The Edmonton Oilers have announced a working agreement with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League for the 2002-03 season.

The agreement will allow the Edmonton Oilers to assign two or three players to the Hershey Bears. The expectation is that there will be at least one forward and one defenceman assigned to play during the 2002-03 campaign.

Assistant General Manager Scott Howson says, "This one-year agreement will give us some much needed flexibility due to our new arrangement with Hamilton which will see us share the responsibility of stocking the team with Montreal. We had to find an agreement like this in order to accommodate all of the players we have under contract. Hershey is a franchise that is rich in tradition and we look forward to this new relationship."

The Hamilton Bulldogs will remain the primary AHL affiliate for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers add a ninth game to their pre-season schedule, announcing they will play the Vancouver Canucks in a neutral site game at the Winnipeg Arena on Sept. 19.

A 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames, combined with a 7-1 Phoenix win over Minnesota, officially eliminates the Oilers from post season contention.  This marks the first time in six seasons that the Oilers fail to qualify for the playoffs.