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Despite all the great names that took the ice, it was Wayne Gretzky that the people came to see and cheer one last time.
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A 'Great' weekend in Edmonton
By Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com
November 23, 2003
EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers' plan was to stage a
pair of outdoor games Saturday to help celebrate their 25th anniversary as an NHL team. What they got instead, was an eight-hour love-in that once again established the city as one of the best hockey towns in the universe. While the Heritage Classic -- the NHL's first-ever regular-season outdoor game featuring a matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens
-- was an instant classic after the Canadiens pulled off a 4-3 victory; the preceding MegaStars Game proved to be the crown jewel for most everyone involved. The MegaStars Game, also played outdoors on the temporary rink set up on the football playing field of Commonwealth Stadium, featured some of the most famous
alumni from both the Oilers and the Canadiens. All told, the 42 players who played in the Megastars Game boasted a combined 118 Stanley Cup championships. With that said, it's safe to say that such a dazzling array of talent has never before been assembled for a game in the history of the sport. Related Links
Heritage Classic on TV- on the CBC (HD simulcast), RDS/SRC (Canada)
and NHL Center Ice, HDNet (U.S.) - 4:30 ET
Alumni Game - 7:00 ET
Canadiens vs. Oilers
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"The thing I'll remember most is that I was surrounded by a bunch of winners, Hall of Famers and guys that played the game the way it was supposed to be played," said Jacques Demers, who coached the Montreal MegaStars. "I'll never forget it." It's no wonder then that a record crowd of 57,167 crammed into a frigid Commonwealth Stadium to be a part of history in the making. And, while the list of legendary of legendary players, including seven Hall of Fame inductees, was
indeed impressive; there was no denying who was the star of the show. It was Wayne Gretzky that the people came to see and cheer one last time. Even many of Gretzky's contemporaries, players with their names littered throughout the NHL record books, expressed pleasure at sharing the ice one last time
with such a player. "It's too bad I didn't have my career with Wayne," said Montreal MegaStar Guy Lafleur, he off five Stanley Cups and 1,353 career points. "I may have had
a few more points." Another Montreal MegaStar, Steve Shutt, said it was just like old times as he shared the ice with Gretzky, recalling some of the pitch battles the two waged from
1979 to 1985. "I'm doing the same thing -- chasing him around," said Shutt, a fellow Hall of Famer. "Some things never change." At his best, Gretzky was the leader of a brash bunch of young men who formed the original Oilers. His combination of charisma and other-worldly skills was the engine that drove those upstart Oilers to four Stanley Cups in five years from 1984 to 1988.
But, after the 1988 victory, Gretzky was suddenly -- and unexpectedly -- traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the biggest and most astonishing trade in the history of the game. The trade was so shocking that the city of Edmonton never had the proper chance to
thank their superstar. That opportunity, expressed in a thunderous ovation that began even before Gretzky took the ice to start the MegaStars game, was part of the magic that made
this Saturday in Edmonton so special. Current Oilers defenseman Steve Staios broke away from his pre-game preparations to sneak out to watch Gretzky be introduced. He was not the only current
player to do so. Afterward, he admitted he felt like a little kid all over again as he watched "The Great One" take his first twirl around the rink, lifting his stick to acknowledge the crowd's adulation.  | |
"Both teams gave it a nice effort and the fans were tremendous. It was a great day for hockey." - Wayne Gretzky
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"The introductions were pretty special for all of us," said Gretzky, who was visibly moved by the reception he received. "The fans were wonderful." Many of those fans intrinsically understood that the MegaStars appearance might well be the last time Gretzky pulled an Oilers' sweater over his head to represent the city on the ice. Gretzky has repeatedly made it clear that he has no love for these alumni contests. In fact, he said, he only agreed to play in this one because he wanted his children to have the chance to see him play in an Edmonton uniform at least
once. For that reason, the fans were willing to overlook the fact that Gretzky was no longer the infallible deity that ruled this city for the first nine years of his career. Instead, he appeared almost mortal. Passes that were once silky smooth failed to find their mark or
were intercepted on occasion. The magic that always occurred when Gretzky camped out in his "office" behind the opposing net was muted on this day. His usually effortless skating stride seemed a little more forced. An always-proud Gretzky knew all of that and was not happy about it. But, he also understood that his appearance was about much more than recapturing his
on-ice skills. This game, this magical day in "hockey's heartland" was bigger than "The Great One." He was OK with that. "Listen, we're not as good as we used to be, not a chance," Gretzky said. "But we had a lot of fun out there. Both teams gave it a nice effort and the fans were tremendous. It was a great day for hockey." After all of the players again went their separate ways into the evening cold and after the cheers and the postgame fireworks thundered across the Alberta prairie for one final time, Gretzky had once again found his way to provide the sport with one of its
most enduring memories. That, in the long run, will be the lasting gift of Saturday's Heritage Classic experiment.
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