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Saturday, February 26, 2000
Leading the pack
Bucky still hasn't changed
EDMONTON -- When Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and the rest of the glory day Oilers returned to Edmonton in assorted visitor silks, GM Glen Sather always welcomed them home with a coveted Silver Stick.
With Kelly Buchberger, it somehow doesn't seem appropriate.
Silver Stitches, now that's more like it.
A Silver Shin Pad for all those blocked shots?
A silver-framed portrait of Bucky getting beaten up?
Any of the above would be perfect. And we mean that with the utmost respect and admiration.
Nobody tried, played or fought harder than Buchberger did during his 13 blue-collar seasons in Edmonton.
Nobody bled Oiler colours, or bled them as often, as the Langenburg Sask., native. He's got the scars on his face to prove it.
"He is a great, great leader,'' said Doug Weight, who inherited the Oiler captaincy when Buchberger went to Atlanta in the expansion draft.
"If somebody on our team got hit the wrong way, or if we were losing a game and the crowd was on us because we were flat, he was the man to answer the call. Every single time.
"He was the one to go fight somebody twice his size. He was the one who'd go out to block the shot. Some fans don't know hockey too well, but they see this guy diving face first and they appreciate it.
"And in the room, when Kelly talked, everybody listened because you knew it was from the heart.''
It's easy to go out and fight somebody when you know you're going to win. It's another thing to do it when you know you'll probably lose. That's what makes Bucky Bucky.
"Blocking shots, going in the corner first to make the play, fighting anyone at any time,'' said Weight. "It's showing up and working hard every day. It's doing anything and everything to win. ''
Last night, he returned to Edmonton. Tonight, he comes to Calgary, not as a hated Oiler, but as a Thrasher.
Buchberger didn't fill the nets in Edmonton. He wasn't heavyweight champ. He didn't win any individual awards. Yet somehow he emerged as one of the most beloved players in the history of the franchise.
He is a house painter who was every bit as popular as his Picasso teammates. He was Edmonton's answer to Rocky Balboa, the only difference being that Balboa's face usually looked better after his fights.
"With all the players leaving they had to like somebody, and I was the only one left,'' he laughed, when asked to explain his immense popularity. "And when you get beat up as much as I did they're going to love you.''
Buchberger admits it was a big shock, being left unprotected in the expansion draft.
"The initial shock was a little different but you get over that quick,'' said the 33-year-old, who lives in a small town outside of Atlanta. "It's like being back home. It's a good experience. They've treated us so good since we've been there.''
Several teams in the playoff race have expressed interest in Buchberger, but Atlanta GM Don Waddell says it would be hard to let him go.
"I don't know if you find another player in the league who could be as good as Kelly, both on and off the ice,'' said Waddell. "The one thing Kelly Buchberger brings to the table every night is a very positive attitude and a work ethic that's outstanding. It really rubs off on the rest of the team.''
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