The Love Boat

Barry Gibb

Jim Backus

Marilyn McCoo

The Waltons

Gilligan’s Island

Christmas Day memories

Christmas Eve memories

Muppets

Christmas music

Charlie Brown Christmas

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Frosty the Snow Man

Christmas Comes to Willow Creek

Christmas Vacation

Billy Gibbons

Don Johnson

Bill Ranford

Dick Van Dyke

James Lofton

Motley Crue

Cher

Ryan O'Neal

Remembering the Ecole Polytechnique Tragedy

Brian Bonsall

Norman Lear

Myles Goodwin

Katarina Witt

Darryl Hannah

Cruel Summer

Meghan Follows

Andre Dawson

Robert DeNiro

Ed Harris

Harrison Ford

Artists Against Apartheid

Beau Bridges

9 to 5

Eddie Murphy

Luc Tousignant

Gerry Dattilio

Remembering "2001: A Space Odyssey"

Joe Barnes

Rhea Perlman

Airwolf

Paul McDonald

Pierre Turgeon

Bobby Knight

Ritchie Hall

Remembering 1989 CFL West Final

Weird Al Yankovic

KISS

Patrick Dempsey

Stephen King

Rick Tocchet

Harry Skipper

Danny DeVito

A-Ha: Take on me

Queen

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Family Feud

Lomas Brown

Tim Matheson

Mike Lashuk

Matthew Perry

Erica Gimpel

Michael Caine

Richard Roundtree

Last Days of Pompeii

Miles Gorrell

John Carpenter

Yates Memorial Centre

Remembering Skulktoberfest '88

Burt Young

Shaddap You Face

Lethbridge Community College open house

Suzanne Somers

Rickey’s Believe it or Not

The Thing 1982

Roxette's "Listen to Your Heart"

Roxette's "Dressed for Success"

Roxette's "The Look"

Mary Lou Retton

Oh boy: Remembering the original "Quantum Leap"

Matt Dunigan: Dawn of an amazing career

David Foster

Dick Butkus

Drew Barrymore

Fall on the farm: “You are the one” by Mike and the Mechanics

Smith and Smith

U2

Robin Leach

Aerosmith

Ed Asner

Kurt Browning

Trooper

David McCallum

April Wine

Platinum Blonde

Steve Martin

The Golden Bridge

Going Berserk

The Jazz Singer

Larry Crawford

Mr. Dressup

Lloyd Fairbanks

Chilliwack: Staple of the junior high dance

Glass Tiger

Ethan Hawke: Getting his start in the '80s

A life lesson from "Explorers"

Sound of Music

Eleven years of RobVogt80s

Roller skating

 Cadbury Easter cream eggs

First anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II

Celebrating Star Trek day

Loverboy: The band is hot tonight

Matthew Modine

Doug Flutie: Destined for the CFL

The Jitters

Jim Kelly

Dan Marino

You Belong to the City

The Longest Time

Remembering Break My Stride

Remember "Twist of Fate" by Olivia Newton-John

Remembering "The Warrior" by Scandal featuring Patti Smyth

"Miss Me Blind" by Culture Club: The Germans are coming

Bob Barker

Condorman

Jeff Healey

Bruce Willis

 Has dementia

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Paul Osbaldiston

 Hamilton wall of fame

Steve Fonyo

James Bell

Brent Korte

Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill"

Whoop-Up Days

Roots Clothing

Second City's 50th anniversary

Remembering side arm relievers

 Nick Sandlin reminded me of two of the best

Stacy Keach

Zenon Andrusyshen

 Died August 7

Robbie Robertson

 Died today

Joe Klecko

 2023 Hall of Fame inductee

Don Coryell

 2023 Hall of Fame inductee

Gilles Gilbert

Lloyd Moseby

 Davis Schneider became the fourth Blue Jay with five hits in his first two career MLB games.

One of the others was Lloyd Moseby

Rueben Mayes

Tim Petros

 Dad Nick just passed away

Buffy St. Marie

Cineplex Odeon comes to Lethbridge

Peewee Herman

Ernie Hudson

Andy Kim

 Order of Canada

Jim Burrow

Peasant vision, part two: Channel 13

Sinead O’Connor

Remembering the Lethbridge Dodgers

Woody Harrelson

Give to Live by Sammy Hagar

Boston Pizza memories

Coles Notes

Coles Books

A Salute to the Loonie

Stan Lee

The return of Zellers

Lourdes Gurriel

The Nylons

1983 Toronto Argonauts

Mr. Roboto

 Volks Wagen commercial

Barb and Ernie’s

Martin Short

American Dream

 King Louis buzzer boards

Hey Nikita: Remembering Elton John

Steve Bauer

David Morse

The Price is Right

Michael Landon

 His daughter on Yellowstone

Kate Vernon

Carol Kane

Jennifer Aniston

Wimbledon: The Rise of Boris Becker

Kylie Minogue

Courtney Cox

Chalk Circle

Doug Wickenheiser

True by Spandau Ballet

 Turbo Tax commercial

Belinda Carlisle

Big Trouble in Little China

 A saying we used when we were I no big trouble

Shari Belafonte-Harper

Supertramp

 Post Roger Hodgkin on Good Rockin Tonite

Cannonball

Giveaway contest

Mike Vernon

Drive by The Cars

 Dean on auto play after a break up

During Live Aid

Andrew McCarthy

 New book

Wok with Yan

Flash dance what a feeling

 Tips Pizza

Ted McGinley

Name that Tune with Lee Yule

WEM

 Bourbon Street

Zembelli’s

DOA

Remembering Tin Tin

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom

McDonald’s

Tom Hanks

Diane Ladd

- book with her daughter Laura Dern - did not know that

- show “Alice”

Remembering the “Hagler-Hearns” fight

My history in hats

Almost Paradise

 Hoeing sugar beets and heating it the first time

Summer of 1984 in Brooks where zi learned from the Footloose soundtrack

Later discovering Mike Reno is from Loverboy, Ann Wilson is from Heart

Don’t Stop Believing

 The Sopranos, Glee on TV

The Escape album - discovered it when they made a video game out of it

Steve Perry who I discovered first as a solo performer with O Sherrie, Foolish Heart

Richard Brodeur: Remembering King Richard

 Kevin Tabata sending a letter to him in 1994

Battle of the goalies and Mike Uytdewilligen inciting his name as the third goalie of the Islanders

Remembering the 1982 Vancouver Canucks

Remembering Eaton’s

The many lives of John McLean

Mattel

Not quite K-mart: Remembering Kresge's

Corey Feldman

Remembering the 1986 Alberta election

Remembering the 1985 World Hockey Championship

Red Apple: Remembering Woolworth's

Riding the bus" Remembering "The Safety Dance"

Tina Turner: Remembering Private Dancer and more

She was the powerful presence on stage. Her powerful voice matched by these powerful yet sensual legs that just made her a force to be reckoned with.




During the 1980s, Tina Turner re-emerged on the music scene as a solo artist who could bring it every time she appeared on a stage or screen.




Yesterday, the news broke that Tina Turner died at the age of 83.




It brought back all these memories of a period in the 1980s when she was simply the best.




The years before

Tina Turner had gained success and stardom performing with her husband Ike Turner in the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s.




By 1983, Wikipedia reveals Tina Turner had become a nostalgia act.




That all changed in 1984 in what has been called one of the greatest comebacks in music history.




“Private Dancer”

Tina Turner’s 1984 album “Private Dancer” coincided with the time I started listening to music. The first single I heard was “What’s Love Got to do With it”, I recall the video of Tina Turner walking and those powerful legs being highlighted. It was actually, as I recently discovered, the third single released off that album.




That song went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was her only number one single. It was the second biggest single of 1984 and made Turner the oldest solo female artist, at age 44, to top the Hot 100 to that point.




She followed that up with “Better be Good to Me” in 1984, which went all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the “Miami Vice Soundtrack”.




My favourite single from that period was the next release off that album. It was the title track “Private Dancer” and went all the way to number seven in 1984. What I just loved was that it was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.




She capped off her comeback winning three times at the 1985 Grammy awards. She took home Grammys for record of the year for “What’s Love Got to do With it”; best vocal performance female for “What’s Love Gotto do With it”; and best rock vocal performance female for “Better Be Good to Me”.




“What’s Love Got to do With it” also won song of the year, for song writers Terry Britten and Graham Lyle.




The cause of others

Tina Turner seemed to be everywhere as the 1980s continued. When famine and starvation killed millions in Africa, artists banded together in common cause to raise funds for famine relief.




One such effort was USA for Africa, where American artists banded together to sing “We Are the World” in 1985. Tina Turner was right there, singing her part, the words, “We are all a part of God’s great big family”




The song sold more than 20 million copies, raising more than $63 million for aid in Africa and the U.S. That would translate to about $168 million today.




Following on the heels of Band Aid, Northern Lights, and USA for Africa, was a fundraising concert called Live Aid. It was two concerts in mid-July of 1985, one at Wembley Stadium in London, the other at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. It was in the City of Brotherly Love that Tina Turner brought down the house, singing a high energy duet of “State of Shock” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll” with Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones.




I remember watching that in the living room of my friend Chris Vining, on July 13, 1985. We both just kept saying, “Boy can they rock.” Then she ripped her skirt. It was awesome.




“It’s Only Love”

Turner had another high energy, all-out duet in 1985. This time she teamed up with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams for “It’s Only Love”, which was the sixth and final release from his 1984 breakout album “Reckless”.




It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1986; and peaked at number 14 in Canada. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and won an MTV Video Music Award for best stage performance.




Hitting the movies

The hits kept on coming for Tina Turner, as she ventured to Australia in 1985 to play alongside Mel Gibson in the third installment of the Mad Max trilogy, called “Mad Max III: Beyond Thunderdome”. The story continues the journey of Max, played by Gibson, in a post-apocalyptic world that began with “Mad Max” and continued in “The Road Warrior”.




Turner contributed two songs to the soundtrack, that both had a haunting quality to them. “We Don’t Need Another Hero” utilizes the voices of a children’s choir to give it an extra haunting quality. Wikipedia reveals that group was a choral group from King’s House School in Richmond, London. “We Don’t Need Another Hero” was released on July 8, 1985, and went all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, one of her biggest hit singles.




“One of the Living” was released in Sepember of 1985 and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, and Turner, also won the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1986.




Rule breaker

“Break Every Rule”, Turner’s much anticipated follow up album to “Private Dancer” was released in September of 1986, and it did not disappoint.




The first single was “Typical Male”, which went all the way to number two for three consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, in October of 1986.




“Two People” was the second single off “Break Every Rule”, released in October of 1986, and peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. “What You Get is What You See” was released in February of 1987 and went all the way to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.




“Back Where You Started” was written by Bryan Adams and his song-writing partner Jim Vallance, and it won Turner her third straight Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female. It did not chart, because it was never officially released as a single.




Best for last

Tina Turner closed out the decade by releasing “Foreign Affair” in 1989. It was her seventh studio album and featured the song “The Best”, which was released in August of 1989. “The Best” went all the way to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of her signature songs.




The years after

Turner continued to keep on performing and recording. Her life story was brought to life in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got to do With it” where she contributed the single “I Don’t Want to Fight” to the soundtrack. It peaked at number nine on the Billboad Hot 100. She also recorded the title track for the James Bond thriller “Goldeneye” in 1995. It was written by The Edge and Bono of U2.




Parting thoughts

What can you say about Tina Turner. At an age when a lot of people were beginning to slow down, she was just getting started.




She was inspiring, not only for her amazing comeback in the 1980s and all the adversity she overcame, but for the way she performed on stage. She just went out there and gave everything she had. She will be sorely missed for her music, her courage, dedication and energy.




There was no one like Tina Turner.

Kiefer Sutherland: More than Donald's son

He always seemed to be bullying someone, whether it was the four adventurers in “Stand by Me” or would-be vampires in “The Lost Boys”.

Yet as the decade wore on, he began to mature, spread out into a variety of roles and, in the years beyond, make a name for himself on television as an action hero and a statesman.

Through it all, I could not stop thinking, “Boy does Kiefer Sutherland look like his dad!”

Early days
Initially, I heard about Kiefer Sutherland more than I actually saw him. He had appeared in this Canadian movie that won a bunch of Genie awards. It was called “The Bay Boy”, came out in 1984 and has Sutherland playing a man named Donald Campbell growing up in Nova Scotia in the 1930s. When I saw a clip all I could think was how much he looked like his dad.

A year later, in 1985, I saw his name again, this time in an episode of Steven Spielberg’s entré into television called “Amazing Stories”. Sutherland plays part of a Second World War air crew. I didn’t see the show, but when I saw a photo from it, I thought how much he looked like his dad.

Big screen bully
Pretty soon, Sutherland migrated to the big screen. The first time I saw Kiefer Sutherland was in 1986 as the older brother of one of the four boys in “Stand by Me”. That's where he terrorized the young adventurers.

He gave new meaning to the word terrorize in 1987 when I saw him as a teenage vampire in “The Lost Boys", terrorizing Cory Haim and Corey Feldman.

Sutherland was awesome in both roles as a psychotic, violent antagonist.

It would have been easy to get type cast, but he avoided that, for the most part.

Incidentally, he also appeared alongside Michael J. Fox as a self-destructive party animal in “Bright Lights, Big City” in 1988, but I never did see that movie.

Go west young man
His next role was in 1988 where he played “Doc”, one of the more reasonable friends of Emilio Estevez’s “Billy the Kid” in “Young Guns”. My overriding memory of Doc is being in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting blood spattered on the side of his face when “Billy the Kid” shot someone in the side of the head. He just kept on as if nothing happened. It was a bit chilling.

It was also a totally different role.

Double time
Sutherland had appeared in “Young Guns” with Lou “Diamond” Phillips, who was a good friend of Sutherland’s. The two teamed up in 1989 a movie called “The Renegades”. Sutherland plays a city cop who teams up with Phillips, playing a man hunting a murderer.

I saw that movie in the theatre with my good fried Sean Drake. When we were leaving the theatre, the thing we both mentioned first was how long the car chase that opened the movie was.

We agreed it was the longest car chase we’d ever seen.

The years after
Things just got better for Kiefer Sutherland on the big screen after that. He would appear in “Flatliners” in 1990; “Young Guns II” the same year; “A Few Good Men” in 1992 and “A Time to Kill” in 1996. In the latter two movies, he again played a bully prone to violence.

Sutherland would find major success on TV. First, he had a long run as an operative working for a counter-terrorist unit in “24”. Later he played a man who unexpectedly becomes president of the United States when everyone in front of him in the line of succession dies in “Designated Survivor”.

He continues acting to this day with his most recent television role in “Rabbit Hole”.

Parting thoughts
I always root for Canadians in Hollywood, and Kiefer Sutherland was no exception. Yet, initially it seemed as if he played the same role over and over as the bully with a mean streak that often turned violent. He was really good at appearing creepy and, on occasion, soulless. It was the same in “Stand by Me”; “The Lost Boys”; “A Few Good Men”; and “A Time to Kill”.

Yet he would branch out to different roles, most notably in television, and forged a solid career that continues to this day.

He no longer is the actor who looks like his dad.

Remembering Gordon Lightfoot

He will always be the one who led-off a star-studded line-up performing a beautiful song to raise money for famine relief.

It said a great deal to me that Gordon Lightfoot was the first voice we heard on “Tears Are Not Enough”, ahead of Burton Cummings, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Dan Hill, Corey Hart, Bryan Adams and so many others.

At that time, I did not know as much about Gordon Lightfoot as I do now, but I still have some odd memories of him and his music.

I was thinking about that a few weeks ago when I heard Gordon Lightfoot had died.

He was 84 years old.

The years before
Gordon Lightfoot was already a household name when I started listening to music in 1984. He was just a part of the fabric of Canadian music and culture. I cannot recall any time I was introduced to him. He was always there.

The songs I first heard, largely because Canadian content requirements meant a healthy helping of legends such as Lightfoot, included “Carefree Highway”; “Sundown”; “If You Could Read My Mind”; and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

Poetry in motion
The first time I recall talking about Gordon Lightfoot was actually in language arts class at St. Joseph’s School in Coaldale. It was either Grade 7 or 8. The reason I cannot narrow it down further was because my home room was the same for both grades, and so was my teacher – Mr. Terry Roth.

When we studied our poetry unit, Mr. Roth gave us this poem about a boat called “The Golden Vanity”. He talked about how song lyrics were just poems, and played a song called “The Golden Vanity” that was essentially the poem set to music.

He also played another song with the theme of sinking the “Turkish Reverie” to illustrate how different artists could interpret poetry differently.

That led into a discussion of poets who were story tellers, and Mr. Roth described Gordon Lightfoot as a poet and story teller. I recall hearing two selections by Lightfoot. One was “Pussy Willows, Cat Tails” and the phrase, “shivering, quivering” in particular. The other song was “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” as a classic example of a poem telling a story.

Solid Gold sound
Once I started listening to music, in addition to the radio, I started watching shows such as “Video Hits”, “Switchback”, and “Solid Gold”.

Unlike most shows, which played music videos, “Solid Gold” had a countdown but welcomed singers and bands performing live on the show.

One Saturday night, I recall Gordon Lightfoot. Everything I had heard about him at the time led me to believe he was a folk singer type with jeans and an acoustic guitar. This was not the case. He was dressed a little more trendy. What really struck me was the electric guitar he played, which did not feel like folk music at all.

I remember that more than the song he played because, by the 1980s, he was not turning out any more radio hits. I don’t recall ever hearing new Gordon Lightfoot music on the radio throughout the time I listened.

Northern Lights
The world was profoundly affected in the latter part of 1984 by the horrifying pictures coming out of Africa and the famine that was wreaking devastation. Musicians, starting with Irish performer Bob Geldof, started raising money for this famine relief by creating these groups of artists who banded together for a single, powerful song. Geldof and Midge Uhr started the trend with an effort called “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” in December of 1984.

A few months later, in early 1985, USA for Africa formed producing “We Are the World”. Included on that album was a song that will forever be stamped on my heart.

It was called “Tears Are Not Enough”, which was uniquely Canadian, and had an actual call to action. It was Canadian in that it had both English and French singers, every major band and performer of the past 20 years in Canada, and footage was included on the video from that year’s NHL all-star game with the players singing “Tears Are Not Enough”.

Leading off that song and, really, setting the tone was Gordon Lightfoot.

His words echo in my ears as I type this – “As every day goes by, how can we close our eyes?”

That was my true introduction to the magic of Gordon Lightfoot.

The years after
As the years went on, and we began to honour the past, and music became more accessible, I heard Gordon Lightfoot, and really began to appreciate how talented a story teller he was.

Following Gordon Lightfoot on “Tears Are Not Enough” was Burton Cummings. It was cool, because I always associated the two. I later discovered they were actually friends too. So much so that when I bought Cummings’ “Up Close and Alone” tape in he summer of 1996, it had a song that makes me laugh every time I hear it.

Cummings calls it, “If Rod Stewart was Gordon Lightfoot’s favourite singer.” In it, Cummings does an imimtation of what he thinks Lightfoot would sound like singing Rod Stewart’s Maggie Mae.

It is one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

Parting thoughts
One of the best things about getting older is to reflect on the things in life. One of those things for me is the music of Gordon Lightfoot. When he died, I found a greatest hits compilation on YouTube and just let it play all day while I worked.

The familiar songs struck a chord because they reminded me of the artist himself.

The songs I had never heard before really moved me, because they all told a story, had this lyrical quality, and evoked vivid images.

I remembered this quote from Bob Dylan, cited often right after Lightfoot died.

Bob Dylan said he never heard a Gordon Lightfoot song that he didn’t like. They were all good.

That was high praise from one of the greatest singers and song writers in history.

I have to agree with him.

The NHL playoffs: How things have changed

As the NHL conference finals progress, I took a look back and thought, how different it was in the 1980s.

Franchise stability

At the dawn of the decade, the NHL had its last expansion for, well, a decade. In 1979, the National Hockey League had finally vanquished its pesky rival the World Hockey Association, resulting in a merger that saw the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers, and Edmonton Oilers enter the league.

That brought the number of teams to 21. That number would not change until 1991, when the San Jose Sharks became the 22nd franchise in the NHL.

There was also one re-location in 1980 when the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary.

In fact, the league was so stable there would only be one other re-location when the Colorado Rockies moved to New Jersey and became the Devils in 1982. They also moved from the Smythe Division to the Patrick Division, and Winnipeg moved from the Norris Division to the Smythe. This was also the last time a team changed divisions in the decade.

Playoff certainty
The league realigned for the 1981-1982 season where wild cards were eliminated and the top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. First played fourth and second played third in each division in the first round, or division semi-finals. The winners played in the second round, or division final, then those winners played in the conference final, with those two winners playing for the Stanley Cup.

The four divisions were the Smythe and Norris in the Campbell Conference and the Adams and Patrick in the Wales Conference.

It created playoff certainty that, for some, led to playoff monotony. The same teams would meet in the playoffs, especially those first two divisional rounds.

Worse, with no wild cards, weaker divisions had teams qualify for the playoffs with records that were worse, and sometimes far worse, than other divisions.

This structure remained until the start of the 1993-1994 season.

Expansion and re-location
The league decided after a decade, it was indeed time to expand, and the 1990s was a period of rapid growth. In 1991 the San Jose Sharks entered the NHL; in 1992 it was the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning; and in 1993 the Might Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers. It is evident, there was also a desire to move into southern or sun belt markets.

The expansion continued to make the league a full 30 teams with the Nashville Predators entering in 1998; the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999; and the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000.

Meanwhile franchises also began to re-locate with the Minnesota North Stars moving to Texas to become the Dallas Stars in 1993; the Quebec Nordiques moving to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995; the Winipeg Jets moving to Phoenix to become the Arizoan Coyotes in 1996; the Hartford Whalers moving to become the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997; and the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg in 2011.

The Vegas Golden Knights joined the league in 2017 and the Seattle Kraken became the 32nd NHL franchise in 2021.

The warm weather teams continued a trend, or achieved a goal of the NHL, to move into southern warmer climates. That began with L.A. after the Gretzky trade.

The playoffs today
What a contrast this year’s conference finals are to the entire decade of the 1980s.

There are no original six team in the semi-finals. There is one second six team, that is the six teams that joined in the first expansion in 1967. That is the Minnesota North Stars who have re-located to Dallas. There are no teams that entered in any of the expansions of the 1970s. There is one team from the WHA merger, the Hartford Whalers who moved to Carolina. There is one team from the expansions of the 1990s, the Florida Panthers. Finally, there is one team, Vegas, from the second most recent expansion.

Parting thoughts
I find it interesting how much the NHL has changed. There was no expansion and complete stability in the league in the entire decade of the 1980s.

Now, none of the four teams in the 2023 semi-finals existed in the 1980a as they stand now. Only two existed at all, but in different forms and different cities.

It is quite interesting.

Strange Advance’s “We Run”: Remembering the quote board

"At the point of the knife, you never see anyone.
How the strong will survive, at the end of their gun.
We run." ~ Strange Advance

It was those words I saw written on a dry erase board that made me realize, I didn’t know the actual words until I saw them in writing.

I heard “We Run” by Strange Advance today, and it reminded me of a friend I met in 1988 who did some neat things.

Moving in
It was the fall of 1988 and I was moving into Kelsey Hall for my second year of university. I moved in a week early because I had training as a floor coordinator.

I had gone up with my best friend Chris Vining, who was also going to training. We, along with my parents, were busy getting stuff out of our vehicles to load on a trolley to take to our new home.

That’s when a guy wearing a burgundy tam o’shanter appeared, and helped us move in. I was moving into room 528K on the fifth floor and it turned out he had just moved into 428K, directly below me.

His name was Bruce Freadrich.

Quote wall
Bruce did a lot of interesting things. We had these dry erase boards outside our doors for people to write on, and Bruce was an English major. Consequently, he started writing quotes on his board, and updated them regularly.

I was down on his floor for a number of different reasons, and always had to pass his door and saw the newest quote on my way by.

The quotes were all interesting but, honestly, at the age of 18 I did not recognize a single one of them.

That all changed one day when I read the quote and recognized it instantly.

It was a song, from a few years earlier when I was just getting into music.

“We Run”
It was the chorus from “We Run” by Strange Advance. It was a song that came out in those few months after I got my first ever ghetto blaster for Christmas of 1984. Due, I am sure, to Canadian content requirements, it seemed “We Run” was on the radio all the time.

I really liked the song, but I always thought the chorus “At the point of tonight, you never see anyone” but that makes noooo sense.

It is a Canadian classic now, but when I checked in on how it did on the charts, it peaked at number 28 in Canada. I don’t think it was even released in the States.

Still, it appears on many Canadian ‘80s compilations I have come across online.

Parting thoughts
Music can conjure up some interesting memories.

Whenever I hear “We Run”, I am taken back to that 1988-1989 school year and a friend who exposed me to a lot of things. Some I had not only seen, but dreamed of doing.

I will always be grateful to Bruce Freadrich for that.

And for setting me straight on the lyrics of a great song.

Chad Lowe: Much more than Rob’s little brother

It took me a minute before it clicked in. We were watching “911:Lone Star” and Owen Strand, the character played by Rob Lowe, goes to visit his dying father. He meets this really nice guy in the waiting room, and they hit it off.

That guy looked familiar but I couldn’t place him.

As the show continued, we discover that nice guy is actually Owen’s younger half-brother Robert. Needless to say, Owen was estranged from his father.

At that moment it hit me.

I turned to my spouse and blurted out, “That’s Rob Lowe’s real-life little brother”.

Robert Strand was, in fact, played by Chad Lowe.

It reminded me of a time where I wanted to see him but could not, and another time where his performance touched my heart.

Spencer, but not for hire
Part of living in the country and having access to just three channels on peasant vision, meant we did not get all the shows that were airing on American primetime TV.

Making matters worse was that we got “TV Guide” every week and I read about all these shows that looked interesting, but some were just not on our channels.

One was a show called “Spencer”. It was about a high-school student named Spencer Winger. I recall reading it starred Rob Lowe’s younger brother Chad in the title role. I also read that Lowe left the series after six episodes, and it became a show called “Under One Roof”.

That’s all I know because I never saw it.

Still, I was curious. Rob Lowe was pretty popular from a variety of roles, and I wanted to see his brother.

The years beyond
Chad Lowe did have some other acting gigs in the 1980s on TV and in theatres, most notably in TV movies and after-school specials.

His breakout was a role in “Life Goes On”, where he earned an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1993.

His career took off after that.

The role where I first really saw him was in “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story” in 2000, where he was just amazing. Interestingly, a guy I knew in Edmonton named Trevor Davell had a bit part in that movie too.

Lowe continues to act to this day in a wide variety of shows. Those have included “ER”; “Touched by an Angel”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “CSI: Miami”; “Medium”; “24”; “Bones”; “Ghost Whisperer”; “Pretty Little Liars”; “Rizzoli and Isles”; and “Supergirl”.

Getting Swank-y
The other more recent memory of him was as the husband of Hillary Swank. When she won an Oscar in 2005 for “Million Dollar Baby”, she was gushing over Lowe, all his support, and how much she loved him. I thought that was really cool, because he too looked so happy. I did not know that when Swank won an Oscar in 2000 for “Boys Don’t Cry” she forgot to thank Lowe in her acceptance speech.

In 2006, they announced their intention to divorce, and it became final in 2007.

Parting thoughts
Chad Lowe has also turned into a first-rate director, with turns on shows such as “Bones”; “Brothers and Sisters”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Without a Trace”; “Pretty Little Liars” and more.

Add to that an Emmy, and some great roles such as the iconic John Denver, and Chad Lowe is much more than Rob Lowe’s little brother.

I still wish I had seen him on “Spencer”.

I’ll see you over at YouTube.

Peter Draisaitl: A great first act

Whenever the subject of Leon Draisaitl comes up, and my love for him as a hockey player, some have suggested I like him strictly because he, like myself, is German.

That is absolutely true, but the answer I always give is, “I saw his dad play.”

It is true, my interest in the Draisaitl family goes back to 1988 when Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics, and welcomed a team from West Germany.

West Germany
If you grew up in the 1980s, it is hard to believe the country is one Germany now. Back then, it had been divided into East and West Germany after they lost the Second World War. West Germany, which had been occupied by Great Britain, the United States, and France, was free and democratic. East Germany, which was occupied by the Soviet Union, was Communist and sealed off from the world by the Iron Curtain.

They were two distinct countries until their reunification in 1990. That meant they did everything separately, including send teams to the Winter and Summer Olympics.

The Calgary Olympics
It is also hard to believe it has been 35 years since Calgary welcomed the world for the 15th Winter Olympics. With all the talk of a new arena for Calgary, it is equally hard to believe the Saddledome was a state-of-the art facility built for the Olympics, then to become home to the Calgary Flames.

It was at the Saddledome where Peter Draisaitl played as a member of the West German hockey team.

Prelude to the Olympics
Draisaitl started playing professional hockey in West Germany and had four seasons with Mannheimer ERC under his belt when he travelled to Calgary with the West German Olympic hockey team in 1988.

It would be his first international tournament with the national team. In 1983 he appeared in five games at the European Junior Championship, recording three goals and an assist for four points. In 1984 he played in the World Junior Championship, playing in seven games and scoring three goals and adding two assists for five points.

Now, at the age of 22, he was set to take the stage in 1988 in the biggest international tournament of the year.

Olympic hockey
West Germany was in Group B with the vaunted Soviet team for the First Round. It was round robin where every team played each other. The Germans opened by defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1; then beat Norway 7-3; beat Austria 3-1; lost to the Soviet Union 6-3; and concluded with a 4-1 victory over the United States.

The results left West Germany in second place in Group B with eight points.

The Final Round was unique. The top three teams from each group advanced to the Final Round. The points from their own group would carry over, and they would play the three teams from the other pool.

West Germany therefore had a win over Czechoslovakia and a loss to the Soviets carry over.

They opened the Final Round play losing 8-0 to Finland. Two days later Canada hammered the West Germans 8-1.

Their hopes of a medal were gone. If they beat Sweden, the bronze medal would have gone to Canada because they would have four points and Canada had five. Obviously, if the West Germans lost, they were still out of the medals.

They did lose 3-2, giving Sweden the bronze. The West Germans finished fifth, ahead of Czechoslovakia on the strength of beating them in head to head play.

I recall that West Germany-Sweden game on Feb. 28, 1988. I was walking through the Main Kelsey lounge, and heard the guys cheering for West Germany to win, because it would give Canada the bronze.

Peter Draisaitl played in all eight games for West Germany, recording one assist.

International hockey
Peter Draisaitl would play for West Germany in the 1989 and 1990 World Hockey Championships. After reunification, he played for Germany in the 1992 and 1998 Olympic Games; in the 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997 and 1998 World Championships; and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

His international totals were 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 73 games.

Pro hockey and beyond
Draisaitl played professionally in Germany for Mannheimer ERC, Kolner Haie, ESC Moskitos Essen, and Revierlowen Oberhausen until the end of the 2000-2001 season.

His career totals were 279 goals and 401 assists for 680 points.

After his playing career ended, he went into coaching and currently coaches in Germany with the Krefeld Pinguine.

On October 27, 1995, Peter’s son Leon was born.

The rest is history.

Parting thoughts
I can’t say that Peter Draisaitl was a super star as a player, nor that I followed his career closely. Back in the 1980s it just wasn’t possible to follow any player or league other than those in North America. Even then, it was primarily the NHL, maybe the AHL and the WHL where I grew up.

Still, I do recall that 1988 West German Olympic team and, because they were not in the same group as Canada in the First Round, cheering for them. I also recall cheering for them to beat Sweden to give Canada that bronze medal, although not as hard as the guys from Main Kelsey.

And Peter Draisaitl was part of that.

It was a good first act in hockey. The second act, his son Leon, is even better.

Grant Fuhr: Missed him by that much

He was arguably the best goaltender of the 1980s. Even if he wasn’t, he helped his Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cup championships and helped Team Canada win the Canada Cup in 1984 and 1987.

But my memories of Grant Fuhr go back to before his time in the NHL.

Cougar Town
The first time I heard about Grant Fuhr was on CBC Calgary Channel 9. Sports reporter Gary Arthur did a piece on a rising young star goaltender with the Victoria Cougars who was from Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Then I would hear about him occasionally on TV or radio, and read about him in the odd sports page I came across.

The one thing I wondered at the time was “How do you pronounce Fuhr?” Is it “Fuhr like purr” or “Fuhr like pure”? It turned out to be Fuhr as in pure.

That came in handy as the Victoria Cougars were coming to town to play the Lethbridge Broncos during the 1979-1980 season.

I was so excited.

Missed him by that much
Somehow, I was able to convince my parents to take me to the game. I was pumped.

Fuhr wore a distinctive mask. It was fibre glass, with three vertical stripes dividing the entire area of his face. He would wear a mask with a similar design when he started with the Edmonton Oilers.

We got to the Lethbridge Sportsplex in plenty of time to see the teams warm up. There in the net was a goalie wearing that exact mask. After taking about a dozen or so shots, he skated to the bench, where he conferred with another goalie, this one wearing a cage.

The conference broke up, and the one with the cage skated to the Cougar net.

I soon learned his name was Kevin Eastman, and he would be playing goal that night for Victoria.

My heart fell.

It hurt the Cougars too, because I am pretty sure the Broncos beat the Cougars that night.

Future’s so bright
Grant Fuhr was the Western Hockey League’s outstanding goalie in 1981, and led them to the league championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. He was also a league all-star in both seasons he played in the WHL, the 1979-1980 and 1980-1981 seasons.

The Edmonton Oilers were already strong in net with Andy Moog and Ed Mio, but in the 1981 NHL entry draft, they took Grant Fuhr with the eighth pick overall. He was the highest goalie ever taken in the draft, to that point.

He split his time with Moog over the next few seasons. In 1981-1982, his rookie year, Fuhr appeared in 48 games, winning 28, losing five, tying 14, recording no shut outs and having a 3.31 goals against average.

Stanley Cup success
The following year, 1982-1983, the Oilers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final, although Moog was the starting goalie for the run that culminated in a loss to the New York Islanders. Fuhr played in 32 games, winning 13, losing 12, tying five, with no shut outs and a 4.29 goals against average. He played in one playoff game, for 11 minutes, allowing no goals. He also played 10 games in the minors, so I wonder if he had an injury that year and was rehabbing it in Moncton.

The Oilers were back in the Stanley Cup final in the 1983-1984 season, for a rematch with the Islanders. This time, Fuhr had been named the starter for the playoffs. He did not disappoint, appearing in 16 games, winning 11, losing four, recording one shut out and a 3.00 goals against average, as the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup. He was injured part way through Game 3 of the final, so Moog played the last two games. In the regular season he played in 45 games, winning 30, losing 10, tying four, recording one shut out and a goals against average of 3.91.

Fuhr was also tapped on the shoulder to play for Team Canada in the 1984 Canada Cup, where he helped win gold, playing in two games, winning one and tying one with a goals against average of 3.00.

By the start of the 1984-1985 season, Fuhr was the number one goaltender for the Oilers. He appeared in 46 games games, winning 26, losing eight, tying seven with one shut out and a 3.87 goals against average, as the Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for their second straight Stanley Cup.

The 1985-1986 season promised to be another championship season, as the Oilers were top of the league. Fuhr turned in another solid campaign, with 29 wins, eight losses, no ties or shut outs, and a 3.93 goals against average in 40 games. After the Oilers dispatched Vancouver in three straight games, they engaged Calgary in an epic seven-game series, that turned on a simple play involving Fuhr. Defenceman Steve Smith came out from behind his own net and, attempting a cross-ice pass, hit Fuhr and the puck went in the net. It gave the Flames the lead, but the Oilers could not score over the next 15 minutes, so the Flames recorded one of the biggest upsets in NHL history.

Undeterred, the Oilers were back in the Stanley Cup final in the 1986-1987 season, where they outlasted the feisty Philadelphia Flyers in a seven-game series. Fuhr was 14-5 in 19 games in the playoffs, with no shut outs and a 2.47 goals against average. During the regular season he had 22 wins, 13 losses, three ties, no shut outs and a 3.44 goals against average.

That season, the NHL replaced the all-star game with a two-game exhibition against a team of Soviet all-stars called Rendez-Vous ’87. The teams split the two games, with Fuhr apearing both games for the NHL all-stars.

Before the start of the 1987-1988 season, Fuhr backstopped Team Canada to a win over the Soviet Union in the Canada Cup. He appeared in all nine of Canada’s games, including the epic three-game final. He had six wins, a loss, two ties and a goals against average of 3.34.

The following season was Fuhr’s best. Andy Moog had been dealt to Boston, so Fuhr played in 75 games, winning 40, losing 24, tying nine, recording four shut outs, and a 3.43 goals against average. The Oilers won their fourth Stanley Cup, defeating my beloved Boston Bruins in the final. Fuhr won all 16 games, lost two, and had a goals against average of 2.91. That year he also won his only Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie and finished second in balloting for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

Things changed in the 1988-1989 season for the Oilers. In a trade that shocked the hockey world, Wayne Gretzky was sent to Los Angeles. Subsequently, the teams met in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Kings winning in seven games, and ending the Oilers hope for a third straight Stanley Cup and fifth in six years. Fuhr played in 59 games, winning 23, losing 26, tying six, recording one shut out and a 3.83 goals against average. He appeared in all seven playoff games, recording one shut out and a 3.45 goals against average.

The decade close with the 1989-1990 season, and the Oilers winning their fifth Stanley Cup, defeating my beloved Bruins once more in the final. Fuhr was injured much of that season, appearing in just 21 games for the Oilers, winning nine, losing seven, tying three, recording one shut out and a 3.01 goals against average. He did not make any appearances in the playoffs, as his replacement Bill Ranford backstopped the Oilers to the Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe as playoff most valuable player.

By the close of the decade, Fuhr was also a first team all-star in 1988, a second team all-star in 1982, and played in the 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989 all-star games.

The years after
Grant Fuhr would go on to have ups and downs in the years that followed, including a 59-game drug suspension in the 1990-1991 season. He would go on to play for Toronto, Buffalo, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Calgary before retiring at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

His final NHL career totals were 403 wins, 295 losses, 114 ties, 25 shut outs and a goals against average of 3.38 in 868 games.

He was the first Black player to win the Stanley Cup and the first Black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

Parting thoughts
Although I thought I would see Grant Fuhr in 1980, it took another nine years to actually see him for the first time in a game against my beloved Boston Bruins in February of 1988.

It was not his finest hour, as he got chased by the Bruins and replaced by Warren Skorodenski.

Yet, I would see him several more times in an Oiler uniform, and he was an unbelievable goaltender.

On several occasions, Wayne Gretzky has said Grant Fuhr is the greatest goalie in NHL history.

Given his record in the playoffs and the Canada Cup, I wouldn’t want anyone else.

Paul Reinhart: Underrated in the ‘80s, proud dad in 2023

When Florida Panther Sam Reinhart scored a goal recently to help eliminate my beloved Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I kept thinking his dad must be so proud.

It was more than 40 years ago, when I was cheering for the Calgary Flames, that another Reinhart was patrolling the blue line for the team. He caught my attention, as one of the best, and most underrated, defenceman in the league.

That was Paul Reinhart who has not one but three sons who played in the NHL. Along with Sam who plays with the Panthers, there is Max who, like his dad, played with the Flames, and Griffin who played with the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers.

The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

In the beginning
Paul Reinhart’s NHL career began before the Calgary Flames existed in their present form. He was drafted 12th overall in the 1979 NHL entry draft by the Atlanta Flames, after a solid junior career with the Kitchener Rangers.

He made the team, appearing in 79 games in Atlanta, recording nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points. It was the second highest total among rookie defenceman. Only Ray Bourque had more points.

After the season, the Flames were sold and moved to Calgary to start the 1980-1981 season.

Magic ride
The 1980-1981 was a magical first season for the Calgary Flames, and Paul Reinhart was a big part of that. After recording 67 points on 18 goals and 49 assists in 74 games, he tied for the league lead for playoff assists with 14. The Flames beat Chicago in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, beat Philadelphia in seven games in the quarter-finals and took the Minnesota North Stars to six games in the semi-finals. It was a great run for the Flames’ first year in Calgary.

Reinhart caught the attention of Team Canada, who invited him to pay in the 1981 Canada Cup, but injury limited his play to just two games.

Sustained success
Reinhart had another great season in 1981-1982 with 13 goals and 48 assists for 61 points in 62 games. In 1982-1983, he appeared in 78 games with 17 goals and 58 assists, setting a franchise record for defenceman. He joined Team Canada for the World Championships in 1982 and 1983, winning bronze medals in both tournaments.

Comeback
The 1983-1984 season was one of comebacks for Reinhart and the Flames. His action was limited by injury in the regular season. He appeared in just 27 games, recording six goals and 15 assists for 21 points. He was ready for the playoffs, where he had six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 11 playoff games. That was tied for the most points by a player who did not make the finals. In fact, the Flames only played in the first two rounds, but what a run it was.

After they defeated Vancouver in the first round, they looked to be overmatched by the Edmonton Oilers in the Smythe Division final. The Oilers went up three games to one, but then something happened. The Flames rallied, winning the next two, including a stirring overtime win on a goal by Lanny McDonald, to force a Game 7. The Oilers prevailed, but it showed it was a season of comebacks for the Flames and for Reinhart.

Stanley Cup run
Reinhart had a career high 23 goals to go with 46 assists for 69 points in the 1984-1985 season. The Flames were defeated by Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs, but Reinhart was selected to his first all-star game, which was in Calgary.

Injury hampered his 1985-1986 regular season again, as he played in just 32 games, with eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points. Again, he was ready for the playoffs, and was a big part of Calgary’s run to the Stanley Cup final. He contributed five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 21 games as Calgary beat Winnipeg in the first round, shocked Edmonton in the Smythe Final, and outlasted St. Louis in seven games in the Campbell Conference Final. They ended up losing to Montreal in the Stanley Cup final in five games.

The end in Calgary
Reinhart was healthy for the 1986-1987 season. He appeared in 76 games where he had 15 goals and 54 assists for 69 assists, finishing fourth among league defencemen. He also played at centre, and scored his 100th career goal in November of 1986. Unfortunately, Calgary lost to Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs.

Injury struck again in the 1987-1988 season, as Reinhart played just 14 goals, recording four assists and no goals.

At the subsequent 1988 NHL entry draft, Reinhart was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

Last laugh – almost
Reinhart’s first year in Vancouver was a comeback that almost culminated in an upset of epic proportions with a healthy helping of irony.

He had seven goals and 50 assists for 57 points in 64 games. The Canucks finished fourth in the Smythe Division, giving them a first-round date in the playoffs with the Calgary Flames. Reinhart was heroic in the series, which saw the Canucks take the Flames to seven games before losing. In those seven games, he recorded two goals and three assists for five points, but his leadership was his biggest contribution. The Canucks are credited with giving the Flames enough of a scare to harden their resolve as they ran to the Stanley Cup championship. So, ironically, Reinhart did play a hand in the Flames winning the Stanley Cup.

Reinhart would play the next season, 1989-1990, where he had 17 goals and 40 assists for 57 points in 67 games. For the second straight season he was also named Vancouver’s top defenceman.

However, injuries sunk in their teeth again, and Reinhart announced his retirement in 1990.

He finished his NHL career with 133 goals and 427 assists for 560 points in 648 games.

Parting thoughts
Paul Reinhart has been described as one of the most underrated defenceman of the 1980s. I have several images of Paul Reinhart in my mind. He is carrying the puck into the offensive zone, looking to set up a goal. Then he is back in front of his own net, going down to block a shot or ice the puck on the penalty kill. Then he’s logging 30 minutes of ice time anchoring the Flames’ blue line.

He was a great all-around player, and a leader, so it is no surprise his boys Max, Sam, and Griffin all played in the NHL.

After all, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Calgary Wranglers: Now and then

Currently, the Calgary Wranglers, the farm team of the Calgary Flames, is making a playoff run in the American Hockey League.

When I hear the name Calgary Wranglers, I think of a tough team in the Western Hockey League, good goaltending, and a wild rivalry with the Lethbridge Broncos. That was the team then, in the 1980s.

In the beginning
The Calgary Wranglers were in existence for 10 seasons, from 1977 to 1987, getting their start when the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Western Canada Hockey League re-located to Calgary to become the Wranglers. They played their home games at the now-demolished Calgary Corral.

Their first season they finished fourth in the Central Division and out of the playoffs.

The next season they finished third in the Central Division, and advanced to the division finals where they were eliminated by the Lethbridge Broncos four games to three.

It was a sign of things to come.

At the dawn of the decade, in the 1979-1980 season, the Wranglers finished second in the East Division, and were eliminated by Brandon in the first round.

The start of the decade
In the 1980-1981 season, the Wranglers finished second in the East Division and eliminated Billings in the first round of playoffs. They faced Lethbridge in the division semi-finals and beat the Broncos 4 games to 1. It was another sign of things to come.

The Wranglers defeated Regina in the division final and lost to Grant Fuhr and the Victoria Cougars in the Western Hockey League championship.

The next season, 1981-1982, the Wranglers finished fourth in the East Division, defeating Saskatoon in the first round before losing to Regina in the division semi-final.

The rivalry
What I will always remember is the year when the Wranglers and Lethbridge Broncos hooked up for a wild playoff series, and its aftermath.

The rivalry was so intense, both in the regular season and playoffs, I would tune into 1220 CJOC and listen to Steve Falwell call the games on radio, because I had to hear what happened.

The 1982-1983 season saw the Wranglers finish third in the East Division and defeat Medicine Hat in the first round then Regina in the division semi-final. That set up a division final against my beloved Lethbridge Broncos.

The series was tough, hard fought, and I remember taking in one of the games at the Sportsplex in Lethbridge. The Broncos managed to get to Calgary’s Mike Vernon, the best goalie in the Western Hockey League, emerging with a 4 games to 2 win in the series.

The Broncos were off to the WHL championship against Portland, which the Broncos won in five games.

This is where it gets interesting.

The 1983 Memorial Cup was the first one where the host city received an automatic berth into the tournament. Portland hosted that year and lost in the league final to Lethbridge. Up until then, each league champion had the opportunity to choose a goalie from any other team in their league to play with them in the Memorial Cup.

That should have meant Mike Vernon would be suiting up with the Broncos. However, he was still choked by the way the Broncos treated him in their series with Calgary. He instead joined Portland. Lethbridge protested but the WHL had no real precedent – was it the league champion who got to choose a goalie, or the league representative, of which there were now two.

They let Vernon play with Portland, and he ended up leading them to the Memorial Cup championship.

That whole spectacle was the height of the Calgary-Lethbridge rivalry, which would soon take an ironic twist.

The rest of the story
In the 1983-1984 season, the Wranglers finished sixth in the East Division, losing to Regina in the first round.

They rebounded in the 1984-1985 season, finishing fourth in the East Division, defeating Lethbridge in the first round before losing to Prince Albert in the division semi-final.

The Wranglers finished their time in Calgary by missing the playoffs their last two years, finishing eighth in the East Division in the 1985-1986 season and seventh in the 1986-1987 season.

Isn’t it ironic
After the 1985-1986 season, the Lethbridge Broncos moved to Swift Current where they had actually moved from in 1974.

Lethbridge went a season without a team in the Western Hockey League.

Then, before the 10987-1988, a team re-located to Lethbridge, became the Hurricanes, and has been there ever since.

It was the Calgary Wranglers.

Isn’t it ironic.

Going pro
The Wranglers sent a lot of guys to the NHL that I saw come through. A few of them I have select, and sometimes odd, memories of.

Warren Skorodenski, was the first goaltender I knew and liked, but I never saw him play live as a Wrangler. The first time I saw him play was a game to remember. It was my 18th birthday present, tickets to a game between my beloved Bruins and the Oilers in Edmonton. Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr was not having a great game, and my best friend Chris Vining and I started yelling, “We want Warren, we want Warren”. Skorodenski was the back-up goalie that night. The fans around us looked at us like aliens, even muttering, “Who the heck is Warren?” Then, over the loud speaker came the announcement.”Now playing goal for the Oilers, number 35 Warren Skorodenski.” We howled and cheered.

A few years later, I actually covered Skorodenski when he came to Stavely for an NHL old-timers hockey game. Sadly, he left before I got to meet him.

Mike Vernon was just incredible in junior. He stood on his head to keep the Wranglers in games they should not have been in, and put the team on his back. He translated that into an amazing NHL career where he backstopped two different franchises to Stanley Cup championships.

Doug Houda seemed to always be buzzing around the Broncos net. I went to see a Broncos-Wranglers game with my friend Mat. When they announced Houda got a penalty, goal, or assist, I yelled out, ”Houda hell cares!”

Ray Cote was the first Wrangler I saw play pro, for the Edmonton Oilers, and I always liked the way he played. I also, in my childish wonder, noticed his name rhymes – as in Ray Cotay.

Leigh Verstraete also gave the Broncos a handful, but what I always remember is that I misheard Steve Falwell pronounce his name. Instead of Leigh Verstraete I heard Lever Straight. He ended up playing with the Torontoi Maple Leafs, but by the time I saw him on Hockey Night in Canada I knew better.

I also remember Kelly Kisio, Dana Murzyn, and Dan Bourbonnais.

Parting thoughts
Whenever I hear the name Calgary Wranglers, I think of Warren Skorodenski, Mike Vernon, Ray Cote, Leigh Verstraete and all the others who locked horns with the Lethbridge Broncos in the 1980s.

It is nice to see the name resurrected, but for me the Calgary Wranglers will always be a storied Western Hockey League franchise that, ironically, moved to the very city it had one of its greatest rivalries with.

Ed Begley Jr.: Remembering Victor Ehrlich on “St. Elsewhere”

Ed Begley Jr. as Dr. Victor Ehrlich in "St.Elsewhere".
Source: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/st-elsewhere-cast-members-80s-medical-drama-still-alive.html/
(May be subject to copyright)

Watching the last season of “Better Call Saul” recently, has had me thinking about “St. Elsewhere”.

It was a show that was “Grey’s Anatomy” before “Grey’s Anatomy” back in the 1980s, set in St. Eligius Hospital in Boston. Unlike Shepherd-Grey Hospital, St. Eligius was the bottom of the barrel, called St. Elsewhere because patients would rather be treated elsewhere.

Starring in that show was an up until that point relatively unknown actor who would play Dr. Victor Ehrlich for the entire six-year run in the show.

Fast forward 40 years and Ed Begley Jr. has taken his skills from Boston to Albuquerque, playing the role of legal patriarch Cliff Main.

Yet to me, Ed Begley Jr. will always be Victor Ehrlich.

St. Elsewhere
“St. Elsewhere” followed the lives of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff, both at the hospital and at home.

Victor Ehrlich was a young doctor from California who brought his skills east to Boston. He was glib, sarcastic, wore Hawaiian shirts to the hospital, and didn’t take things as seriously as he should have all the time. It was no wonder Ehrlich was friends with Wayne Fiscus, played by Howie Mandel, who was another doctor who acted like a goof. Keeping Ehrich in line was the talented and stern chief of surgery, Dr. Mark Craig, who continually berated Ehrlich because he knew how good the young doctor could be.

The episode I remember best, that demonstrates Ehrlich’s attitude, involved a surgery he was preparing for. The patient was in front of him, already unconscious from the anesthesia, and Ehrlich said something about the patient. Ehrlich’s attending surgeon said patients may be unconscious but they can still hear. Ehrlich was dismissive and, for good measure, said a few more things about and to the patient.

After the surgery, when Ehrlich and his attending went to visit the patient, the patient referred specifically to what Ehrlich had said.

Ehrlich’s reaction? He looked like he wanted to faint.

Begley played Victor Ehrlich for the entire run of “St. Elsewhere”, from 1982 to 1988. The role earned him six consecutive Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.

The rest of the decade and beyond
Ed Begley Jr. was a prolific actor to say the least. By the dawn of the 1980s he had built quite a resumé, with a variety of guest starring roles that included “Battlestar Galactica”; “Fantasy Island”; “Columbo”; “M*A*S*H”; and “Charlie’s Angels” to name a few.

Add to that in the 1980s roles in “Barnaby Jones”; “Voyagers!”; “The Love Boat”; and “Saturday Night Live”.

He also appeared in a lot of theatrical movies such as “An Officer and a Gentleman” in 1982, although it was only his voice; “Young Doctors in Love” in 1982; “Streets of Fire” and “This is Spinal Tap”, both in 1984; “Transylvania 6-5000” in 1985; “The Accidental Tourist” in 1988: and “Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills” in 1989.

Begley continues to act to this day, having appeared in hundreds of productions. He is also an environmental activist and promotes an eco-friendly life.

Ed Begley
From the moment I saw Ed Begley Jr. on “St. Elseswhere”, I wondered who Ed Begley Sr. was. I finally got my chance, early in 1986 after I got a VCR for Christmas, and began taping stuff off the TV, and playing tapes others made for me.

That’s when I saw a movie, I had heard a lot about, and it did not disappoint. It was called “12 Angry Men”, and was set in a jury room as 12 jurors deliberated on the fate of a man accused of murder. Ed Begley played one of those jurors.

Later, I learned Begley Sr. won an Oscar for best supporting actor for “Sweet Bird of Youth” in 1962, was nominated for a Golden Globe for the same role, and  in 1965 was nominated for an Emmy for a television adaptation of “Inherit the Wind”.

He died in 1970, at the age of 69, when his son Ed was just 20 years old.

Parting thoughts
It is ironic that Cliff Main is a serious, by-the-book lawyer on “Better Call Saul”, because that is exactly the opposite of Victor Ehrlich on “St. Elsewhere”. I would suspect Cliff Main’s reaction to Victor Ehrlich’s antics would have been similar to his reaction to Jimmy McGill and later Saul Goodman’s antics on "Better Call Saul".

It shows just how versatile an actor Ed Begley Jr. is. In fact, it is hard for me to imagine that the same man playing Cliff Main, played Victor Ehrlich.

Now that’s talent.

Happy Mother's Day: Memories of my Mom

Me with two incredible moms – my spouse Marcella Snell and my mom, Alice Vogt

It is hard to believe we gathered seven years ago today, in this very spot to say goodbye to my dad, Paul Vogt. That day, I walked hand in hand with my mom, Alice, to our seats in that pew. Today, we gather again to say goodbye to Mom.

How do you sum up a life? I guess you start at the beginning.

Mom was born on October 28, 1933, in Kalwarika, Poland, the first daughter of my Oma and Opa, Michael and Karoline Jetz. She was born after her brother Witold, and before brother Walter and sister Johanna.

Her earliest memory was running into a grain field, being chased by Opa. She said she thought adults could not run, but soon discovered they could, when he caught her. She said she must have done something to upset him, but could not remember what, because she was always a good girl. After all, Mom always tried to play by the book.

Soon, these light-hearted times turned dark, as Poland was invaded by Germany in 1939. My five-year-old Mom watched as the soldiers entered her village. As the days wore on, my family befriended those soldiers who were just German boys themselves. Mom still remembered their names 75 years later.

Eventually the family settled in West Germany. With Opa in the army, Mom and Uncle Witold, took on a greater role in the family. Uncle Witold became the head of the family doing everything he could. Mom did what she could to help her younger brother and sister. She took Aunt Johanna hand-in-hand to school to register her. She helped Uncle Walter in a different way. He was a promising student, and got a book he really liked but knew he had to return. Before he did, Mom stayed up all night to copy out the entire book for him.

As time went on, the war ended and Mom found work at various jobs, most notably at a Siemens plant assembling parts. Maybe that’s where she found her love of gadgets.

Looking for a new life, the family came to Canada in 1953, working in the sugar beet fields by Coaldale. Mom soon found herself in Calgary, living with her best friend Irma. There she would have jobs cooking and doing laundry.

Then, one fateful night in 1956, she was at the German-Canadian Club where she met a handsome farmer named Paul Vogt. They were married three years later, then lived on Dad’s family farm by Brooks. They started their family in 1959, when George was born then Barbara, came along in 1961.

My parents decided to strike out on their own, and Mom wanted to be closer to her family in Lethbridge too. So they moved to Coaldale, soon bought a farm, and in 1970 I came along.

Mom settled into life as a farm wife, meaning she was a Jill of all trades. She would get the kids ready for school then do laundry, clean the house, feed the chickens, tend to her garden, and repeat. You know, all the things we took for granted until we had to do them ourselves.

She would also help Dad with sugar beet harvest about this time of year actually, while cooking, cleaning, feeding the chickens, and tending to the garden.

Mom always worked so hard, and she always believed you did the work first before anything else. That’s why I often remember her dragging herself to the couch at seven o’clock or later, to watch TV.

Even then, she could not sit still, and would knit, crochet, rug hook, read, or do something while watching TV. Often, she did stretch out and got into a show only to fall asleep on the couch.

We spent a lot of breakfasts where I would fill her on how Dallas or Dynasty ended the night before.

Barb reminded us recently how Saturday was always for baking. Oh, Mom could bake. Streussel, cake, cookies, PfefferKuchen, so many good things. It was all preparation for Sunday, when family would come to visit.

Mom loved family, whether it was Opa and Oma, Aunt Johanna and Uncle Ed, or Uncle Witold and Tante Lotta coming to visit. They would have these great visits in the kitchen while we watched TV in the living room. But they would get louder and louder, so we’d turn up the TV but they’d just get louder. It was so funny – looking back now. Not so much when we were trying to hear “The Six Million Dollar Man”.

Eventually, Barb and George went off to college. George married Candius, and Mom just loved her so much right to the end of her life, I remember that so well.

Soon, the grandchildren started coming, staring with Jessica then James. Mom loved being a grandmother, playing with her grandkids, and having them on the farm.

Then Mom and Dad retired from the farm in 1991, and moved to Lethbridge.

She was sad when George and Candius and the kids moved further away to Nanaimo, but that meant yearly trips to the coast soon started. Mom loved watching Jessica and James playing baseball and basketball and soccer, but more than that she just loved being around them.

It was also about that time that Barb had Chelsea then Megan, so now there were four grandchildren. Mom loved them all so much. Mom and Dad would babysit the girls, take them to school, and never missed a recital, concert, graduation or anything else the girls got involved in.

I was never as settled as my brother and sister and, being nine years younger, I was lucky to have Mom to myself a lot. We spent a lot of winter nights on the farm watching TV, playing games, and just talking.

I liked sports, so she taught herself how to throw a football for me, throw a baseball, and ride a bike. She bought me my first basketball, and set up my first hoop on the side of the house. She also yelled until she was blue in the face when I broke my first window.

As I became a rebellious teenager who knew way more than anyone, our talks often turned into debates and out and out fights. But we always made up.

Mom always wanted to live in the city, so she blossomed once they moved to Lethbridge. She grew beautiful flowers, that strangers would stop and compliment her on. She grew gorgeous vegetables too. And she loved to read, and learn new things.

Being in the city also meant having more than three channels, which was a godsend for all of us. But for Mom, it meant watching documentaries and shows like “How it’s Made”. Whenever I saw her, she would share her latest discovery.

Sadly, Dad passed away seven years ago, and Mom entered the last phase of her life.

Barb went to visit every week, and George and Candius came out every year to see her. I had met Marcella and we spent more time with her, and she came to stay with us periodically in Claresholm, where our friends fell in love with her too.

Everybody just loved how curious she was about everything, how kind, and genuine she was. Many of them are here today.

When dementia set in, and we began to lose a little bit of Mom every day, Marcella always said, “Your Mom is still in there.”

Mom began to revert to German every so often, so one day I tried to talk to her in her native language.

Then I said, “Mom, my German isn’t very good.”

She took my hand, looked deep into my eyes, and said in the sweetest voice, “No, your German isn’t very good.”

She was still in there, right to the end.

So, How do you sum up a life.

My dear friend Chris Vining called Mom, “A force of nature.”

I am sure you all have your own memories.

How do I sum up her life?

Well lived and well loved.

Howie Mandel: Remembering Wayne Fiscus in “St. Elsewhere”

Howie Mandel as Dr. Wayne Fiscus in "St.Elsewhere".
Source: https://www.tvmaze.com/characters/
175427/st-elsewhere-dr-wayne-fiscus
(May be subject to copyright)

The image is indelibly burned in my brain – a twenty-something comedian blowing up a rubber glove and putting it on his head, crying something in a baby voice. I really was not that impressed, and didn’t find it funny at all.

But first impressions can be deceiving. I came to like that comedian a great deal when he played Dr. Wayne Fiscus in the medical drama “St. Elsewhere” for the entire six-season run of the series.

For most people today, Howie Mandel is a panelist on “America’s Got Talent” and its cousin “Canada’s Got Talent”, but to me he will always be Wayne Fiscus.

St. Elsewhere
There is this image in my mind of Howie Mandel in his lab coat, wearing a Boston Red Sox ball cap and his bushy black hair bulging out the sides. It was part of the advertising for his show “St. Elsewhere”, and some other shows on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial.

Mandel played Wayne Fiscus, a young doctor who was kind of a goof, hanging out with his pal Victor Ehrlich, another goofy young doctor. The show ran from 1982 to 1988, and Mandel was there through its entire run.

I really only watched “St. Elewhere” its first season or two, but I have some strong memories of Wayne Fiscus.

He talked about his Lithuanian heritage and how his Aunt Serka escaped Lithuania.

Fiscus also chased after a nurse named Shirley Daniels, played by Ellen Bry. However, to complicate matters, he fell into the orbit of pathology resident Cathy Martin, played by Barbara Whinnery. Fiscus ended up cheating on Shirley, and I will never forget how Shirley found out. Cathy Martin worked in the morgue, where she and Fiscus had sex. Shirley smelled formaldehyde on Fiscus, and Fiscus was caught dead to right.

But eventually they would make up – and break up – again.

The rest of the decade and beyond
Howie Mandel would appear on TV’s “Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour” for a week in 1984; and provide the voice of Gizmo in the 1984 movie “Gremilns” and its sequel “Gremlins 2” in 1990. He also appeared in the movies “A Fine Mess” with Ted Danson in 1986; “Walk Like a Man” in 1987; and “Little Monsters” in 1989.

Howie Mandel continued to perform stand-up comedy and appear on TV a lot, most often as some version of himself, right up to the present day.

Parting thoughts
Howie Mandel’s career kind of mirrored Wayne Fiscus. Initially, he goofed around a lot, and was difficult to take seriously. Yet, he turned out to be a competent, skilled emergency room doctor.

The same can be said of Howie Mandel. Initially, he was more of a goof and over the top as a comedian. It made him difficult to take seriously as an actor.

Ultimately, he evolved into a competent comedian, actor and television personality.

And it all started with Wayne Fiscus.

Dave Poulin: Mr. Clutch

Dave Poulin in his time as captain of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1980s.
Source: https://icehockey.fandom.com/wiki/Dave_Poulin
(May be subject to copyright)

They may have been one of the best teams to not win the Stanley Cup in the 1980s. The Philadelphia Flyers met the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup final twice in three years, taking them to seven games in 1987.

They were a gritty team with some skill players and outstanding goaltending.

However, at the heart of it all was their captain.

Dave Poulin was the epitome of leadership. He won the key face offs, tied up opposing players before they could score, made hits at crucial times, and scored clutch goals.

In fact, after scoring a key goal, a friend of mine once called Poulin “Mr. Clutch”.

I cannot think of a better name.

Now, he is best known on TV for his commentary and expert analysis.

For me, he will always be “Mr. Clutch”.

In the beginning
It was not an easy start for Dave Poulin. He went undrafted by the NHL, and enrolled at the University of Notre Dame to play for the Fighting Irish from 1978 to 1982, earning a second all-star team selection in 1982.

Following his college career, he went to play in Sweden where his coach was Ted Sator. He was also a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers and put them on to Poulin.

In the 1982-1983 season, after splitting time with his Swedish club and, after a brief stint of 16 games with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League, Poulin joined the Flyers.

He played two games for Philadelphia that season, but scored two goals in his NHL debut at Maple Leaf Gardens. He also got his first ever NHL penalty in that game.

Both were signs of things to come.

Full time, first line
Poulin was put on a line with Brian Propp and Tim Kerr in the 1983-1984 season, which was his actual rookie year. He set a team rookie record for 76 points, with 31 goals and 45 assists for 76 points.

On the eve of the 1984-1985 season, Poulin was named team captain, replacing Bobby Clarke. Darryl Sittler had been tagged to be the next captain, but was traded the day he was to become captain.

The new Flyer captain not only recorded 74 points, on 30 goals and 44 assists, but he led his team to the Stanley Cup final where they lost in five games to the Edmonton Oilers. He was hobbled by knee and rib injuries, but continued to show how tough and resilient he was. In Game 6 of the Wales Conference final against Quebec, Poulin scored a short-handed goal when his team was down two men to help eliminate the Nordiques.

In the 1985-1986 season, Poulin had 27 goals and 42 assists for 69 points. He was also named to the 1986 all-star game.

The next year, 1986-1987, he led the Flyers back to the Stanley Cup final and a re-match with the Oilers. In the regular season, he recorded 70 points on 25 goals and 45 assists. During the playoffs, broken ribs limited his playing time, but he continued to build his reputation as Mr. Clutch. He scored the series clinching goal against the New York Islanders in the Patrick Division final. Then, he scored the series clinching goal in the Wales Conference Final at the Montreal Forum, to eliminate the Canadiens.

After the season, Poulin was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the best defensive forward, thus solidifying his reputation as a solid two-way player. He also played for the NHL in Rendez-vous ’87, which replaced the NHL all-star game that year. It was a two-game series of NHL stars versus a team of Soviet all-stars. Poulin scored the game winner for the NHL all-stars late in the third period of the first game.

The Flyers would not reach that level of success again in Poulin’s time there.

The rest of the decade
In the 1987-1988 season, Poulin was selected to the NHL all-star game again in 1988. He recorded 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 68 games, the fewest he played to date in a full NHL season.

1988-1989 was Poulin’s last full season with the Flyers, leading them back to the Wales Conference final where they lost to Montreal. Poulin finished the regular season with 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points.

He opened the 1989-1990 season with nine goals and eight assists for 17 points in 28 games for the Flyers. Injuries affected his play, he was stripped of the captaincy, and a month later was dealt to my beloved Boston Bruins, for Ken Linseman.

It was the perfect match. Poulin’s gritty play fit the Bruin style perfectly.

He recorded six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 32 games, helping the Bruins to the Stanley Cup final where they lost to – the Edmonton Oilers.

The years after
Poulin played three more seasons for the Bruins, winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy at the end of the 1992-1993 season. It is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. He was also runner-up for the Selke Trophy. Poulin signed as a free agent with Washington, playing two years there and retiring after the 1994-1995 season.

He finished his career with 205 goals and 325 assists for 530 points in 724 games. He also appeared in 129 playoff games, recording 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points.

Parting thoughts
It is fitting that near the end of his career, Dave Poulin won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership skills, because he was a tremendous leader virtually from the time he entered the league.

He led by example, winning key face-offs, playing solid defence, taking the man, fighting when he had to, and of course scoring clutch goals. He was a true leader, and he has brought all that experience to the broadcast booth.

As I was typing this entry, Dave Poulin appeared in front of me on Sportscentre, and he was talking about the importance of blocked shots.

What else would you expect from Mr. Clutch.

Lea Thompson: From “Some Kind of Wonderful” to “Back to the Future”

Lea Thompson, at left, in the 1987 film "Some Kind of Wonderful" with co-star Eric Stoltz.
Source: https://ew.com/movies/2019/02/11/john-hughes-some-kind-of-wonderful-oral-history/
(May be subject to copyright)

She has gone from Marty McFly’s mom to Darby Spencer’s mom in the span of 38 years. Yet in that time, Lea Thompson has carved out a notable career, highlighted for me by two great performances in teen angst movies in the 1980s.

The past few weeks I have been binge watching “The Spencer Sisters” and seeing Lea Thompson has brought back memories of “Back to the Future”, “Some Kind of Wonderful” and more.

Marty’s mom
It’s funny. In “Back to the Future”, Lea Thompson had to wear make-up to look older. In “The Spencer Sisters”, she looks so young one of the themes is that she looks more like her daughter’s sister than her mother, hence the title of the show.

However, playing Marty’s modern-day mom was just a fraction of her role. Essentially, Thompson played two roles. One was the doting mother. The other was an amorous teenage high-school girl who develops a crush on the boy who was actually her son.

She had undeniable chemistry with Michael J. Fox, especially as he resisted her advances. She puts her hand on his knee underneath the dinner table, and his reaction is priceless. After all, that's actually his mom hitting on him.

Some Kind of Wonderful
I had wanted to see the movie for a long time, but it took almost eight years to see “Some Kind of Wonderful”.

It was well worth the wait.

"Some Kind of Wonderful" is the story of Keith, a teenage boy who has a crush on Amanda Jones, one of the most popular girls in school. Unfortunately, she is dating Hardy Jenns, the cool, rich kid who is an absolute entitled jerk. They break up, so Keith has his chance. He asks her out and Amanda says yes. Hardy obviously hears about it, and lays an elaborate trap for Keith. Hardy throws a big party, and invites the new couple. Only his plan is to have the crap beaten out of Keith, by other people of course because Hardy is an entitled jerk. He also wants to humiliate his ex-girlfriend..

Thompson plays the popular girl, and does a great job. You see, Amanda is from the wrong side of the tracks, the same place as Keith. In a moment of vulnerability, she tells our hero how she overcame all that by dating the cool guy. Keith essentially tells Amanda she does not have to define herself that way, and is special all on her own

It’s a great movie, with an ending I absolutely love, because I never saw it coming.

The rest of the 1980s
Lea Thompson had a lot of other roles in movies in the 1980s as well. Those included “All the Right Moves” and “Red Dawn”, both in 1984; and Howard the Duck in 1986.

The years after
Lea Thompson continues to act to this day. She moved to television in the 1990s with the sitcom “Caroline in the City” which ran from 1995 to 1999. Coincidentally, she went head to head in the ratings with her former “son” Michael J. Fox in “Spin City”.

The other role I really liked was on the comedy-drama “Ed” which was one of my favourite shows. In the final season of the show she assumed the role of Liz, the title character's ex-wife. The role had initially been played by Marianne Hagan.

Currently, Thompson plays Victoria Spencer in the Canadian drama “The Spencer Sisters” as a mystery writer turned private investigator.

Parting thoughts
Lea Thompson may be Victoria Spencer now, a mother filled with regret who is trying to mend her relationship with her daughter on “The Spencer Sisters”. For me, she will always be frozen in time for the role in “Some Kind of Wonderful”.

That movie, my hero John Hughes’ final piece in his teen-angst tetralogy, has left a lasting impression on me.

Not only is the writing excellent, and the performance by Eric Stoltz amazing, but Lea Thompson plays the perfect blend of vulnerable girl and cool kid.

For that, I will always e grateful.

Domino’s Pizza: Challenging the 30-minute guarantee

Domino's was one of the go-to places for
pizza in Edmonton in the late 1980s.
Source: https://fabrikbrands.com/
dominos-logo-history-dominos-pizza-lo
(May be subject to copyright)

When Domino’s Pizza guaranteed delivery within 30 minutes or you get your money back, it was more of a challenge than a promise.

That was just one of my memories of a pizza place that, well, dominated the landscape in the latter part of the 1980s when I was going to school in Edmonton.

Surprisingly good
When I moved into res in 1987, one of the things that opened up to me, and all my floormates, was all the different opportunities to order food. Back then that meant, in large part, ordering pizza.

Because it was relatively easy to get into res, various outlets littered our common areas with flyers. One of the most prominent was Domino’s Pizza, that blue and red themed flyer, and the guarantee of 30-minute delivery.

Early in September, I was sitting in our lounge on the 10th floor of Kelsey Hall, watching TV, when Doug Armitage, our floor coordinator suggested ordering pizza. He went to his room and emerged with a cordless phone and a Domino’s flyer.

Then he suggested something I had never heard of.

“How about pepperoni and pineapple?”

“Sure,” I replied, in my effort to try new things.

It was surprisingly good.

Paying the salary
At the end of that same year, I was down in the lobby, waiting for pizza, and the people I ordered it with. The delivery man came first, and I chatted with him while I waited for my friends who had the rest of the money to pay him.

I knew that the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings were owned by the owners of big pizza chains. I just could not remember who.

Earlier that school year, the Detroit Tigers had broken the hearts of my beloved Toronto Blue Jays by sweeping the final three games of the season to take the American League East title.

I asked the delivery man who owned Domino’s.

“Tom Monaghan,” he said, adding Monaghan actually founded the chain.

“He owns a professional sports team too, doesn’t he?” I asked.

“Yes,” he responded. “They won their division this year.”

I just laughed. The money I spent to buy pizza, was going to pay the salaries of the guys who broke my heart.

Maybe it was time to order from Little Caesar’s. Mike Illich owned them, and his Detroit Red Wings sucked at the time.

Race to the top
In my second year of university, Domino’s hit upon the idea of capitalizing on the competitive juices of students, by sponsoring a battle of the floors. The floor that ordered the most pizza by the end of the school year would win a prize.

By then I was the floor coordinator for Fifth Kelsey. We had a fair number of night hawks, myself included, and I thought we ordered a fair bit of pizza.

Then we heard about Sixth Kelsey, our upstairs neighbours. They had guys, and one in particular who was a senior student with a lot more disposable income than your average student, who ordered pizza almost ever night. They ran away with the race.

They punctuated their victory in January. The 10 floors in Kelsey Hall were having a mural painting contest to decorate the back wall of their lounges. For theirs, Sixth Kelsey had a bunch of cartoon characters. One of them in the front left corner was “The Noid”, a mascot from Domino’s with a stack of pizzas nearby. It looked so cool.

Challenge
As the school year went on, and funds ran low, students devised ways to stretch their dollars. One was taking advantage of the Domino’s 30-minute guarantee. It was not uncommon for students to order pizza, then wait at the elevators on the main floor and tie them up or delay the delivery man. Or, they would wait in the lounge for him to show up, and no one would be in the room he was delivering to. He would wait. After a certain amount of time, he would come out into the lounge and, to recover at least some money, sell his pizza at a much lower price to the guys in the lounge.

I did neither of these things, but came to wish I would have. One day, late in the year on Fifth Kelsey, we ordered pizza. The 30 minutes passed and we had no pizza. The delivery man finally appeared, several minutes after the deadline, saying he went to the wrong door.

Low and behold, he said that pizza wasn’t free. Instead, we got 10 per cent off. What a rip off I thought.

After that, I never ordered Domino’s again, and only ate when someone else ordered and paid.

Parting thoughts
I hadn’t thought about Domino’s in 30 years until I saw a commercial the other day. It’s funny. Where I live now there are two local pizza places, and two chains, so there are a lot of choices. There are even more in the wider area, but curiously Domino’s really has a low profile around here.

Yet, for a couple years in the 1980s, it was the go-to place for pizza. The prices were reasonable, the pizza was good, and it came in a decent amount of time. But it also offered the possibility of winning a prize if we bought enough, and getting our money back if they took too long to come.

We achieved neither of those goals, so we just moved on.