In my heart, ___________ will always be #14 for the Flames. Fill in that blank.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Buff

Harome Looginla

I have seen someone wearing an "IGINLOOB" jersey at the Saddledome.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Dion

In my heart, ___________ will always be #14 for the Flames?



Not in my heart!

I get that. And I get just as frustrated with him. I try to ignore what he has to say off the ice, and just always loved the way he played on the ice.

[Inferno]

Without Fleury I never would have became a Flames fan in the first place.

[GioforPM]

I'm 50+ so I saw both. Nilsson was nowhere near the no try guy that he's made out to be. For sure he wasn't gritty and for sure he didn't act like a rah rah team guy. I think he was just so smooth and when his plays worked they looked so effortless, people didn't credit him for any hard work at all.

That all said, Fleury for me. So talented, so heart on sleeve, and such an underdog from the get go.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm 50+ so I saw both. Nilsson was nowhere near the no try guy that he's made out to be. For sure he wasn't gritty and for sure he didn't act like a rah rah team guy. I think he was just so smooth and when his plays worked they looked so effortless, people didn't credit him for any hard work at all.

That all said, Fleury for me. So talented, so heart on sleeve, and such an underdog from the get go.

I assumed you were 29 or something, since you tend to have modern takes on everything. That's news to me.

I value longevity with teams, so that, along with the overall point totals, would make me choose Fleury.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm 50+ so I saw both. Nilsson was nowhere near the no try guy that he's made out to be. For sure he wasn't gritty and for sure he didn't act like a rah rah team guy. I think he was just so smooth and when his plays worked they looked so effortless, people didn't credit him for any hard work at all.

That all said, Fleury for me. So talented, so heart on sleeve, and such an underdog from the get go.

Yes he was.....

Badger Bob Johnson took over as Flames head coach in their second year in Calgary. He was a relentlessly positive man who never had an unkind word to say about anyone or anything to do with hockey. Until he met Nilsson.

Kenta drove Johnson crazy because, unlike Gretzky, he did not squeeze every drop out of his great well of talent. He eventually had Nilsson shipped out of town and the following story is a great example of why.

One night, Ron Francis and the Hartford Whalers were putting it to the Flames but good at the old Calgary Corral. It was 6-1 late in the third period and the Flames had a power play.

Nilsson quarterbacked the power play from the point and fired a shot right into Francis's shin pads. Of course, the puck rebounded back over the blue line, past Nilsson and Francis was off on a breakaway. Nilsson turned to look at Francis as he blew past him, clearly said the hell with it and declined to give chase. 7-1 Hartford.

After the game, all Johnson could talk about was that play. "Did you see Nilsson, did you see what he did?" Johnson kept saying to Simmons and Duhatschek.

So, off they went to the Flames dressing room to get Nilsson's side of things.
Nilsson looked up when the question was asked and said in his Swedish lilt, "Seex-one, seven-one, what's the difference?"

He had a knack, though, for frustrating his former Calgary Flames' head coach Bob Johnson to no ends. The greatest Nilsson story of all time is still the one about him scoring four goals in the first period one night and being told - by Johnson, of course - he was about to break the NHL's single-game scoring record.

"No coach," droned Nilsson. "I'm not."

And he didn't.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...article610572/

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by New Era

The next guy that wears #14. I wish they would assign it and just get over it.

You'll be waiting the rest of your life.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by jayswin

You'll be waiting the rest of our life.

Exactly. It will never happen.

[jayswin]

He had a knack, though, for frustrating his former Calgary Flames' head coach Bob Johnson to no ends. The greatest Nilsson story of all time is still the one about him scoring four goals in the first period one night and being told - by Johnson, of course - he was about to break the NHL's single-game scoring record.

"No coach," droned Nilsson. "I'm not."

And he didn't.

That's actually hilarious to read. On the topic of the poll, Nilson was a lazy guy with no heart for the game. I'd imagine a chunk of the Nilsson votes are actually "I disliked Theo Fleury" votes.

No way people actually fondly remembered someone who didn't care very much about winning. Lack of heart is just painful at the professional sports level and amplified by a million when it's someone who could be an elite player.

[Mr.Coffee]

There is really no debate here.

[CroFlames]

I grew up in the 90s. Theo for me.

Truth be told, Theo and Iggy are the reasons I’m a flames fan. And Trevor Kidd’s sick pads.

[GioforPM]

The other thing is that, for at least a while between the Cup winning team and the Iginla team, Fleury was the face of the franchise. Nilsson never was. Even at his peake, there was Macdonald, etc. And most were obviously not better players - just bigger personalities (like Peplinski or Hunter).