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Mark Messier took to the outdoor rink Friday as he and his former teammates practiced for the MegaStar game.
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An outdoor paradise
By Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com
November 21, 2003
EDMONTON -- Paradise found. That's what more than one retired player was
thinking Friday afternoon after taking part in a
practice session at the outdoor rink at Commonwealth
Stadium in preparation for Saturday's MegaStar Game
here. The Megastar game between alumni from the
visiting Montreal Canadiens and the host Edmonton
Oilers is slated to take place before the Heritage
Classic between the current editions of those two
clubs -- the first time an NHL regular-season game will
be played outdoors. "It's one of those childhood dreams that you have,"
said Jeff Beukeboom, who will play defense for the
Oilers' MegaStars. "You always think about having the
best players all together to play and unstructured
game of pond hockey." 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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Saturday afternoon, the city of Edmonton will have
that opportunity. The 55,000-plus that will trundle
into Commonwealth Stadium will have the chance to see
some of the greatest players from two of the game's
ultimate dynasties go toe-to-toe in a free-wheeling
atmosphere. "God, there's just so many superstars, legends and
Hall of Famers playing in that game, it is just
amazing," said Chad Kilger, who plays for the current
Canadiens. "They may not be at their prime any more,
but it will still be a great show." Or as Beukeboom suggested, it will be the stuff
from which hockey dreams are made. Just ask Esa Tikkanen, who grew up in Finland
playing as a boy on local ponds and the rink his dad
ran, dreaming that he was Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe or
Frank Mahovlich of the Canadiens. "This is a dream coming true," he said in the
broken English that remains to this day the fodder for
good-humored barbs from teammates. "You have the
Montreal Canadiens, which was a dynasty, and, in the
late '80s, early-90s, the Edmonton Oilers were a
dynasty. Now, you have all these great players coming
here to play again. This is something you could only
dream about." The fact that the game will be played outdoors --
the venue where almost every player involved first
fell in love with the sport that made them famous --
only adds to the allure, say the players. None complained too much about the cold, which
bottomed out at about minus-10 Celius. They
were having too much fun reliving memories from the
past and catching up on long-dormant friendships. A
warm reception from more than 5,000 hearty fans who
braved the cold to watch the alumni practices also
helped push the chill to the back of their minds. "Who would have thought you would ever see all this
attention for an alumni game," quipped Grant Fuhr, one
of the Edmonton MegaStar goalies, as he peeled off his
equipment. "And, this was only a practice." It was magic like that that enticed so many to make
the trek to hockey's heartland to take part in a
once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Guy Lafleur, who will captain the Montreal squad,
does not play in too many of the so-called
"old-timers" games any more. Yet, he jumped at this
opportunity. He again skated on a line with
former linemate Steve Shutt, recreating the magic that
lit up the old Montreal Forum on so many cold winter
nights in the past. "I decided right away when I was asked," said
Lafleur. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I
did not want to miss it."  | |
"I just went out there and tried to get a good feeling going." - Guy Lafleur
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After the spirited hour-long morning practice,
Lafleur said he felt great despite the cold weather
and his lack of hockey fitness. "I just went out there and tried to get a good
feeling going," he said. "I'm sure it will be better
tomorrow." Who knows, perhaps by tomorrow Lafleur will be able
to summon on his reserves to make one of his patented
rushes up the ice, feet churning and stick flashing,
as the Commonwealth crowd rises to its feet and begins
the all-too-familiar chant of "Guy, Guy, Guy" that was
once a staple of rinks across the NHL. The fans will likely expect such heroics from
Edmontom MegaStar Wayne Gretzky, despite his
protestations about his lack of hockey sharpness.
Gretzky, The MegaStars captain, has not played in a
game since his retirement at the end of the 1999-2000
season. At the time, he said that he would never play
in an "old-timers" event. Yet, there he was Friday morning stepping on the
ice to a thunderous applause from the fans. His white
Edmonton Oilers jersey with the No. 99 was a direct
link to Edmonton's glorious past for the fans on hand.
He still wore a lopsided smile and his silver skates
cut graceful, almost effortless, slices into the
pristine ice surface. He was there because this is the perfect
opportunity to meet again with old friends and
teammates. It was also the chance to allow his
children to see him in an Edmonton uniform for the
first time. And, just as importantly, it was a way to
say thank you to the fans that helped establish his legend
as "The Great One." "This is truly a thrill to be back on the ice
again," said Gretzky after his first practice. "It's
pretty special for everyone." Everyone, including Mark Messier, the only MegaStar
to still be enjoying an NHL career. Messier sacrificed
his personal time to fly from Colorado, where his
Rangers dropped a 4-3 decision to the Avalanche, to be
here for Friday's skate. He will fly back to New York
City after Saturday's game to play in Sunday's
late-afternoon NHL match against the visiting Ottawa
Senators. "You know, we got on the boss and Mess said to us,
I'm so glad I did this," explained Beukeboom. "If I
hadn't done this, in five years or so, I would have
kicked myself." He also would have missed out on hockey
paradise.
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