Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Calgary Flames Legend Mike Vernon (FULL INTERVIEW PART 1) | FN Barn Burner

Episode Date: August 2, 2023

Pinder & Rhett sit down with Calgary Flames Legend Mike Vernon!PART 1/2 Shoutout to this episode’s sponsors:The Hearing Loss Clinic: https://hearingloss.caMcleod Law: https://www.mcleod-law.comBK Bowfort LiquorOutdoor Dental: https://www.outdoor.dentalBon Ton Meat Market: https://bonton.caTower Chrysler: https://www.towerchrysler.comBetway: https://betway.com/en-ca/ Mad Rose Pub: https://www.madrose.pubVillage Honda: https://www.villagehonda.com/enVena Nova: https://venanova.com________________________________________________Visit  www.nationgear.ca for merch and more.Follow us on Instagram @flamesnationdotca Follow us on Twitter @flamesnation @barnburnerfnFollow us on Facebook @FlamesNationReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey guys, welcome to a summer exclusive barn burner. It's a long form sit down with Flames Legends. And today, well, in fact, early in June, we sat down with Mike Vernon, the man who came up so clutch, so many times in round one, in game seven, in overtime on their path to the Stanley Cup. Vernon and I and Rat Warner sat down in the Tower Studios here in Marta Loop and caught up for 90 minutes. A great guy, always known for his sense of humor. tons of fun and what did we know two and a half weeks later announced as part of the

2023 class to the hockey hall of fame a reminder here in the tower kreiser studios they're the calgary's consumer choice award winner for favorite kreisler dodge dealer you can find them at 10901 mcclott trail south and at tower kreisler dot com sit back pour yourself a cold one enjoy our chat with mike vernon sir how are you boys good good there's a jersey hang too, isn't there? Is there a Vernon jersey in here somewhere? Not in here. Oh,

the other's up in the rangers. Thanks, we should have rafters in here. We should retire her own jerseys. It's not a bad idea. I don't know if the people who get the jerseys retired will respect it as much. And no one will see them except your guess. Well, what a distinguished group, though.

Wow. Yeah. Exclusives. Yeah. Very exclusive. I remember growing up, I was probably seven or eight when you guys won the cup. And obviously as a Calgary and being a part of that,

that's something that everyone here will always talk about. But one of the things when I was getting ready for this that I'd forgotten is like, you were an absolute huge part of that 89 team. But 1997, we're talking like almost a decade later. You went a Kahn Smite. Like the success you had beyond your Calgary years was incredibly impressive. And before we get all there, I guess let's take it right back to the beginning. you're a kid in Calgary.

How do you end up playing net, never mind getting to the NHL? Well, I had three older brothers, and I just grew up here in Elthador area and was at the South Calgary Community Association. So with three older brothers, the youngest one always had to go in net. And back in those days,

my father was coaching the pee-wee team. They only had one goaltender. And he's like, you're coming out in your practice, and you're in the other net. And I've always had the older boys shooting on me all the time. And I just loved it. I thrived on it. And there was a guy by the name of Bob Sinclair, who I still stay in touch with to this day.

He was my idol. I used to go to his house after school, knock on the door. Hi, Mrs. Sinclair. Can I go down and look at Bobby's goalie gear? Because I thought he had the coolest gear and stuff. so I'd go down and try it on. He would give me all his hammy downs after, too. Where was he playing?

Well, he was playing with the Broncos in Bannam or midget or something like that. So he was my oldest brother's age. And so it was just great. And I don't know, we came from a hockey family. And that's just the way it was. I have a younger sister that was a very good soccer or hockey player too. and it was just the family. We all did it every weekend.

That's the way it was. Different back then. I'm imagining. You got kids now and you've been through the ringer with all the youth sports in today's world. I can't imagine you played a lot of spring summer hockey. Oh, definitely not. As soon as I think it was...

Season's over. Whenever the hockey was over, my baseball glove would come out in the bat. And I'd be playing baseball at South Calgary over by the... The same community center down below the hill and things like that. And it was, that's just the way it was. You were a multi, you played multi sports.

What position all over? Which one do you fan? I'm thinking catcher, I got it. I hate to burn you. Well, why? Why catcher?

Why goaltender? Smallest. No. Because you're crazy. Partly. No. You never left the ice. I never left the field.

reply you were always you know i had ADHD probably right never was diagnosed with it but i can tell you now so i always wanted to be on the field i always wanted to compete yeah so that's just the way it was still a love for ball i love baseball yeah i still watch it the blue jays and uh my uh my daughter dates a baseball player for the washington nationals oh yeah so no we uh i i've always like love baseball. Yeah. So when did you know that, because obviously you have the older brothers, and this is, it's a common story you hear a lot.

When you've got older siblings, you're just, you're tested by better athletes. But when did you think like, oh, my goodness, like, I'm a lot better than I think a lot of my counterperson, not an egotistical way, but to think like, oh, boy, this might be the thing I'm good at in life. I walk through how it went. So yeah, okay, you're playing peewee or this or that. What was the, well, there's a guy by the name a Harold Pace. Fesnik. He was an Alberta amateur golfer. He was my coach in Bannam and Midget. And I was too young to

play the midget to SWA Association, which is now the Royals. So my dad says, yeah, my son wants to try it. And he's, well, he's kind of young. He's not of age and things like that. And dad said, well, you just give it a try. And so I practiced with him. and then Harold used to come down and shoot some pucks at me and start shooting them and shooting it harder and harder and I was stopping him and he just goes, holy shit, this guy can stop a puck. So lo and behold, I stayed on the team and I just, I just kept going. And I never thought of where I was going or what I was doing. I just wanted to go play. It was, it was very simplistic.

It was, I just wanted to go play. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to compete. I didn't worry about any of the other stuff. And I never really worried about the other stuff until when I was with the Wranglers, I got drafted by the Calgary Flames. And then it was like, it kind of hit me and goes, wow, I might have a chance at the National Hockey League or whatever.

And that's how it all went. Training wise. So you're on the ice as much as possible, and you can play baseball all summer, this and that, today's world, a kid will have, if you're a goal, you'll have your own goalie coach and your own ice time and your own plan,

right? It's crazy. That's what happens. Was there anything specific you were doing that was different than anyone else? Or was it, I'm playing hockey. This is great. Whatever.

Well, when I got drafted, Pierre Paget, and I think it was the first year of fitness, really with the Calgary Flames. And, uh, handed us a thin book or mailed it to us and I just did that I ran I went and did

nautilus weights or weights a bit and you know I'd work out for a couple hours a day and then that was that type thing but it was I remember even going to training camp my first training camp this is this is crazy but we're going for a five mile run and half the guys were like no I'm not doing it and things like this and Pat Reagan was there in a towel and he He's got a bowl of jelly for a belly. You know, God rest. Like, he's a good guy. I like Pat Reagan, good goalie.

But I just couldn't believe it. I go, this is the NHL. And I'm standing there. And Brad Marsh comes up to me. And hey, Bernie, how you doing? I'm good. I look down. He has a pair of Kodiak work boots on.

And I go, you don't own a pair of runners? Nope, never owned a pair of runners in my life. I'm going, this is the NHL. I couldn't believe it. ran five miles in those kodiak work boots wow yeah i can't decide if that's incredibly tough or stupid it's probably both but if you follow his career after he was doing triathlons and things like this he became a really oh he got into it yeah he caught into fitness and went to ottawa and played very well and he had actually a long career oh yeah yeah a great guy what can you tell us about

the wranglers like i i grew up in this space where it's okay with w hl team the the American League teams here now. So what was junior hockey like at that point? And what was it like to be a Calgaryan on the Wranglers? Super normal or not? Because the hitman is like Western Canada and the States. Yeah, it was good for me because I had the ability to stay home. I was with the Billings Big Horns and I forced a trade so I could be at home.

And I played for the Calgary Ranglers or the Calgary Canucks. and which makes sense to me. I'm still going to school, play there, and stay at home, and it's a good environment. And I'm surprised more kids don't do it. All these kids are in junior, they're leaving and stay home, go to school. And there's some great junior teams right here, the Canucks, you've got Okotokes. So anyway, I did that. And then I went into, I went to the Wranglers as a 17-year-old and made the team.

but I mean the road trips were hellish. It's a tough league. It's a grind. And as a 17-year-old playing there, you had to grow up really quick. The media was, and your own coach, Doug Sauter, sometimes he was hard on me, like called me out in the media. And it was like, holy shit, what's going on here?

and you just had to grow up very fast and you had to figure out your game. And it forced, I think it forced me to work at my game mentally. And if that's what I wanted to do. We had decent teams. We never won, but we had decent teams. I got called up a couple times to play in the Memorial Cup with Portland. But it was a good training ground for the, the NHL and pro hockey.

You played, what was it, I think, 72 games. What was the age group? And so 72 games, what was the age 17 to 20 year olds? 20 year olds, yeah. And teams of Western Canada from Winnipeg had a team at the time. Moose Shaw wasn't in it. Seattle, out of Victoria, Billings, Big Horns. Like the bus trips, they're all bus trips.

except the when we played victoria in the playoffs and grant fear was there and we flew on a little DC3 propeller job that skipped over the mountains village honda is a proud supporter of barn burner you can find them in the northwest auto mall or check them out online at village honda dot com village honda's got new honda's arriving daily drive away in your new honda from village honda your dealership for life in the northwest auto mall and at village honda The Hearing Loss Clinic has been helping change people's lives for the better since 1993. At the Hearing Loss Clinic, it's never been about hearing impairment. It's been about empowering you to be socially active, more connected with those around you, and confident in every aspect of your life.

People of any age can suffer from hearing loss, and studies have shown that serious health risks have been linked to untreated hearing loss. They have nine locations to serve you, four in the City of Calgary. Make a healthy choice and book an evaluation today at hearing loss.com. So you alluded to it. This was at a time where if you went to the Memorial Cup, I believe you could pull someone from your league to represent your team. And so despite being a Wrangler,

you played, I believe, twice for Portland. That would blow people's minds right now in junior hockey, but at the end of the year you could switch team, but you were kind of loading up when you wanted to play people from Ontario, Quebec, or whatever it was. Yeah, they call it the Mike Vernon rule. They opted that out after because of it. was John Chappie Chapman with the Leftbridge, and they were in the finals with Portland

and the Western Finals. And they were still playing, but they both wanted me to make my decision. And I told Chapy, I said, you guys have Kenny Rigget? Portland have nobody. I wouldn't be playing. I'd sit on the bench. It's my last year I want to play. And Portland said I'd be playing. He agreed. That was fine. But in fairness to Chappie, too, they should have waited until the end of this series was over because Kenny Riga got hurt. He twisted his ankle and he couldn't play and that's what the rule was for. But I, my conscience, I couldn't go back on my decision. They wanted it and that's what I just decided and they both agreed.

But then Chappie, this is what this rules for. So anyway, then they said no more of that. The league stepped in and said, that's enough of that. Best players in the league at that time. best players well the setters brent sutter was on left bridge uh e rhenchuk was on portland kenny nile or gary niland um who was the boston the defenseman gordy klusak gaudy klusak i mean there's some there are some great players uh bobby ross as big as a house was there i played with him in with the redwinks he was awesome but no there are some great players in

the Western Hockey League. Best player you played with or against that never moved on. Putting you on the spots here a little bit, but there's always guys, right? Wow. I'm going to have to go with Mike Height, first rounder to L.A., never played in the American League or the NHL, but he went over to Germany and had a very good career.

He was a hell of a defenseman. Like, he was really good. Well, I played against Boutalier. but he was done a tough league at the time i mean hockey was tougher back then right like was it wine brawls what did we talk oh no there was a lot of brawes yeah there was a lot of five on fives and things like that it was you know you had darrell stanley dave brown and saskatoon those guys aren't afraid to drop the gloves no there there was even billings big horns i don't we brought them a few times and oh regina pads i can't forget that

A lot of line brawls, bench clearing brawls with them, too. So it was a different game. It was a little crazy. The games were like three and a half, four hour long, a little long for me. But yeah, it was a tough league. There was no doubt. And Doug Sotter knew he had to protect me. And I think the smallest defenseman I had was Darrell Moose-Anneholt.

And he was six-three. He was drafted by Chicago. But he was about 240. Anyone that came the moose is your smallest guy? It was great. Bruce Robertson, 6-6, went on to, went a gold medal for Canada and eight-man rowing.

Smitty, another guy that was 6-4. So I had some big defenseman around me. It took care of me. That's kind of nice. The Calgary thing continues. You talked about you get drafted and all of a sudden the dreams becoming real. I mean,

you've hardly left the province in a weird way. And you're still a Calgarian, but here you are at the greatest heights in the NHL. What was it like breaking through? Because that was a team that you summited the mountain in 89, but a lot of those pieces were there. And you sort of watched the evolution of it from early 80s when you arrived right to the climax. Yeah, it's, well, Calgary, when did they come in in, 81? 80, 81, man. That's the year I think I was drafted.

But, yeah, that was their first year. and, you know, I got to watch a lot of it being playing in the same building, the Calgary, or the corral, which they just tore down. But anyway, it's, it was a good breeding ground for me to see the NHL. And I had great opportunity to practice with the NHLers too. They'd always have a goalie and need a goalie for practice and things like that. So I was always getting called up to practice with them. and, oh, the scariest, I think that one of the scariest and talented players was Kent Nielsen,

and we would do breakaways. I couldn't stop him. Magic man. I could not stop him. And I'm just like, what the hell am I going to do? And I even remember my first game, I, you know, got thrown in, Don Edwards got pulled, I went in, and Edmonton was on a power play, and they scored a few goals. against was over 22.22 that year and I only played maybe 10 minutes and I just basically said I don't know

if I'm going to be able to play in the National High League. I got to figure out a way to stop and it's just it's mind boggling it's just bam, bam, grits could be a hundred net in front matches score it was just constant and it was like holy shit you can do that you're good so I spent two and a half years in the minors and trying to own my skills and things like that, but just working at it. And I just, it was a grind. I got a lucky break because Mark DeMore started cramping up and I got a chance to come in and play. Flames at that time had a living game, losing streak coming in.

They kept calling me up and sending me back down. And I played against the Russians and we beat them. Bob Johnson was so excited. It was crazy. And then we tied, I think, Vancouver 3-3 or 4-4, and it broke the losing streak. And then they kept me from there on. And the rest of this kind of history played the rest of that year

and played, I think it was 22 playoff games. That was 85, 86. And we went to the finals with Montreal against Patrick Gua, which he was a rookie at that time. So it was a lot of it is timing. I was very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. And I was playing decent. So it was good.

Badger Bob and Kent Nielsen are two of the guys that didn't get to be a part of the 89 story, but really helped that 80s crew and were massive parts of the team before then. So they kind of get lost maybe in younger generations because they weren't on that championship team. Can you tell us about both them? Well, Kent Nelson, Magic Man, even Gretzky, he said he loves watching. He's so talented. And he was, and he was a great guy. And they just couldn't win with him at that particular time.

And then they moved him on and things. But I think he was very successful up in Edmonton when he played there. But Badger Bob is a very interesting story. He was the first coach I've had that was a positive thinker and always positive. Most of the coaches we've had are all negative and work harder and you're a bum and send you down to the minors if you don't pick your game up and you know it's stuff like that and you just you you get tired of it and i think with badger bob it was uh it was always positive i remember guys you know fourth line guys come on down here we're working on the power play and they're like

what do you try i'll never get on the power play when we're up a few goals guess what badger did he put him on the power play during your game and he would reward you and i mean guys like bozac and Tim Hunter. He worked with Tim Hunter on a penalty killing. So Tim Hunter, towards the end of his career, he was penalty killing for the Calgary Flames. He went to Vancouver. He was a regular shift and he killed penalties. They went to the Stanley Cup finals a year against, and he was on that team. And he made you a believer. And I think that's the one great thing about Badger was he made you a believer in your own skill. And you can do it. You just have to maybe work at a little. more will give you an opportunity and things like that.

So he was great. I loved it. And he was the guy that actually, this is really crazy. And I laughed because I told Kevin Lowe this story over in the Olympics in Torino. I said, yeah, when we beat you guys at a playoffs, we did left wing lock. And he looks at me, what the hell are you talking about? So we would, Paul Coffey would get the puck and you'd always enter the zone on the left. side of me and badger counted it watched a lot of video and he counted it like 98% of the time so he says

we're going to clog up that side of the ice so Colin Patterson one of the fastest guys around we'll just pull our left winger back and act as like a defenseman a bit and it worked and you know if they dumped it in verny get out and play the puck get it out of our zone as quick as possible and little things like that and if you get coffee in our own end pin them for one one thousand two one thousand three one thousand just get him off his stride because he was so quick he could get back into his own zone so little things like that he did and uh before we played the series against edmonton we ate our dinner he goes guys come with me walked around the corner and he took us to a movie theater he rented the whole movie theater and we were we watched rocky it was unreal i'd never heard that like that it was

It was on, everybody was all jacked up and everything else like that. Just look over your right shoulder, Mike. Take a peek right there just to. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we watched Rocky and all it was is we're the underdog. And underdogs can win. So it just, he made it fun, right? And he made you a believer, which was no other coach did that.

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of the St. Eugene, golf resort and casino. How much influence did that still have on that 89 team? Oh, big time. Right? His finger prints were all over. Yeah, I get the feeling

that he left such a long-lasting impression on you guys that a lot of what he imprinted is what you guys lived. Oh, absolutely. He, you know, we continue to play. play, but systems, we called it a Gilmore sweep, where we just push them all off to the left side. Very similar stuff. And another great story with Badger Bob, you know, the hawk, because he'd always grab his and always.

But he comes in one day and he says, yeah, what did you guys have for breakfast? Souter, what'd you have for breakfast? Corn flakes and water. He got, what? Cornflakes and water. How? to perform next day we had a nutritionist in the dressing room like he would just he would just care about you and what the best performance have you but it was always positive i i never heard the

guy swear on my life never and he'd always great day for hockey it's a great day for hockey better day for golf we used to say but he he was a big influence on that whole you can ask all the guys everybody. Do you know the history on his philosophy with that? Because like you said, and I've got to guess, especially at that time, it was a hard-nosed That's progressive. Yeah, like that is about as progressive as you can probably be. Well, when he got in there, he had a lot of older guys like Gishinard, Brad Marsh, Eric

Vail, Doc Houston, Kent Nielsen, guys like that were old school. And just implementing those sort of things into the program. Those guys, they had a big tough team. When they first moved here, they were big and tough and good hockey club. You know, and it was just interesting how we could talk to you. And it would be interesting to see how a lot of the older guys, what they thought of them. Like Kent and Brad Marsh and all those older guys and their philosophy, like how they took them.

Because I think a lot of times, Badger at that time, you sort of like long practices. and they didn't like that because of college. College, you're always on the ice. You play two games a week. And that's it. So the guys I know at that time were tired of the practices being so long. And then he had to adapt. Cliff's just said, you can't do that in the NHL.

You've got to slow it down. But it was good. I mean, it's funny. We haven't asked about it, but it just comes up because it was so prevalent and almost the way you'd be measured. it was just those matchups with the oilers the way the division the smite division was set up you'd get them in round two seemingly every year you're the two best teams in the division every year one against vancouver one gets winnipeg you're meeting round two i mean there's some instances where it didn't go that way but you know when we talk about rival we we think about things in today's game but i don't know that any of it would measure up to what you guys lived yeah it was uh it was pretty remarkable and i mean i i i know hates a strong word but there was a lot of hate And it was a battle.

I mean, the radio stations used to go out it. The newspapers used to go at it. And then the players went out and the fans. So it was pretty crazy times. And it was a lot of fun to be part of. And we look back now and we laugh. I talk to coffee. And they just say it was, it just brings out the best of you.

And some of the worst. But it generally, the competitiveness and, you know, the will to win. and it brings out that will. So I'm jumping ahead a bunch, but I do want to ask you, like the heat of that Battle of Alberta, did it get close to that when you talked Detroit, Colorado? Because you got to see some of that near its best. Yeah.

Yeah, it was very similar. We brawled with them too a few times. So there was a lot of hate there too. But I would say the Calgary, Edmonton one, just it had longer history. And it was probably more physical. in the early days. So there was a lot of fisticuffs

and things like that that were going on. Well, and the fans, geographically, easy to. Yep, absolutely. You know, I'd like to stampedeers, Eskimos. I can't say Eskimos anymore. But back then it was. That's what they were calling. You can't say it.

That's fine. But Cliff Fletcher, it was interesting. Cliff Fletcher always built his team. He just says, if I get out of this division, we've got to go through Emmington, so I got to build a team to beat Emmetton. That's how he looked at it. way more interaction between management and players than I imagine there is today.

Like was Cliff down in the room? Oh, yeah. Talk and it was absolutely. Family atmosphere. Yeah, it was owners were down there. Cliff was down there after every game. Coming just to say hi, how's the family? It wasn't just hockey talk.

It was everything else. But, and we'll talk about a goal or a whatever, but, and Harley Hodgis would come down all the time. And it was, it was just a nice man. It was a, it was a family atmosphere. The seamans would come down. It was, you know, they'd always have parties for us too, where they'd bring the ownership and everybody together, barbecues and little things. And they just wanted to see your kids and see your families. And they were genuine. And it's, it helped, I think. And I think, you know, we're the Stanley Cup team. There's 11 guys from the Stanley Cup team that live here.

Yeah. And I think that's a lot of it. And they stayed here. After they retired, they stayed in Calgary or come back. And Calgary's a good city. And they have great memories of it. I have to bring this up because I forgot. You said it early.

Colin Patterson was the speedster that was keeping up with coffee? Oh, yeah. Well, we used to call. him the fastest W. Fastest white guy. He was fat. He was great. Yeah.

He was my roommate for about five years, too. So no, Patter was, he was fast. I remember practice, he'd have that. They'd do those. Oh,

the, yeah, the bands and stuff and starts skating and all. Then they'd have a parachute out and things like that. So, yeah,

Colin was a, he was a good player. it's funny like he was one of those glue guys every every championship team has glue guys and i feel like it was not the sexiest role he wasn't the biggest score you know he wasn't the gq guy i think he's better not he's got rid of it but like he was a guy that everyone talks about like you just wanted to be around he's one of these magnetic personalities great storytelling that's was it just that year where everything was right or did you feel like that group was due like what about 89 because well you win you stay together but it just felt like man that group wow like that

I, I, we reflect back on it and it was like, you know, we, Rob Ramage stepped in because Gary Souter broke his jaw. And Rob Ramich, it was a great player, great human and he played power play, penalty kill, regular shift. He was unbelievable. He's about two, I think you played around 220. He was a good size boy. And I'm like, they traded him in the summer. I'm like, what do you do like i couldn't believe it i'm like why aren't we keeping the nucleus of the team together just leave it alone and let's just keep going and i think that was kind of the start of the the changing of the guard here and then Doug rise bro came in and then then it was he just cleaned house well and salaries were starting to become public and guys like new and ike and gilmore

like well yeah these guys are making what elsewhere what are we doing here Now, fairness, the Players Association, when we were going through that, we all knew that we would take a bit of a public hit. But the problem was no one knew what anybody was making. And it goes back to even Glenn Hall days. Glenn Hall signed a new contract. I think it was with Chicago or someone like that. Gee, I'm just, you know, brings them in and says,

Glenn, I just appreciate it if you keep this between you and I. And you go, yeah, you don't have to worry about it. I'm just as embarrassed about it as you are. So it's just, that was the mentality back then. We didn't talk about our contracts. And that was a big thing when we, the Players Association, boys, we got to expose our contract. We got to know what everybody makes.

So we're all on the same page. And that was the start of things. And now look where they are. Who was driving that at the time for the Reserville? Union? No, Eagelson was out. It was, uh, oh, he was a lawyer. They're all lawyers.

Yeah, they're all lawyers, but it's, uh, the guy from, I think it's from Minnesota or the States. Can't remember his name right now. I'll look it up right now. But it was, uh, those were, you know, obviously in my career, I think I had two lockouts. Right. So we had to do it. You just, you know, you just had to, we didn't know a lot. of what was going on and we just had to. Was there some eye-opening contracts?

Would it did come out? Well, not so much. The guys in the game maybe had an idea. Bob Goodnow. It was 92. Yeah, Bob Goodnow. So it's from Eagleson to Good Now, 91, 92. Yeah, that's how it all started.

And then, but then things just started to progress, right? TV rights, they started getting a little better, but not much. We started expansion. Like, things were starting to happen. Gretzky moving to L.A. It was huge for the NHL. That was massive. All of a sudden, it's on the map in the United States

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You would have come into the league and it was a mom and pop shop to start in a way? Basically. Family run teams. If you own the team, your dad had the team before you, it was like that sort of thing. And when you left, like we're talking a multi-billion dollar business run by a lawyer. or like you would have seen the transformation from mom and pop to corporate NHL in your career. Like it's it was a great time to play because there was a lot going on and moving. I think it was moving in the right direction.

And the numbers now are mind boggling, but it's, it's entertainment and it's they bring in the revenues and it's, it's good to see. I like it, but it's the hockey, I, you know, I still think I played in the best,

kind of ear 80s and 90s was pretty pretty special hockey pretty good times and like you talked about ebenton calgary rivalry i think ESPN had their biggest ratings ever really back in that rivalry no way yeah and now ESPN's back on the they're back back they're back uh i don't want to abandon 89 i do want to move forward but but just tell me what you remember what gave seven round one against Vancouver because for as great as that year was that no one in the city will ever forget and it's made you guys immortals in a sense your names are on the cup you almost didn't get through Vancouver in round one if not for you being in some sort of a zone in overtime Mike yeah well it was yeah it was crazy I you know seven game series anything can happen they they were a great

team and like it just any little bounce they're not pretty goals a lot of time they're just fluky bounces that go in and uh i just i was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and yeah but did you feel it did you feel you're in a zone yeah you get yeah you do right you do know when you're kind of hyper focused you could yeah there's no there's no doubt and uh it's you know i always buged jamie mccall and i go how did he get free jame because Jimmy was at the far blue line instead of his blue line. But it's, yeah, you're just in the moment. And if you're zoned in and you're just trying to focus on what you're trying to do

and forget about everything else around you. Petri Screekle and everybody brings up Stan Smil, but Petrikele was a, it was a two on O. And I, you know, he probably shot for more of the middle of the net. And thankfully on from my standpoint. So I kind of reached out, And I just got a toe on it, basically, and deflected it into the corner. But they did have some good scoring chances in overtime and things like that.

But after it was over, I just remember going into the dressing room and Cliff Fletcher grabbing me and shaking me. And yes, you son of a bitch. You know, he was just so excited just to get over that hurdle and move on and get out of the smite division. I guess. So, yeah, it was good. It was good fun, good memories. The city was crazy. Probably not like when, you know, four, when you guys.

Yeah, it was. And it was electric gab, not 17th that, but electric gab was bump when I was. Yes. Yes. I remember going down there. Jamie McCown and I tried to sneak down there. And it was wall-to-wall people. And we got in there and they just put us in the office at three chairs and gave us a beer and see, you can't go out there.

Yeah, you're going to get mobbed. We got to get you out of here. And then they did. They got us out of there. Was it you in Monty or you and Call Me, try the same thing in 2004? I went down once to the Red Mile and I walked about half a block and I'm like, there's no sense being down here. You're not meeting or two.

Oh, yeah. That was crazy. So just mayhem. That's how important it is, you know. To this city. What it means to people? This sport teams and, you know, it just, I remember when we were in 85, 86, the economy wasn't that good here and that just helped the spirits of everybody and it's very important i think

that you have uh professional teams and support teams in your community and you support them and i it's a it's it's a huge part of the the makeup of this city no different than the stampeters no different than the calgary stampede and the calgary flames it's very important how because they 100% agree with you. I can remember going to the rank playing here for the flames coming over the hill on McLeod and seeing downtown. And every time I did that on the way to a game, it's a prayer, a little saying, I'd be like, okay, do it for the city, do it for the city. Like you did take pride. I feel like that's lost a little bit today with the players today. I think it might be lost a little bit, but when you do create it, and I've said this about Calgary and Edmonton and Winnipeg and Buffalo,

smaller centered teams, if you can get the guys on your team to want to represent your city and buy into what that city is, it's just as important as having the most talent. Yeah. I agree. The city in the 80s, our team, everybody that was traded here loved it here. And they enjoyed the city. They were proud to have the sea on their chest and represent the city of Calgary. It was great.

Their families would, you know, visit and come in and things. And it was just a great atmosphere. And it's important. And, you know, I think we, hopefully we, in it, obviously, if you're winning, it comes a little easier. Yes. It's when you don't make playoffs. It's hard to swallow that pill sometimes.

And everybody's kind of on pins and needles. and you want to take the first flight out after the season's over type thing. But you've got to get that winning attitude here first, and then you just take baby steps after that. I remember, side note, we just, we lost to Anaheim in that worst game seven ever in like 05 or 06, whatever. And I was going for a jog, and we were leaving that afternoon to go to Hawaii. And you drove by me down by the river on Elway.

He's like, what are you doing? I'm like, I don't know. We're going to Hawaii this afternoon. afternoon. Get out of town rats. Yeah. He's like, get out of here. So what was the tension like in the city?

Because the thing that sucked is you might have a top three team every year for a half decade, but the Oilers were up the street and they had the best player in history of hockey, which you probably knew at the time was the case and Messier and coffee and some good goalies. They rotated through. Was it a sense of like these guys will never do it or like, or was there still this positivity about how good the team was? Because missing the playoffs is one thing, but getting close.

and not getting over the hurdles also. Another form of frustration a fan base can have. Yeah, I just, I think you, you kept seeing your team getting better. Cliff made moves what was, he was trying to improve his team. And we all saw that, you know, winning president's trophies and being in the top of the league

and things like that. You know, there was an expectation of you winning. Like, you got to go to the cup or that. Yes, it was high. but we were bringing in guys like Grammage and Gilmore and the guy that saved my bacon was Rick Wamsley like we really never had another goalie in the system that could actually play and so when Rick Wamsley got here I think you played 25 games that year and I could rest I didn't have to play 65 games or whatever it was and I was fresh going into the playoffs and things

like that and he was a great supporter. He was huge for me in giving me that support, but also pushing me because every time he went in, he played well. Yeah. And I knew I got to, okay, I got to play well too when I get in there. So that was

it was an inter kind of pressure, but it was a good positive one. So you know, yes, the expectations to win were extremely high. And when we didn't win, yes, you'd feel it and especially me being a city boy and everything else going anywhere i remember going to will

park golf courts just i just went to hit balls on an off day and people shouldn't you be practicing shouldn't you be doing this shouldn't and it's like are you serious and i would just like forget it and then even after hockey games mcginnis and i would just go hoie he lived down the street and his girlfriend would make us some past him we'd just have a couple beers and just sit it in the backyard and overlooked the city. I just kind of, wow. Okay, so this is going to be the grind for the next two months or, yeah, and that's the way what you, you, you didn't really go out in public too often. We were kind of hiding. And so we've, we've heard Lanny tell his version. We've heard Colin patter tell his and many others, but you get past Vancouver in that crazy round one. I thought

rounds two and three came more easily to LA, Chicago. And then the final Montreal. You're the first team ever to lift the cup as a visitor in the Montreal form. The first one ever, only team ever to do it. Pick us up, pick it up with maybe Lanny that night and then returning home having summit at the mountain. You get, you did it. You finally had, what were the nerves going in? Obviously huge nerves, but like. Actually, it wasn't bad. We were a confident bunch. And we knew that we were capable of winning and we were all confident of that. We just had to go prove it.

So we get out there and it was into the third period and, you know, it's getting close and, you know, Lanny scores that big goal and I was so happy for him because he's probably the best captain I have ever had. And then it was like, holy smokes,

we're up. Okay, what's going to happen, boys, if we win and we're looking around and the rocket recharge thing and the riots. that happened in the old days. And we were like kind of on pins and needles,

like what it was winding down. And we're kind of all looking at each other and just, okay. So then we win and we're like, okay, we're going to celebrate. Is that all right if we celebrate here? Type thing. But the Montreal fans were,

they're so knowledgeable, but they were gracious. And they stood up and gave us an ovation. It was awesome. It was, it was really something and they actually they enhanced it for us. They made it that much better when they did that. And then we just went to the dressing room.

We had our beers. We celebrated. We changed. We jumped on the plane. It was just us. With the wives and just the scouting staff, the management. I remember we were pulling the plane back and hold it. Jack Maloney goes, go forward. They had to order more beer to get on the plane. I don't think we got enough, get some more on there. And then we took off.

But it was just us. I remember sitting with Ian McKenzie, Glenn Hall, and just sitting with everybody and having a beer and hugs and just us. We did it in this plane. It's this group from management right down to the stick boys and the trade,

everybody. And it was awesome. It was a really good way to win it. Yeah, we probably would have, you know, enjoyed it to winning in front of our fans and let the whole city erupt. But they had the parade to do that. I was going to say, yeah, the next summer for that.

And all summer, they had bragging rights. Hey, guys, it's Pinder time for your bet way better the day. We're going to dive into some NFL futures today. There's nothing quite as lovable as a rookie running back. They're not hurt and broken yet. They're excited to be in the league and they rush for tons of yardage. Bejohn Robinson was the first running back off the board to Atlanta. And this year's draft, he was a stud at college.

He's 10 to 1 to win the rushing title this year in the NFL behind a solid Atlanta O line. Let's dance on 10 to 1 for Bejohn Robinson to win the rushing title in the NFL this season. That's your bet way, bet of the day. That's it for part one of our sit down with the Hall of Famer Mike Vernon. Thanks for watching. Be sure to join us tomorrow. 10 a.m. Mountain on YouTube as we'll debut part two with the affable fun friendly. Everyone loves them. Mike Vernon.