Oilers raise banner for former coach and GM
All eyes were fixed on the ice Friday at Rexall Place, awaiting the arrival of Glen Sather, when a light switched on in his old general manager’s office on the catwalk.
A camera zeroed in on a notebook, a cigar, and then the man of the hour. He got up from his seat, pulled on his suit jacket, and made his way down through the stands and onto the ice.
“It’s a long way down there in the dark,” he said after his banner, featuring an image of five Stanley Cups, was raised to the rafters prior to the NHL game between the Oilers and New York Rangers.
The crowd gathered in Edmonton for the celebration of the architect was 120 strong and included family members, numerous league colleagues, and of course, Oilers alumni.
It was a fitting tribute, moreso because it is the old barn’s last season and Sather’s is the last banner to go up.
“My sincere wish is that every one of you in this building gets to experience something, anything in your life that makes you feel like I’m feeling right now: the luckiest person on earth,” he said at the end of a speech that was gracious, humble, and prepared ahead of time because he did not want to overlook anyone.
Sather’s is the ninth to go up in the 41-year-old rink, and it now hangs alongside those belonging to Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Al Hamilton, Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson and Rod Phillips.
“This was a long time coming with the impact he had on all of our careers and the shaping of this team ... to have his banner be the last one to go up is truly fitting,” said Dave Semenko, one of the many who played for Sather in Edmonton.
“He was a guy who brought everyone together; he seemed like a great button-pusher. Having that much skill and that much talent on your team isn’t an easy thing,” said Taylor Hall.
Hall, like many of his teammates, is too young to have witnessed the Oilers of old, but his team has certainly played in its shadow.
There have even been comparisons made between this group, particularly since the acquisition of No. 1 draft pick Connor McDavid, and the team that, under the direction of Sather, won five championships.
“It’s going to be hard to win four Cups in five years or have a guy who scores 215 points, but I think just hearing their stories and being around them gives you an appreciation for what Edmonton could be like as a city, and what it would be like to win here.” said Hall.
Oilers head coach Todd McLellan wanted his players to view all the video flashbacks, listen to the messages, and soak up the emotion in the building.
He wanted his players to appreciate the impact that generation of Oilers had on Edmonton and the hockey world.
Messier, too, said it is important for today ’s players to identify with the past, but that this group of Oilers is going to make its own mark.
“I think it’s important for the players to understand the people who have paved the way for them in their careers; the great players who have gone before them, the great general managers, coaches ... it’s an opportunity for the young guys in the league to get a sense of history here in Edmonton. Same thing for the Rangers. Glen has touched both organizations.
“They just have to carve out their own journey,” Messier continued. “We had to fall down and get back up; figure out our way. They’ll do the same thing.”
These are different times, of course, but on Friday it was about the past. About Sather.
The guest of honour admitted he thought his walk down through the stands was pretty lame when he first got wind of it, but saw how much it impacted all those he shook hands with on the way down to centre ice. There were many familiar faces in the stands.
“I spent a long time here,” Sather said. “A lot of good friends. Good people.
“It was hard to see faces but the faces I did see were the (general managers) on the ice. Craig Patrick — before we even started to talk — tears were coming out of his eyes ... and Mark was trying very hard not cry. It was fun.”