CALGARY – They may not have recent playoff experience like the Canucks do, but the current Flames definitely have history on their side.
Former Flames Lanny McDonald, Theo Fleury and Joel Otto, who were members of the unforgettable 1989 Stanley Cup winning team, made a special trip to the Flames’ dressing room on Tuesday, to address the team before they took off to Vancouver for the first round playoff series against the Canucks.
Flames Alumnus Joel Otto said that although their way to the post season was different, there are some similarities between the ’89 team and current Flames generation.
“Their ability to win on the road was very similar. You can see the leadership they have in there is huge, we had that in our room. I’m not in the dressing room but just being a bystander watching the came, I think they truly care for each other and they’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Otto said.
Current players soaked it all in. Many of them grew up watching the Stanley Cup playoffs and dreaming. To sit in the locker room hearing from their idols was a special feeling for them all.
Flames forward Joe Colborne is a native of Calgary and grew up watching the likes of Otto, McDonald and Fleury. Colborne’s been a Calgary Flames fan his entire life.
“Those were our heroes growing up,” Colborne said.
“It was really nice of them to come down and give us a speech and explain to us how lucky we are to have this opportunity and to take advantage of it. This city gets behind their teams better than almost anyone else and it’s a pretty special place when you can get on a playoff run,” Colborne said.
“It kind of gives you little shivers and makes you want to do it even more. Thinking of watching Stanley Cup Finals as a kid, gives you little sweats and shakes, so it was a pretty special feeling in the room,” Monahan said.
Rookie Sam Bennett joined the team a week ago from the Ontario Hockey League. Bennett played his first NHL game on Saturday when the Flames faced the Winnipeg Jets in their final game of the regular season. He earned his first NHL point within seconds of puck drop.
“It’s been a pretty crazy year for me. There has been a lot of waiting around for me but I don’t think it could have worked out better for me. You know, to be here with an NHL team going into the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s every kid’s dream,” Bennett said.
Game 1 between the Flames and Canucks in the the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Playoff wagers are officially on for many, including some Global anchors from Calgary and Vancouver.
Flames or Canucks?
WATCH BELOW: Global Calgary’s Paul Haysom and Brendan Parker challenged Global BC’s Anne Drewa and Shanel Pratap to a west coast playoff wager. Which News Hour Final team will get the last laugh?
There are even some stores around the city getting into the rivalry spirit – especially at the airport.
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