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Wednesday, October 6, 1999
Hair raising!
Afro may find its way to the 'Dome
"I may have to bring the afro," he warned the St. Louis Post-Dispatch yesterday, prior to the Blues' leaving for Calgary.
When informed of this startling development, Fuhr could only grin and shake his head in amazement.
Seems in the playoffs last year, Bergevin, sidelined because of an abdominal strain, took a seat behind the net, slipped on a Blues sweater, No. 31, and donned a wig to grab his buddy's attention on the ice.
He got it.
"Yes, yes," chuckled Fuhr. "We had a real good crew there. I'm looking forward to seeing those guys again."
The Fuhr-Blues match-up goes tonight at the 'Dome, an interesting twist to the Flames' home opener. If Fuhr remains a bit miffed at the way St. Louis management handled his trade here, there's absolutely no ill will towards his ex-teammates, whom he'd nontheless dearly love to beat tonight.
And vice-versa.
Why, this war threatens to become a love-in.
"In the 15 years I've been here," said Post-Dispatch columnist Tom Wheatley, "I've never seen a player so popular and respected with his teammates as Grant.
"I mean, everybody just loved the guy."
Enforcer Kelly Chase said: "He better watch it if I don't score on him. I might do the moonwalk for the all the times he's set me up in practice."
Fuhr's hoping to set up the Blues for a loss this evening.
"He always played well under pressure, maybe because he didn't think there was pressure," laughed Bergevin. "He was just so laid back."
How laid back?
"Like a Swedish guy up north," teased defenceman Ricard Persson. "They're real laid back."
Fuhr, customarily, downplayed the obvious reverence his former teammates hold for him.
"Ah, I just try to have fun at the game. If I do and it rubs off on people, great. But I find if you're relaxed, everything's easier and that's when you start to win."
Winning is something neither the Blues nor Flames have done yet, in the infancy of this season. Whatever happens tonight, it won't affect the mutual regard Fuhr and his old chums have for one another.
"I'm glad I had the chance to play with him," said Bergevin. "The last place he'd lay blame was with his defencemen. He was a winner. If things didn't go right, it'd always be 'My fault.' "
JUSTICE, OR PAYBACK:
Flames' coach Brian Sutter warns that justice better be served.
In a night of NHL infamy, Ruslan Salei's crushing hit from behind on Mike Modano, breaking the star centre's nose, giving him a concussion and strained neck ligaments, was followed by Pascal Trepanier running Joe Nieuwendyk into the end boards on an icing call and stone hands/stone head Jim McKenzie breaking the eye socket of Dallas defenceman Darryl Sydor, hardly a noted pugilist.
All in all, a vicious, stupid night for the Ducks. The two teams play again on Friday.
"Bottom line?" said Sutter. "There's no place for any of that. The league has to take a stance on this. Yes, it's an intense game, a physical game. No one questions that. But within the boundaries of the rules.
"I watched Gord Miller on TSN last night and I didn't agree with what he said about the players taking the matter into their own hands. Is that right? Yes, I think it is, if the league won't act in a proper manner. That's the code of the game.
"I think the players responsible should be suspended for as long as the injured guys are out."
The hit from behind on Nieuwendyk, racing back to touch the puck on an icing call, touched a real nerve with the coach.
"They're always talking about speeding up the game," scoffed Sutter. "Well, how about once the puck cross the goal line, we have an automatic icing? I've been saying that for 20 years.
"I can't believe people haven't been killed going back for the puck. I mean, if it's their best D and I'm close enough to the guy under the present rules, I'm going to try and run through him, right?
"But I'll tell you, if this situation is not looked after (at the league level), the players will take care of it."
CORBET UNSURE:
The status of Calgary left winger Rene Corbert, battling a groin strain, remains unclear for tonight's game.
If Corbet can't go, either Rico Fata or D Toni Lydman will draw into the lineup.
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