The 1980s were a rollercoaster ride to be a Calgary sports fan. Lots of excitement as both cities got NHL franchises at the start of the decade, but the Oilers dynasty soon thereafter was a real kick in the pants. The 1986 run to the Cup was our close 'miracle on ice'. But then it didn't help that the Stampeders were in the depths of futility in the mid 80s as well. But then the 1988 Olympics picked things up again.
The Flames win in '89 was a nice ending to the decade and just felt like sweet justice to me - making up for years of abuse from family and friends who were Edmonton fans. Leaving aside the close call in round one, it felt like destiny after that. Doug Gilmour was the clutch guy that we seemed to be missing in the previous years, and savvy trades for veterans just made this a complete team.
|