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Sunday, December 26, 1999
Past and presents
Flames reminisce about favourite gifts
Cory Stillman was, to the best of his recollection, 11 years old when he woke up Christmas morning to the greatest gift any would-be Santa could imagine.
To Stillman, this gift was bigger than a complete Pokemon card set, Tickle-Me Elmo doll and a Furby and all jammed into one oversized stocking.
"Two tickets to a game at Maple Leafs Gardens," he says. "That was the only time before I played there that I'd ever been to the Gardens. I grew up a big Leaf fan, that place was a shrine.
"Just the whole thing ... the game, the atmosphere, going to Toronto, it made such an impression. They played Boston. Wilf Paiement played for the Leafs. Mike Palmateer was in net. Salming on defence. Greg Terrion up front.
"I can't remember who won. But I'll tell you, it sure whets a kid's appetite for someday getting to play in the NHL."
Hnat Domenichelli's interests, at least for a couple of years, lay elsewhere.
"My best present? A BMX bike," he replies without hesitation. "For two years, I spent the entire summer trying to be a BMX bike champion. I wasn't very good, to tell you the truth, but there can't be a better gift for any kid than a bike, right?"
Wrong, according to Steve Smith.
"Bobby Orr skates," he says. "I was five years old and when I saw them under the tree, I just about fainted. It was a huge shock. I was a big, big Bruins fan at that time. Don't ask me why. I haven't the faintest idea now.
"When you're five, you don't ask any questions about Christmas presents. You just take 'em and use 'em.
"But now I realize my dad had to scrounge and save, probably for months, in order to buy me those skates.
"Looking back, you wish you had that kind of insight when you were five, so you could appreciate it more.
"But I sure loved those skates and when my parents saw the look on my face, I'm sure it was worth all the sacrifice."
For Grant Fuhr, the greatest gift turned out to be future tools of the trade, too.
"My first set of goaltending equipment." Fuhr said. "By that, I mean the set of gloves. They were the wrong hands, but I didn't know that at the time. And I didn't care. Hey, I was six years old."
Growing up on the farm, most of Brian Sutter's life revolved around the game and that's reflected by his favourite present.
"A pair of Bobby Hull skates," reminisced the Flames coach. "First set of new skates I ever owned. I was 12. And, if I'm not mistaken, that was the only year he came out with them.
"Before that, I'd always worn hand-me-downs. We'd go down to the hardware store and pick out a pair of second-handers every fall. It was no hardship or anything. But these, these were new, and had Bobby Hull's signature on them. I couldn't wait to get them on and get out to the rink.
"Those skates ... they were a wonderful gift."
Well, Stillman, Domenichelli, Smith, Fuhr et al gave their coach a pretty wonderful gift: A 6-2-3-1 run over the last 11 games that has thrust them right back in the playoff race, and near the Northwest Division lead, which carries with it no worse than a third-place seeding in the Western Conference.
And the Flames are beginning to get healthy again.
Outside of Fuhr, who had his right knee scoped and is most likely out another five weeks, and winger Steve Dubinsky (knee), sick bay is beginning to thin out. Smith (dislocated elbow) is back practicing with the team. Centre Jeff Shantz (bruised ribs) is expected back any time now.
Following two days off, the Flames re-assemble this morning for the quick hop to the west coast and another vital divisional confrontation, this time against the struggling Canucks.
"Christmas is a time for being with families," said Sutter, following the 2-1 win over the Oil on Thursday night.
"We've played some really good hockey this last stretch and the players have worked awfully hard.
"These guys deserve a couple of days to themselves. They earned a bit of a holiday."
The holiday ends today, 6 p.m. Calgary time.
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