[3] During the Oilers' first years in the NHL, their roster included young star Wayne Gretzky, who instantly became a candidate for the Art Ross Trophy against the Kings' Marcel Dionne.

They nevertheless qualified for the playoffs as the fourth-place team in the division, as the Colorado Rockies had posted an even worse record.

After a two-game split in Edmonton, game 3 in Los Angeles saw the Oilers take a commanding 5-0 lead after two periods.

The two teams finally met again in the 1985 playoffs, but this time the Oilers swept the Kings in three games en route to winning their second straight Stanley Cup.

On August 9, 1988, in one of the most shocking trades in league history, the Oilers announced they were sending Gretzky, along with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley, to the Kings for two younger players (Jimmy Carson and Martin Gélinas), three first-round draft picks, and US$15 million in cash.

[10] In Gretzky's first game in Edmonton after the trade, he received a four-minute standing ovation from the Oilers fans.

"[11] After the 1988–89 season, the Oilers constructed a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky outside Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head.

[18][19][20][21] The rivalry began to die down during the 1992–93 season as players from the Oilers moved to other teams, and Edmonton missed the playoffs for the first time since joining the NHL in 1979.

The Kings traded Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues on February 27, 1996;[23] he later finished his career with the New York Rangers.

[25] They met again for a third consecutive year in the 2024 playoffs;[26] this series featured a heated game 3 in which the teams combined for 92 penalty minutes, 82 in the third period, amidst a 6–1 victory for the Oilers.