Cal Nichols, The Man Who Saved the Edmonton Oilers

Among the accolades Nichols received over his distinguished career was the Order of Canada, which he was awarded in 2014.

A Small Town Hockey Player

Nichols was born in Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan in 1942 and was an entrepreneur right from the start. With the help of his Dad, Nichols purchased an Esso gas station in nearby St. Walburg at the age of 17 and never looked back. His love of community and hockey ran deep. I was fortunate enough to get to know Nichols from 2020 to 2023 when I worked across the hall from him and remember how much he loved the Oilers and talking hockey. His offices were full of Oilers team photos and memorabilia, a Wayne Gretzky autographed seat from Northlands Coliseum, and a small weathered trophy that sat up high on a shelf near a meeting table. When I asked him about the trophy, he took great pride in telling me it was for best defenceman in the Sask-Alta Hockey League when he played for the Paradise Hill Hawks. Nichols also beamed when he showed me his framed Hawks sweater which he received in 2002 when the St. Walburg community honoured him by retiring his jersey. That love of hockey from his days growing up in small town Saskatchewan never left him.

From Rural Roots to Success in the City

When Nichols and his wife Edna decided to leave St. Walburg for Edmonton in the late 1960s, little did they know how Cal would rise to prominence in Edmonton and across the hockey world. After working for Esso for a few years, Nichols ventured out on his own and eventually started his own chain of gas stations called Gasland. In 1995, Oilers owner Pocklington sent out a call for the local business community to help sell Oilers season tickets. Nichols got involved right away and was a prominent figure in the 1996 season ticket drive.

By 1997, Pocklington was forced to put the Oilers up for sale after the Alberta Treasury Branch called in its loans. This is where Nichols truly shined. He helped form the Edmonton Investors Group (EIG) and led a group of more than 30 local businesspeople who eventually raised enough money to buy the team and keep it in Edmonton. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman mentioned in a statement on Sept. 13, “It is difficult to imagine that the Oilers would still be in Edmonton if not for Cal Nichols.”

There Would Be No Connor McDavid in Edmonton Without Nichols

When current Oilers owner Daryl Katz, a member of the EIG, assumed ownership of the Oilers in June, 2008, he gave a special acknowledgement to Nichols by stating, “If it wasn’t for Cal, the Oilers wouldn’t be in Edmonton.” After purchasing the Oilers from the EIG, Katz has no doubt done an admirable job carrying the torch and has turned the Oilers into a financial success story.

David Staples of the Cult of Hockey and Edmonton Journal, in his excellent piece honouring Nichols mentioned, “If there had not been a Cal Nichols, there would not be an Edmonton Oilers franchise today. No downtown arena, no Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in an Oilers uniform, none of it.” (From: “Staples: ‘Cal Nichols, hero of the city, saviour of the Oilers, visionary of the downtown arena, has died’, Edmonton Journal, 09/13/26).

I knew Cal as a giant of business and community but also got to know him as a humble hockey fan who never forgot where he came from. He was truly a special man and will forever hold an esteemed position in Edmonton Oilers history.

On behalf of The Hockey Writers, we would like to offer our condolences to the Nichols family, including Cal’s wife Edna, children Ken and Kristine, and his five grandchildren. Rest in peace, Cal.