He arrived with the franchise, new and full of possibilities.
He left in the bright glow of its penultimate moment.
In between, Jim Peplinski meant more to the overall well-being of the Calgary Flames than any statistical analysis could possibly reflect.
He acted the prankster.
The bodyguard.
The guy who had every teammate's back; who knew what buttons to push, and when, on the inside.
Who helped shape, nurture and then maintain the character guidelines for the group.
He'd stick up for anybody, back down from no one.
"He had a good read on the room,'' is how longtime Flames' management staple Al Coates puts it. "Pep had an ability to read the tension."
And, when required, to deflate it. That innate ability people will follow.
A former linemate, the late Ken Houston, recalled those traits were eveident almost right off the bat.
"There was something about him … you just he'd be a leader," he said. "If we had a team meeting, he said what he felt. Didn't mind stepping on toes, either.
"He'd just air it out."
Teamed alongside Houston and rugged Willi Plett, Peplinski proved his worth early on, going noggin-to-bogging with Paul Holmgren's line as the upstart Flames cemented their transition from Atlanta with a seven-game shocker of the Philadelphia Flyers to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals their first season in the new town.
Nine years later, through the years of targeting the juggernaut up north culminating in the touchstone 117-point, title-winning season of '89-90, he acted as one of the three co-captains.
