Rivalry revisited: Oilers, Flames alumni reflect on Battle of Alberta hostility

CALGARY –

Esa Tikkanen might really feel his workforce’s season, and maybe the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty, beginning to slip away.

He additionally knew a 3-0 deficit — even within the knife-edged Battle of Alberta — did not imply a lot on the time.

The Oilers discovered themselves in that massive gap early in Sport 7 in opposition to the Calgary Flames on April 16, 1991, at what was then often called the Olympic Saddledome.

Trying to shake his workforce to life, Edmonton head coach John Muckler referred to as timeout late within the first interval.

“He goes, ‘Nicely guys, we’ve got to begin to play hockey if we wish to preserve going,'” Tikkanen recalled in a cellphone interview from his native Finland. “The subsequent shift I scored an enormous purpose — slapshot from blue line on Mike Vernon within the five-hole.

“That was the turning level.”

The Oilers would tie the rating within the second, together with Tikkanen’s second of the night time, after which seize the lead within the third solely to have the Flames knot it up late.

Slightly below seven minutes into extra time, with a province holding its collective breath, Tikkanen dashed down the fitting facet on a hopeful 1-on-4 rush earlier than firing a shot that ticked off Calgary defenceman Frantisek Musil and sailed previous Vernon to cap the groups’ fifth playoff assembly in 9 years.

“An incredible battle,” Tikkanen mentioned. “One in all best sequence in hockey historical past.” 

The provincial rivals, nonetheless, would each fall on laborious occasions for lengthy stretches and never meet once more within the post-season for greater than three a long time — a showdown that began this week and as soon as once more has the eye of the hockey world.

However not for the entire identical causes.

Now it is largely in regards to the velocity and ability of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. 

Certain, there’s dislike on either side in 2022.

However again in 1991, it was the heated matchup of two groups — two champions — taking and receiving walloping blows that nearly defy logic when examined below the game’s present lens.

That Battle of Alberta particularly was imply, nasty and downright violent.

“Essentially the most bodily, aggressive, emotional sequence I’ve ever been a part of,” mentioned Mark Lamb, one other Edmonton ahead on the time. “Simply unbelievable how intense it was.” 

“The toughest I might been (hit),” added former Flames centre Joel Otto. 

Craig Muni, who patrolled the Oilers blue line, mentioned whereas YouTube video of varied incidents 31 years later is surprising to some — hobbled Edmonton captain Mark Messier might barely get off the bench to have a good time Tikkanen’s Sport 7 heroics — the gamers did not assume twice.

“Simply the way in which the sport was,” Muni mentioned. “You did not take a look at it or consider it any totally different. 

“It was the associated fee in case you needed to play.”

The golf equipment had mixed to win the Stanley Cup the 4 earlier years heading into the 1991 sequence — Edmonton in 1987, 1988 and 1990, whereas Calgary hoisted hockey’s holy grail in 1989 — however there was a sense time wasn’t on the facet of both battered powerhouse.

“To be trustworthy,” Oilers defenceman Kevin Lowe mentioned, “each groups have been on fumes.”

Edmonton jumped out to a 3-1 lead within the sequence earlier than the Flames roared again with two straight victories, together with Theo Fleury’s dramatic Sport 6 winner in OT and his memorable celebration, to ship the drama again to Calgary for the decider.

“When Theo got here in our barn and scored in extra time and did a full lap on his knees and jumped and so forth, as a participant you are saying … I am not going to say it,” recalled Martin Gelinas, an Oilers ahead on the time and now a Flames improvement coach. “It was bodily, it was laborious.

“It was a jungle.” 

Vernon likened the motion to a “conflict” in that seven-game set. 

“Numerous stuff happening behind the referee’s again,” he mentioned. “Numerous soiled, chippy stuff. 

“There was lots of hate.” 

Muni mentioned it did not take lengthy for a child from Toronto to grasp the depth of the Battle of Alberta — and never simply on the ice.

“It was a baptism by hearth,” he mentioned. “You shortly notice it isn’t only a rivalry hockey-wise. It is a rivalry between the cities, and the politics … all the pieces. 

“Everyone’s on both facet of the fence.” 

Tikkanen mentioned there was no escaping Oilers-Flames chatter.

“They talked about it each minute,” he mentioned of followers and media. “Everybody was watching.”

Muni heard tales about bars in Purple Deer — a metropolis about midway between Edmonton and Calgary alongside Freeway 2 — taping strains on institution flooring to maintain rival followers aside.

However as a lot as spectators frothed on the mouth for the managed chaos, Lowe added the on-ice combatants felt in a different way.

“Followers liked it as a result of it was like watching the gladiators in historical Rome,” he mentioned. “However there was the potential for disappointment and nearly the embarrassment in case you did lose the sequence. Fortunately we received 4 and solely misplaced one, however there was an opportunity you’d lose.

“As a lot as I agree with those that’s a number of the best hockey and most entertaining hockey ever performed, it wasn’t essentially enjoyable being a participant.” 

These individuals in 1991 included Lowe, Tikkanen, Messier, Glenn Anderson, Petr Kilma and Grant Fuhr for the Oilers, whereas the Flames — 20 factors clear within the regular-season standings and favourites within the sequence — countered with the likes of Fleury, Vernon, Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, Gary Roberts and Al MacInnis.

“It was simply unfathomable to lose to them,” Lamb mentioned. “They usually felt the identical.” 

“They’d some nice gamers, Corridor of Fame gamers, on that workforce,” Muni added of Calgary. “They most likely would have received much more Stanley Cups in the event that they did not must run into our workforce in the identical division.” 

Edmonton would transfer on and beat Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings within the second spherical in 1991, however have been no match for the Minnesota North Stars within the convention closing.

It is taken 31 years for the Oilers and Flames to get again on identical playoff ice.

There is a feeling the rematch, lastly, is coming on the proper time. And never simply due to the jaw-dropping, mesmerizing expertise on show.

“Laborious to consider it is right here,” Lowe mentioned. “It is good for the province’s morale. Everyone’s popping out of the ether so far as the pandemic’s involved. It looks like the oil and gasoline business’s turning round. 

“It is a good time to be enjoying this.” 

Now all of the 2022 version has to do is reside as much as 1991 — minus the violence.

– With information from Donna Spencer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Might 20, 2022.