Editor's Note:  frequent commenter and the Author behind the outstanding Bubbling Under, doritogrande, weighed in on Kevin Lowe's decision to unretire his sweater number so that Taylor Hall could wear it as an Oiler.  doritogrande's opinion stands out as not everyone was as passionate about Hall getting #4.  If you have an opinion you'd like to express, you can always use the FanPost feature at the right.

Five Stanley Cups

Seven-time All-Star

King Clancy Memorial Trophy Winner

1037 games played as an Oiler

432 point NHL career

First ever Edmonton Oilers NHL draft pick

Scored first ever Edmonton Oilers NHL goal

A well-deserved and rightfully earned Retirement ceremony of #4

And now.....

Better start dusting off the mothballs kids.

Kevin Lowe should be commended for his time spent as an Edmonton Oiler, especially so for his on-ice accomplishments. Perhaps his star has tarnished slightly during his management career, but he has earned the right to hold a halowed spot in the Rexall rafters.

He's giving up a part of himself , as TSN.ca reports that an 18-year old rookie will be wearing his jersey number for this coming season.

What he's doing is no small deal. He had every right to say no to the wunderkid, and I would have agreed 100% with his decision to do so. Lowe is sacrificing personal accomplishments and part of his legacy for the benefit of his team today, and we should proud we have a member of management willing to step up the way he did today.

Taylor Hall is a special kind of prospect, but he's not Crosby folks. He's taking on the responsibility of filling some big shoes by donning #4. Let's hope he shows that number the respect it deserves, by taking his team to the promised land as the old #4 once did.

I'm in this contest to win. And what's better than girls in short tops holding an Oilers banner to give me an edge?

I'm not the most edumacated hockey fan in the world, but I think I know a little bit about player types, cap management and drafting that I could have done a better job than Steve Tambellini this off-season.

More after the jump...

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photo courtesy thehockeywriters.com

I was blessed with gratis tickets halfway through my Environmental Conservation and Restoration class this AM, so I figured why not contribute something to the Oilogosphere and take a few notes on how I saw the Oilers (and some Lightning) on display tonight? Seemed simple enough.

I learned very fast tonight that it takes a keen eye and very good hand-eye coordination to scribble notes whilst keeping both eyes on the action.

Decent atmosphere at the MTS Centre tonight not to mention absolute P.R.I.M.O. seats, Section 120 Row 6 Oilers attacking periods 1 and 3 . Nowhere near what we had the last time the Oilers rolled into town (2006 versus Phoenix, a 4-0 shutout for Dubnyk where Winchester and Mikhnov stole the show offensively), but get a couple pops in me and we’re good to go. On to game action after the jump:

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