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Great work here by Scott Cruikshank in todays Athletic.

For not the first time, the middle-aged gentleman, big and bald and bespectacled, finds his way into the Stampede Corral.

Alone, he spends more than an hour walking the rink’s familiar concourse, basking in its idiosyncratic charm, appreciating its amazing range of one-of-a-kind photographs.

It’s something Brad Marsh likes to do every time he visits.

“Just looking at all the history on the walls there,” he said the other day. “It’s incredible what went on there. I’ve even told a few of the modern-day players, ‘Take your time. Walk through the old Corral.’

“It’s like going back — a snapshot — in time.”

“A lot of fond memories,” said the 62-year-old. “It’s really cool. I’m proud … because we really did establish the Flames in the city. They were just so thankful to have NHL hockey in the city. And to be captain of such a great franchise?”

“I must say, the move from Atlanta to Calgary was tremendous. It was so much fun. It was such a great feeling to be back in a hockey market. But, more specifically, back in a Canadian hockey market where we were the main dudes.”

On the beginning of the BOA

“We were saying, ‘What the hell is going on here?'” said Marsh. “But it didn’t take long to realize that this was going to be the team (to hate). Certainly, reading the papers leading up to the first game and then after the games, everything was Battle of Alberta. To be honest, I don’t even remember who won the first game.”

“We soon realized that that was the team to beat,” he said. “If you lost to NHL Franchise A, B or C? No problem. But don’t lose to the Edmonton Oilers.”

If Marsh still hadn’t been convinced of the bad blood, Pat Hughes helped to make the argument, cranking the defender at centre ice one night in Edmonton.

“He nailed me, man,” said Marsh. “I got up and I didn’t know where the heck I was or what was going on. You get to the bench and the concussion protocol back then was, Bearcat (Murray) asked what your name was and then he asked what your phone number was. If you could answer both questions, you were good to go. I passed. And I was back playing.”

https://theathletic.com/1752959/2020...rce=dailyemail