000 as general manager. In recognition of his contributions, Sather was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. He later moved to New York, serving as Rangers president until April 4, 2019, and as a senior advisor until June 26, 2024.

Did You Know?

• Sather scored a goal just 1:11 into his first game as player-coach against the Winnipeg Jets in 1976.
• He allowed Wayne Gretzky to live with his family immediately after acquiring him in 1978.
• Only three of Sather's 17 first-round draft picks from 1982 to 2000 were considered successful for the Oilers.
• Sather personally took over as head coach of the Rangers in 2003 after firing Bryan Trottier, a move that contributed to a franchise-record seven-year playoff drought ending in 2005.