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Friday, September 24, 1999
Fuhr eager to zap Oilers
In his wildest bout of dementia, Hunter S. Thompson couldn't conjure up a hallucination this gonzo:
Grant Fuhr against the Oil as a Leaf or a King or a Blue is one thing. Grant Fuhr against the Oil outfitted in Flames togs? That is something different altogether.
Why, watching Steve Smith skate out to face Edmonton wearing Calgary colours for the first time was enough to make a body feel light-headed; disoriented. But Fuhr was one of Edmonton's Big Four, along with Coffey, Messier and Gretzky. Despised in this city by all that is holy; canonized down Jasper Ave.
For those of us old enough to recall, this is gonna be weird.
It had, after all, became a rallying cry for the Northlands Coliseum faithful so spoiled by success, the PA announcer starting softly and building to a crescendo: "And now, led by Grant Fuhr, your Edmonton Oilllllllllers ....!" as arguably the most intoxicating yet obnoxious team in history hit the ice.
And in a couple of spins of the earth, Fuhr, one-time backbone, has turned backbreaker.
"Yeah," someone said to Fuhr, tugging off his pads after practice yesterday, "but there really isn't anybody left up there that you know anyway."
"Sure there is," he countered. "They're all coaching."
True enough. Kevin Lowe, Teddy Green and Craig MacTavish were all around during the halcyon days of the Oiler Machine. So is Esa Tikkanen, there on a tryout, but he's a scratch tonight and won't be able to skate by his old buddy and fire off a stream of unintelligible Tik-Talk.
"It's just going to be good to get some time in," said Fuhr, who flew back to St. Louis to tend to personal matters while the Flames took that three-game whirl out east.
"We're almost ready to play for real here, and that's one of the teams we're going to be fighting for a playoff spot against."
Fuhr, who has but 40 minutes of exhibition prep to fall back on this pre-season, will play tonight and Sunday at the Garage in Vancouver, likely leaving Fred Brathwaite, another ex-Oiler, to take a turn at Skyreach tomorrow.
Sure there are kids still trying to crack the lineup, veterans balancing precariously on the bubble, but going up against the team he'll be forever linked with, in the uniform of his one-time hated rival, all eyes will be on only one man tonight.
"It's going to be strange, no question," Fuhr finally admitted, after a gentle amount of prodding. "I'm still getting used to wearing this sweater myself."
Fuhr still spends his summers in northern Alberta, in a community called Riverbend, out by the Edmonton International Airport. Still has family and friends there.
How are they accepting this awkward change?
"Some of them aren't real happy about it," replied Fuhr, grinning.
As an old Alberta boy, Flames' coach Brian Sutter understands the significance of this evening, exhibition or not.
"It'll be neat," said Sutter. "Kind of like playing against your brother. You look forward to those games with a deeper passion than other nights.
"Of all people, those guys are the ones you least want to take a back seat to."
Fuhr is certain to be hit by a wave of nostalgia.
"The first time I played against them was nerve-wracking," he admitted. "I've played a few games against them since, but every time, there's no one you'd rather beat.
"The first game up there, now that's one I'm really looking forward to."
That wouldn't be until Jan. 19th, actually. So for the moment, we must make do with tonight.
Grant Fuhr, Flame, defying the Edmonton Oilers.
And try to imagine Fuhr stoning Doug Weight in April, picking Bill Guerin's pocket, cutting off the angle on Todd Marchant, and the Flames nosing out those dastardly Oil for a playoff spot.
Close your eyes, Edmonton, and try. Try real hard ...
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