Every Wednesday throughout the summer, 630 CHED Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer is bringing you stories from the game like you’ve never heard before.
Starting at 12:30 p.m., Legends of the Game will bring you behind-the-scenes stories from players, broadcasters and those whose names have become synonymous with the game of hockey.
From triumph to tragedy, to humor, heartbreak and heroism, Legends of the Game aims to peel back the curtain on stories you won’t find anywhere else.
On Aug. 27, tune in at 12:30 p.m. as Oilers Now is joined by Marty McSorley.
Marty McSorley
Some say without Marty McSorley patrolling the ice in the 1980s, Wayne Gretzky’s career would’ve been dramatically different.
Born in Hamilton, Ont. in 1963, McSorley started his NHL career in Pittsburgh before a trade brought him to Edmonton to help Dave Semenko deal with threats to the talented young Oilers core.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Marty McSorley
The move ultimately earned him the moniker of “Gretzky’s bodyguard.”
Making his debut in the 1985-86 season, McSorley spent three seasons with the Oilers, racking up well over 150 penalty minutes in each of them. He was traded alongside Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles in August of 1988 and many speculate that Gretzky specifically requested McSorley join him on his new team.
After stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers and the San Jose Sharks, McSorley returned to Edmonton for the 1998-99 season.
McSorley became regarded for his hard work ethic as well, always striving to improve his game outside the realm of fisticuffs.
Over 961 NHL games, he collected 3381 penalty minutes — good for fourth all-time in league history.
Fernando Pisani
Born and raised right here in Edmonton, Fernando Pisani was an integral part of the Oilers’ run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Fernando Pisani
Originally an eighth round pick of the Oilers in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Pisani is consider a late bloomer because he didn’t make his NHL debut until he was 27.
Three years later, Pisani scored a career-high 18 goals and 37 points to help the Oilers to the eighth seed of the 2006 playoffs. From there, Pisani’s game hit another level.
In the first round against Detroit, Pisani scored two third period goals to clinch a Game 6 victory and advance the Oilers to the second round.
The Edmonton product had another two-goal game against San Jose to secure a 6-3 win in Game 5 in that round.
The final round against Carolina saw Pisani intercept a pass on the penalty kill and score on a shorthanded breakaway in overtime to stave off elimination in Game 5.
He also scored the team’s only goal in the Game 7 loss, part of his league-leading 14 goals and five game winners in the 2006 playoffs.
Pisani signed a four-year, $10-million contract that off season and spent four more years with his hometown team before a swan song in Chicago.
He currently serves as a player development coach for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
Glenn Anderson
Part of the famous Edmonton Oilers draft class of 1979, Glenn Anderson was an instrumental piece of the Oilers success through the 1980s.
Born in Vancouver, Anderson tallied 51 points in 44 games with the University of Denver before being selected by Edmonton, along with Mark Messier and Paul Coffey in June of ’79.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Glenn Anderson
He represented Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY and made the decision to turn pro with the Oilers over another year at Denver. In his rookie season in Edmonton, Anderson scored 53 points in 55 games.
Following years of individual playoff success with no hardware to show for it, Anderson set a career high in goals in 1983-84 with 53, helping the Oilers win their first of five Stanley Cups.
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He signed an eight-year contract extension in Edmonton in 1984-85 and wound up playing 11 total seasons in the capital city, scoring 906 points over 845 games with the Oilers.
His 128 power play goals are a franchise record.
At the end of the 1991-92 season, Anderson was part of a blockbuster trade that sent himself, Grant Fuhr and Craig Berube to Toronto for Scott Thornton, Vincent Damphousse, Luke Richardson, Peter Ing and future considerations. He spent seven more years in the NHL before retiring in 1997.
One of the most prolific scorers of his generation, the power forward was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.
The Oilers retired his number 9 in 2009.
Wayne Gretzky
This one needs no introduction. Wayne Gretzky is regarded by many as the greatest hockey player of all time. Acquired by the Edmonton Oilers from the WHA’s Indianapolis Racers in 1979, Gretzky immediately became an impact player.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Wayne Gretzky
He registered 137 points in his rookie NHL season and won his first of eight consecutive Most Valuable Player awards.
The Great One never looked back, scoring 200-plus point four times and captaining four of the Oilers’ five Stanley Cup victories.
He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984 and held 49 NHL records when his tenure in Edmonton came to an end.
Gretzky was shipped to Los Angeles on Aug. 9, 1988, along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round draft picks and $15-million in cash — a move that had Gretzky and fans alike in tears.
Gretzky returned to the Oilers in a front office role in 2016 as a partner and vice chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group — a role that he still holds.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November of 1999, becoming the 10th and final player to bypass the mandatory three-year waiting period. His number 99 is the only one retired league-wide.
Kevin Lowe
Part of the inaugural Oilers season in 1979, Kevin Lowe spent the first 15 years of his 19 year NHL career in orange and blue, cementing himself as a true legend in Edmonton and around the league.
The Lachute, Que. native was selected 21st overall by the Oilers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft — the franchise’s first ever selection — and immediately joined what would become the Oilers dynasty.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Kevin Lowe
Lowe was never a big points-earner as a player, amassing a career-high 46 point season in 1983-84, but he was as steady as they came on the back end and was a true leader on and off the ice.
He raised the Stanley Cup all five times, alongside Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and the rest of dynasty members before heading to New York to capture a sixth cup in 1994.
Lowe has played more regular season (1037) and playoff games (172) than anyone in franchise history, and is a seven-time NHL all-star.
Following his playing career, which was cut short due to an inner-ear virus that affected his balance, Lowe joined the Oilers coaching staff as an assistant in 1998, taking over as head coach in 1999 for one season, in which he led the team to the playoffs.
Lowe was then promoted to general manager of the team in 2000, taking over for Glen Sather. He spent the next eight years as GM and executive vice president and was then promoted to president of Hockey Operations.
Away from the Oilers, Lowe has been heavily involved with Hockey Canada in management roles for Olympic and World Cup teams, helping win gold in Salt Lake City in 2002. His son, Keegan, is currently the captain of the Oilers’ affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Lowe now works as the vice chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group.
Bryan Hall
Bryan Hall has been a mainstay in the Edmonton sports season for over 50 years. Known for his polarizing opinions, the man they call “Hallsy” is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and is still going strong 66 years after he started in Edmonton.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Bryan Hall
He spent years as the play-by-play voice of the Edmonton Eskimos and the WCHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings franchise — years before they became the Edmonton Oilers.
Love him or hate him, you likely know the name and the iconic voice.
Hallsy got his start in radio in 1953 at CKUA in Edmonton. Calling the start of his career a “fluke,” Hallsy went in to record a newscast because he was curious about what his voice sounded like on a recording.
He read the test newscast on a Friday and went to work the following Monday and has been working ever since.
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Shaye Ganam and Bryan Hall debate how to fix the Edmonton Oilers -
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630 CHED’s Bryan Hall talks about thrill of covering 61 Grey Cups: ‘It’s about the country’ -
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Canadian football broadcaster talks about attending 60 Grey Cups -
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Gord Steinke talks to 630 CHED’s Bryan Hall ahead of Eskimos home opener -
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630 CHED’s Bryan Hall shares memories of Gordie Howe
Last year Hallsy was honoured in Edmonton as he marked 65 years in broadcasting, the majority of that in Edmonton at 630 CHED.
Name an iconic Edmonton sports moment and Hallsy will likely tell you he was there, and will have a story about the event you haven’t heard before.
Dwayne Roloson
Oh what could’ve been if Dwayne Roloson wasn’t injured in game one of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
That said, many would suggest the Simcoe, Ont. native was the main reason the Oilers were even in the final in the first place.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Dwayne Roloson
Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe acquired Roloson from Minnesota on March 8, 2006 for a first-round draft pick, and had a 12-5 record in the playoffs for Edmonton that year. Many considered him a front-runner for the Conn Symthe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the playoffs.
The dream was shattered in Game One against Carolina, however, as Hurricanes forward Andrew Ladd was driven into the net by Oilers defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron, causing a collision with Roloson that resulted in a grade-three MCL sprain and ended Roloson’s playoffs.
The Oilers would ultimately lose in game seven with the goaltending tandem of Jussi Markkanen and Ty Conklin unable to finish what Roloson started. He finished the playoffs with a 2.33 goals against average and a .927 save percentage — admirable number from any goaltender.
“Rolie the Goalie” signed for three more years in Edmonton after that, never tasting playoff action again before leaving as a free agent in 2009.
In his four seasons with the Oilers, Roloson had a 78-82-25 regular season record.
Despite a reasonably short tenure, his legacy has been left on the Oilers franchise.
Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock got his start coaching Midget hockey in Sherwood Park in the early 1980s before the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers offered him a job in the junior ranks.
From there, Hitchcock coached the Blazers to four division titles and two Memorial Cup appearances, receiving the CHL’s Coach of the Year award in 1990.
LISTEN BELOW: Legends of the Game on 630 CHED Oilers Now with guest Ken Hitchcock
Hitchcock made the jump to the NHL as an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1990, spending three season there. He was named the head coach of the Dallas Stars in January on 1996 and won his only Stanley Cup there in 1999.
“Hitch,” as he’s affectionately known, had stops in Columbus, St. Louis and Edmonton after that, and won the Jack Adam’s Trophy as the NHL’s top coach with St. Louis in 2012.
He is third in all-time wins by an NHL coach behind Scottie Bowman and Joel Quenneville and has an 849-534-88-127 record over 1598 games behind an NHL bench.
He was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada this past year.
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