During the pre-game ceremonies and player introductions at the 37th NHL All-Star Game in Calgary, boo birds targeted at the Oilers flew. At the time, the Battle of Alberta was fierce. Both teams lacked remorse for the other as well as each respective fanbase. If there was a chance to heckle the opposition, it was taken. Kevin Lowe was the first Oiler welcomed onto the ice.
Al Trautwig (host, USA Network) (
via
): Alright. They booed Wayne Gretzky. Three players tripped upon introduction - that must be a record of some kind. We had a hockey puck from space and the president of the League wearing a sheriff's badge. It could only happen here, in Calgary. John Wayne woulda loved it.
Grant Fuhr(goaltender, Edmonton Oilers): A lot of us went down on the same flight. It was fun having a bunch of us down in Calgary, especially at that time because the Battle of Alberta was in full bloom.
Kevin Lowe (defenceman, Edmonton Oilers): I was the first to go for the Oilers. The boos were surprising when they happened but certainly not unexpected. All in good humour, I think.
Paul Coffey (defenceman, Edmonton Oilers): We knew we were going to get booed by the Calgary fans but we didn't know they'd put something there for us to trip over (laughing).
Andy Moog (goaltender, Edmonton Oilers): It was like spotlights on your face and it kind of blinded you. It was hard to measure the first step onto the ice. You were walking off a mat onto the ice and it was hard to measure. We had cowboy hats on, too.
Kevin Lowe: Wearing the hats was a nice twist. Not a lot of guys wore helmets.
Andy Moog: We skated out the end zone and up to the blueline and we weren't received warmly, let's just put it that way. The Oilers weren't received warmly. I don't think we expected anything less.
Kevin Lowe: I noticed they didn't boo quite as bad for Mike Krushelnyski, Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr. I think I got one of the louder boos.
Paul Coffey: We think they probably planned it. That's what you'd expect at least.
Andy Moog: That was certainly the heart of the Battle of Alberta. During those years from 1982-83 all the way through to the early '90s. That was the Battle of Alberta. That's when it raged the fiercest. There was no love lost. Every time you had a chance to stick it to the Flames, you tried to stick it to the Flames and vice versa.
Kevin Lowe: Let's put it this way: It was weird playing with the Islanders on the '84 Canada Cup. But it was even weirder sitting beside a Flame at the All-Star Game. Even going back to the Flames' first year in the League. The Battle pretty much started right away.
Paul Coffey: That's what makes this game beautiful and made it beautiful. When you went into opposing rinks, you got booed. Politeness wasn't an option back then.
Grant Fuhr: That was also the fun part: They hated you for the right reasons.
