Lacombe gets his Stanley Cup ring back
Ex-Oiler receives anonymous phone call from somebody wanting to do right thing
Former Edmonton Oilers winger Norm Lacombe has one of his sentimental memories back.
And that has a nice ring to it after a thief broke into his locked vehicle outside his home in Spruce Grove last weekend and also got away with Lacombe’s wallet.
Lacombe got an anonymous call from a fellow Thursday, saying he had recognized the robber from a surveillance photo released by the RCMP, and that he had the 1988 Stanley Cup ring with the four Cups on the side to return to the ex- Oilers forward.
The thief was actually wearing the championship ring on the middle finger of his right hand in the picture, along with sunglasses and a ball cap at a store in Devon after using a stolen credit card, which dumbfounded Lacombe, 53.
It had great value to Lacombe, who doesn’t have the Stanley Cup memento in, say, a safety deposit box.
Outside of his family; “Yeah it’s my most treasured thing,” he said. “I’d say over the last five years I wear it a lot.
“I was never worried about anybody taking it. I actually give it to people and say, ‘bring it back the next day.’ Now? No kidding, I have to be more careful. It’s the second time my vehicle’s been broken into this year. The first was outside a hockey arena recruiting kids for my trips (to Brno, Czech Republic),” said Lacombe, who had his Cup ring on that time.
Lacombe retrieved his ring after a call out of the blue, about 7 p.m. Thursday.
“A fellow said ‘I’ve got your ring. I got it from the guy. Meet me at Dairy Queen in Stony Plain.’ It was a little bit weird but I said ‘OK, I’m on my way.’ He was there with his girlfriend. They were really nice people who just wanted to do the right thing and remain anonymous. They showed me the ring and my name (and number 19) was on it,” said the relieved Lacombe, who was acquired from Buffalo in March ’87 for Lee Fogolin and Mark Napier.
He played on the Oilers checking line as they won their fourth of five Cups, before he was swapped to Philadelphia in 1990.
He’s enormously happy to have the ring back.
“There’s still some nice people in the world,” Lacombe said. “I want to thank all the media too (in stories and on twitter).”
He’d been golfing in Leduc and put the ring in the ashtray with all his coins.
“I never leave it in the vehicle, stupid,” he said.
The Cup rings in the ’80s weren’t as gaudy as the ones these days.
“They’re as big as trophies. You can’t wear those ones,” said Lacombe, who also lost his wallet. “I had a little man-purse, living in Europe, and I had that under my seat. Luckily, I didn’t have much in there, but I did have a credit card that he used.”
Lacombe has been a personal trainer for years, working with former Oilers defenceman Theo Peckham at one time and got him to lose 25 pounds. He’s also had Jay Bouwmeester, Cam Ward, Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul as strength and conditioning clients, along with Czech players Tomas Vokoun and Dominik Hasek, along with many juniors.
He also took a detour worked in Brno for the Czech Extra League team Kometa for almost four years.
And he’s taken kids there to play games and train with Czech youngsters.
“We’ve got a group of 60 people, two teams of atoms and peewees going July 26,” said the ultra-fit Lacombe, who also does construction work these days. “We have a mini training camp there with the kids and their coaches, really cool, then we go and play a couple of tournaments (Bled and Prague).
“We mix in some kids from Kometa to play with us so they get that experience as well. There’s a minimum of seven practices and 10 games, plus lots of sightseeing. (Ex-NHL centre) Petr Sykora is helping me in Brno, he’s part of that club. His boy plays with us in the tournament.”
Lacombe may have his 1988 Cup ring with him on the trip in late July, but it probably won’t leave his hand.