The Kings–Oilers rivalry is a storied professional ice hockey matchup in the NHL, known for its intense playoff battles through the 1980s and 1990s, which has seen a fierce resurgence in the 2020s. The rivalry's foundation was laid by the individual scoring battles between Edmonton's nascent star Wayne Gretzky and Los Angeles' Marcel Dionne in the early 1980s. A legendary moment, dubbed the "Miracle on Manchester," occurred in the 1982 playoffs when the underdog Kings staged a remarkable 5-0 comeback to defeat Gretzky's top-seeded Oilers.
The animosity peaked on August 9, 1988, with the shocking trade of Wayne Gretzky from the Oilers to the Kings, igniting a new level of fan resentment. Despite this, Gretzky notably received a four-minute standing ovation upon his first return to Edmonton. Overall, the two teams have clashed eleven times in the playoffs and collectively account for seven Stanley Cups, cementing their place as one of the NHL's most significant rivalries.