April 8 2000, last game of Grant Fuhr's career. Look at the crowd in Calgary.

[Royal Eagle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eivj...=oilerfanatic1


Half empty building and the only people in it were Oilers fans.

The dark years of the dead puck era, of the young guns era and Flames fandom.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Royal Eagle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eivj...=oilerfanatic1


Half empty building and the only people in it were Oilers fans.

The dark years of the dead puck era, of the young guns era and Flames fandom.

Oilers were headed to the playoffs and Calgary was long out of it, not surprising

[greyshep]

Jeff Shantz era, gross

[Jiri Hrdina]

I was there. It was dumb that Fuhr didn't get the start. It was a nothing game, and there was no reason why he should not have been in there at the start.

[blankall]

The stadium also seems to empty out as it becomes clear the Flames are getting blown out by the Oilers. I can't imagine sticking around for a Fuhr ceremony after watching the Flames getting blown out only to miss the playoffs. Talk about rubbing salt into the wounds.

Seriously...just thinking about this makes me hope that Tkachuk celebrates even harder after putting a puck into the net post-whistle next time.

[Buzzard]

Wow in hindsight now its hard to imagine OR remember Fuhr as a Flame after watching him so long with the dinks up north. I never would've believed it if someone would've told me in 1987, Fuhr's last game would be as a Flame.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Royal Eagle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eivj...=oilerfanatic1


Half empty building and the only people in it were Oilers fans.

The dark years of the dead puck era, of the young guns era and Flames fandom.

I don't think people who came to Calgary post 2003/2004 or who are too young to remember prior to that realize how poorly supported the Flames were back then. Literally no one who I grew up with was a Flames fan in those days. Calgary was still hockey crazy like any Canadian city, but in the school yard and in the minor hockey rinks, the kids all were fans of different teams. Everyone who enjoys Flames hockey today need to be very thankful for Jarome Iginla and Darryl Sutter. The people started to come back when Iggy potted 50 and won gold for Team Canada in 2001-2002, and then making the playoffs in 2004 was the moment the franchise was fully revived.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I was there. It was dumb that Fuhr didn't get the start. It was a nothing game, and there was no reason why he should not have been in there at the start.

I was there too! I still remember how all the fans in the rink, Flames and Oilers fans alike, chanted "We! Want! Fuhr!" before Brian Sutter finally relented.

That said, Grant was done by that time. Completely and utterly washed up. He looked awful in the third period.

[timbit]

Darryl Sutter took this franchise out of some very dark times.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by timun

I was there too! I still remember how all the fans in the rink, Flames and Oilers fans alike, chanted "We! Want! Fuhr!" before Brian Sutter finally relented.

That said, Grant was done by that time. Completely and utterly washed up. He looked awful in the third period.

I know... last game of the guy’s career, and a complete nothing game, and we have to beg the friggin coach to put Fuhr in so he can end his career on the ice instead of the bench.

This organization really pisses me off sometimes, and that was one of those times for sure.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I know... last game of the guy’s career, and a complete nothing game, and we have to beg the friggin coach to put Fuhr in so he can end his career on the ice instead of the bench.

This organization really pisses me off sometimes, and that was one of those times for sure.

And then he got lit up and looked like a beer leaguer... probably for the best.

[calgaryred]

One of the worst signings in Flames history Grant Fuhr a flame truly dark times.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I don't think people who came to Calgary post 2003/2004 or who are too young to remember prior to that realize how poorly supported the Flames were back then. Literally no one who I grew up with was a Flames fan in those days. Calgary was still hockey crazy like any Canadian city, but in the school yard and in the minor hockey rinks, the kids all were fans of different teams. Everyone who enjoys Flames hockey today need to be very thankful for Jarome Iginla and Darryl Sutter. The people started to come back when Iggy potted 50 and won gold for Team Canada in 2001-2002, and then making the playoffs in 2004 was the moment the franchise was fully revived.

The embarrassment I used to feel wearing my Flames jersey on “Jersey Day” at our school... I was Flames fan all the way, but the ridicule and the mockery I used to have to deal with back then.

About the only positive was when a buddy and I each bought $500 nosebleed season tickets for the 01-02 and 02-03 seasons, and were able to sit in the lower bowl for every game (and got to see Iggy’s breakout season). Then the offseason before the 03-04 season, we were like... it’s such a pain to go to the games, plus they’re boring as hell (other than Iggy, the only attraction was seeing the stars on the visiting teams)... so we decided not to renew. Annnnnd of course that was the season of the 04 run

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I don't think people who came to Calgary post 2003/2004 or who are too young to remember prior to that realize how poorly supported the Flames were back then. Literally no one who I grew up with was a Flames fan in those days. Calgary was still hockey crazy like any Canadian city, but in the school yard and in the minor hockey rinks, the kids all were fans of different teams. Everyone who enjoys Flames hockey today need to be very thankful for Jarome Iginla and Darryl Sutter. The people started to come back when Iggy potted 50 and won gold for Team Canada in 2001-2002, and then making the playoffs in 2004 was the moment the franchise was fully revived.

I remember my dad couldn't give away free lower bowl tickets to the Flames from his work during the dark years so we went instead for a bunch of games. I wish I still had that scrapbook of the ticket stubs but alas it was claimed by the floods.

Same goes for the Stampeders haha.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

And then he got lit up and looked like a beer leaguer... probably for the best.

Fair, but it was a mostly beer league crowd at the time too. We just wanted something to actually cheer for.

[JohnnyB]

And some don't understand the negative associations with the horse head jersey...

[memphusk]

Who cares. Grant Fuhr is no good.

[P-DAZZLE]

I finished elementary school a couple months after this. Most of the kids I went to school with who liked hockey were Avalanche or Mighty Ducks fans. When my hockey team went to a game at the end of the season one year against the Ducks I was the only one cheering for the Flames. I don't remember seeing any Flames jerseys in Jr. High or High School until 2004.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Fair, but it was a mostly beer league crowd at the time too. We just wanted something to actually cheer for.

I’m sure the decision was “he ain’t making it through a start without getting yanked... let’s put him in the 3rd and let him finish on the ice”

[Matty81]

I feel like there was a big crop of fans in calgary during the late 90s who just cheered for the successful teams at the time. The liveliest games were when the trendy teams like the avs and wings came to town and there were loads of bandwagon fans for those games.

People who were 20 plus and had lived the better years were still flames dominant but were a little more low key because of how bad the team was. Not a lot to cheer for or bring them out. And after the finals run the younger groups coming up were again flames centric.

But always feel like there must be this big crop of guys like 30ish now in cgy who are ridiculous closet avs and wings fans because there were so many of them at the dome back then. I have this picture in my mind of hundreds of spoiled brats with like 6 kinds of treats from concession in Sakic and forsberg jerseys with embarrassed looking parents screaming after every goal while the flames got worked. Maybe the cup run won them over too.