Glen Sather's top 3 moments with the Oilers

On Friday, the Edmonton Oilers will pay homage to the man who helped play architect for what Oilers fans might refer to as the glory days.

Glen Sather served as the Oilers president, general manager, and head coach, staying on with the team from 1979-2000. He helped the club capture five Stanley Cups turning them into arguably the most dominant franchise of the '80s.

A spat with ownership in 2000 brought to an end his glorious run with the only franchise he had known, but opened the door to a new challenge with the New York Rangers, a team that took him in and has never let go.

Sather will have a banner raised to the rafters at Rexall Place on Friday night, joining the many banners he is undoubtedly responsible for.

Here are Sather's greatest moments during his time with the Oilers:

The 1980 draft

It might not be the flashiest moment or one that deeply resonates with Oilers fans, but in terms of importance and what it meant to the franchise, the 1980 draft was a game-changer for the organization.

With assistance from then-head scout Barry Fraser, Sather and the Oilers made three franchise-altering picks. Selecting defenseman Paul Coffey in the first round, forward Jari Kurri in the fourth, and goaltender Andy Moog in the seventh.

The trio would combine to win 10 Stanley Cups during their time, with all three members of the '84, '85, and '87 winning teams.

Kurri would finish his career second in Oilers scoring, behind only Gretzky. Coffey would become the club's all-time scorer among defensemen, capturing the Norris Trophy twice with the Oilers, and Moog chalked up 143 wins in just 235 games, a remarkable winning percentage of 61 percent.

Dethroning the Islanders

In the early 1980s, the New York Islanders were the pinnacle of hockey.

The club captured four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-1983 and seemed poised to make it five straight in 1984. However, they met an offense in Edmonton, the likes that brought fear to most of the league.

After splitting the first two games, the Oilers, while holstering Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Kurri, and Coffey, would go on to outscore the Islanders by a 19-6 margin the final three games.

The win would come while Sather also sat beind the bench as the team's head coach. The win marked the first Stanley Cup in franchise history and was the first of five cups in seven years.

Suggesting Oilers acquire Gretzky

Though Sather was not in the position to orchestrate the deal himself, he was very influential in the deal that helped to bring the Great One to Edmonton.

With the WHA's Indianapolis Racers struggling financially, the team needed to find a way to pay its players. Their best option, sell off their most valuable asset: 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky.

Sather at the time was coaching the Oilers in the WHA, when owner Peter Pocklington informed him there was an opportunity to acquire Gretzky.

"Whatever you have to do, get him," Sather told Pocklington.

The Oilers would purchase Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio, and forward Peter Driscoll for a reported $850,000. The club would join the NHL the following season and the rest is history.