On October 10, 1979, the Edmonton Oilers played their inaugural regular season game in the National Hockey League. The game was played at Chicago Stadium against the Blackhawks and ended in a 4-2 loss.
After spotting the Hawks a 2-0 lead before the game was even three minutes old, Kevin Lowe scored the first goal for the franchise at 9:49 of the first period, assisted by Brett Callighen and Wayne Gretzky. It was a power play marker with Terry Ruskowski in the box for slashing. Tony Esposito was in net for Chicago and allowed the landmark goal.
Interestingly, it was Lowe that got into the team’s first ever fight in the NHL. Later in the game, at 17:48 of the third, Kevin went toe-to-toe with Chicago’s Grant Mulvey. Both received minors to go with their five minute majors.
The Oilers put 32 shots on Esposito in the game but Chicago was able to get past Edmonton goalie Dave Dryden for the win. The Blackhawks had a pair of goals from John Marks, including the game winner, along with singles from Bob Murray and Rich Preston.
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Bonus Trivia!
NHL Hockey Trivia: Kevin Lowe
1. Kevin Lowe was the first-ever draft pick in the history of which NHL franchise?
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Quebec Nordiques
- New Jersey Devils
2. In which season did Kevin Lowe score the first goal in Edmonton Oilers’ NHL history?
- 1978-79
- 1979-80
- 1980-81
- 1981-82
3. How many Stanley Cups did Kevin Lowe win during his career as a player?
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
4. Aside from the Edmonton Oilers, which other NHL team did Kevin Lowe play for?
- Montreal Canadiens
- New York Rangers
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Vancouver Canucks
5. In what year was Kevin Lowe inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
- 2005
- 2010
- 2015
- 2020