I'm torn on that part, personally. Younger me hated his guts for walking out.
Older me still does to some degree, but given how crooked that arbitration hearing was - the arbitrator was palling around with Flames management at a game on the night before the hearing - I'm surprised Gilmour didnt just walk out on the team before the season even started.
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I think it was interesting that the Fans in Montreal stuck around.
IIRC, that was the first time in the history of that organization that the cup had ever been won in that building by the opposing team (was a long time ago - maybe I am mis-remembering some quote).
Edit: That is a bit weird - I was actually trying to quote Habernac's post (post #14 in this thread). Doesn't show up.
I think it was interesting that the Fans in Montreal stuck around.
IIRC, that was the first time in the history of that organization that the cup had ever been won in that building by the opposing team (was a long time ago - maybe I am mis-remembering some quote).
Edit: That is a bit weird - I was actually trying to quote Habernac's post (post #14 in this thread). Doesn't show up.
1989 was the only time the Montreal Canadiens watched another team parade the Cup around Forum ice. It only happened one other time previously, to the Montreal Maroons (for whom the Forum was actually built) in the early 30s (IIRC).
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I never knew arbitration and Gilmour were only 50k apart (according to Wikipedia). Seems dickish to walk over 50k.
It's almost always dickish anyway, and it wasn't as if it happened right after the decision either. He played a half season (well, I should add), then walked out right after the New Years Eve game.
It was almost 10%. It would be like saying Crosby would be dickish for walking away over $900k today.
Those days were different. IIRC, players were indeed allowed to renegotiate their existing contracts. Funny stuff would happen like this.
Upon hearing Gilmour 'listening in' on Riseborough, one can understand things a bit more from his side - but abandoning your team is still a really, really stupid thing to do, and I am glad he regrets doing so.
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My childhood hero and all time favourite player Dougie Gilmour! He takes a lot of heat but was a hell of a guy, he used to play street hockey with some friends and I in Deer River estates, knew me by name and hung out with my family (and invited us to watch the entire Flames team play baseball) in Panorama one summer when I was 7 or 8 years old. Will always love Killer!
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I understand that our management were not fond of the charges following & 'lingering'.
I missed this originally, and I find it unlikely.
Gilmour was still under active investigation when we acquired him. It was during the 88-89 season that he was cleared both criminally, and when the civil matter ended. Also, our management moved on to Toronto and one of the first things they did was acquire Gilmour, so it is unlikely to me that the team suddenly became leery about Gilmour's incident in St. Louis.
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I love articles that reference winning the cup. It is common thought that it is the hardest trophy in sports to win. Every time I read anything about The Cup and a players feeling winning it it instills that belief deeper and closer to my soul. Gilmore was never my favourite of that era of flames but he was an integral part.
Im glad he was apart of our cities greatest triumph. The picture with him kissing the cup and his dad is amazing.
ps.
Its articles like this from the players tribune that make me cherish a trophy I will never win.
Totally off topic here, but how did you do a search for that article? I like looking at those old google news archives a lot, but when I want to search for a specific article, I cant figure out how??
