Hall-of fame goaltender Grant Fuhr has fond memories of Oiler days

In an era when goals came fast and furious, Grant Fuhr was pretty fortunate to have the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Jari Kurri as teammates.

It meant he didn’t have to worry about them firing pucks at him.

They also helped him capture five Stanley Cups, all with the Edmonton Oilers, a hockey dynasty in every sense of the word.

Today, 15 years after hanging up his pads for good, the Hall-of-Fame goaltender looks back at his playing days with pride.

“It was awesome,” said said the 52-year-old Fuhr, granted an exemption into this week’s Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Staal Foundation Open in Thunder Bay.

“Not only were we good teams, but it was a great bunch of guys. So the fact we could have as much fun as we did together and win together, I think you get friends for life, and that’s the special part.”

Just how great could the Oilers have been if then-owner Peter Pocklington had been able to keep the team together?

After all-star defenceman Paul Coffey departed in 1987, Pocklington shocked the nation a year later when he traded – most say sold – Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.

It was the beginning of the end of an era. Kurri, Messier, Glen Anderson and Kevin Lowe would soon follow, the reality that hockey truly was a business finally beginning to dawn on the Canadian landscape.

Fuhr followed soon afterward, dealt to Toronto before the start of the 1991-92 season.

He’s convinced the Oilers would have been unstoppable for years to come had ownership been able to keep the team together indefinitely.

“I think we’d have been good for a long time. I think a lot of the guys were just starting to hit their prime. The fact that we won five in seven years, we probably could have won another three or four Cups,” Fuhr said.

While hockey was his bread and butter, golf has always been a passion for Fuhr, who dabbled with the celebrity tour for a few years post-retirement and made a valiant, but ultimately unsuccessful effort to play his way onto the Canadian Tour.

Still, he’s stoked tournament organizers dangled the exemption carrot in front of him, convincing Fuhr to make the trek to Thunder Bay.
“It’s going to be fun. I mean I’m probably getting a little old for that, but at the same time it’s fun to compete. And I think as athletes one of the biggest things you miss when you retire is the opportunity to compete a little bit,” the Spruce Grove, Alta. native said.

“I’ve got a few friends on the tour that play, so it’s fun to go out and see if you can keep up with them.”

And how’s his game these days?

Not bad, said Fuhr, who won 403 regular season games in a career that also included stints in Buffalo, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Calgary.

“The game’s good. It’s a little different than it used to be. There’s no power to it anymore, so we can try to find a little finesse somewhere.”

As far as the current edition of the Oilers, Fuhr said the future is looking bright, especially with the addition of No. 1 draft pick Connor McDavid.

“It’s fun to see the buzz again,” Fuhr said. “I think everyone is starting to look back to what it used to be and where they thought it would have been four or five years ago. Hopefully they get off to a good start and get some confidence.”

Fans can watch Fuhr compete at the Staal Foundation Open on Thursday and Friday, and possibly the weekend should he make the halfway cut.