loss, making him an unrestricted free agent. He then signed a $3.5 million contract for the 2002–03 season, with an option for 2003–04, with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on July 1, 2002. He scored 45 points in 67 games with the Mighty Ducks, and added 13 points in 21 playoff games. Anaheim reached the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, where in the third game of the series against the New Jersey Devils, Oates assisted on Ruslan Salei's overtime-winning goal. It was Oates' ninth career playoff overtime point, tying him with Joe Sakic and Doug Gilmour for the NHL all-time lead. The Ducks ultimately lost the series in seven games. The Mighty Ducks declined their option on the 41-year-old Oates' contract, again making him a free agent. He remained unsigned six weeks into the 2003–04 season, until he agreed to a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on November 17, 2003. He appeared in 60 games in Edmonton, scoring 2 goals and 16 assists. The Oilers were eliminated from playoff contention in their final game of the season with a 5–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on April 4, 2004. Oates announced his retirement as a player immediately after the game. Playing style Oates was one of the NHL's great playmakers, a style that he credits his father as encouraging: "It was just kind of our family talks: 'If you can be unselfish, your teammates will always like you.' And it just kind of became my role, where I was obviously trying to please my dad, growing up and becoming a playmaker out of that." Oates' father, a British immigrant, idolized Stanley Matthews, considered one of the greatest association football (soccer) players of all-time and hoped that his son would adopt a pass-first mentality similar to Matthews. Oates led the NHL in assists three times – 1992–93, 2000–01 and 2001–02 – and finished in the top ten on 12 occasions. Oates finished third in league scoring three times; 1990-91, 1992-93, and 1993-94. He is also the only player in NHL history to centre three 50-goal scorers, helping Brett Hull, Cam Neely and Peter Bondra reach the mark. His teammates praised his consistency, noting Oates continued to score points at an elite level when he did not have star players as linemates. Oates was able to score himself, reaching the 20 goal mark seven times, including a career high 45 in 1992–93,