Mixed emotions about ’89 Cup
Though the Canadiens lost the game, not all memories of Flames’ win are bad
CALGARY — A hot topic of discussion on Friday afternoon at Calgary’s Westin hotel was the Calgary Flames’ Stanley Cup win in 1989, the highlight in the franchise’s existence.
Not so much for the squad they vanquished, the Montreal Canadiens.
“There is a good memory,” countered Guy Carbonneau, a mainstay with the Habs then. “For me, seeing Lanny (McDonald) score the goal and being able to carry the Cup around. I had the chance to play a long time in the NHL and I was lucky enough to win a couple of championships, so to see guys like that — good players — who play all their careers and never have a chance to win, it’s always tough, so if there was a rosy side to ’89, that was it.”
Carbonneau, 54, is just one of a whole slew of former NHL players in town to take part in the annual Calgary Pro-Am Alzheimer’s Hockey Tournament, which is slated for this weekend.
The two-day charity event pairs local amateur hockey players with NHL alumni, including members of the 1989 Cup-winning team such as McDonald, Gary Roberts and Theo Fleury.
The Flames’ victory, 25 years old this year, is the only time an opponent has hoisted the trophy at the Montreal Forum.
“We heard that one after,” sighed Carbonneau, who played in more than 1,500 NHL games and is now an analyst with RDS. “It’s always tough. It’s such a long season, especially when you get into playoffs. It’s gruelling. Any team that goes to the finals wants to win; I think they were a little better than us. Losing at home is always tough, but at the end it wasn’t as bad because we were able to beat them in ’86.
“Playing against them in ’86, the roles were reversed. In remember in ’86, the Flames having an unbelievable season and us struggling to make the playoffs. It happened just before the playoffs we added Patrick (Roy) and Stéphane (Richer) and Claude Lemieux and it gave us a youth boost. Getting to the final against that team ... I think the experts thought that Calgary was a little stronger than us. We were able to beat them in five.”
Richer, a 50-goal scorer with the Canadiens, also remembers that series with mixed emotions.
“If you’re a good hockey fan, I’m sure it was fun to watch,” he related. “It was a tough, physical series and what a story. Biggest Flame scores the biggest goal of his life, Lanny.
“… Look at the names they had in their lineup,” Richer, 47, continued. “Some are already in the Hall of Fame, some will be pretty soon. It really felt like we should have won, but on the other side, I believe they had the best team in the NHL. ... I think it was great for hockey in Canada and I think we’re missing that.
“Look at this year, only one team is going to make it. Montreal, that’s it. That’s not good for hockey in Canada. It’s sad. The NHL needs hockey in Canada.”