'Battle of Alberta' Memories: An intense rivalry is renewed
NHL Battle of Alberta fans were spoiled in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met five times in the playoffs: 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1991.
The Oilers won every series, except for 1986, which was the year the Flames went on to the Stanley Cup final where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens.
For many fans, the playoff games between the QE II rivals were among the most intense, exciting games they have ever seen.
CTV Calgary's Darrel Janz remembers Game 6 in the 1984 series especially well.
Janz was the public address announcer at the Saddledome that night. When the Flames' Lanny McDonald scored the winning goal in overtime, to tie the series at 3-3 and force a Game 7, Janz could hardly be heard by the fans.
"It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard the Saddledome crowd," Janz says. "I finally gave up waiting for the crowd to calm down, so I just announced the goal. While the crowd couldn’t hear what I was saying, they knew what I was saying, so they got even louder."
Janz says 20 minutes after the goal, hundreds of people were still in their seats, cherishing what Janz says was, up until that point, the biggest Flames victory over Edmonton ever.
"It was the first time they showed they could compete with Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr and company," Janz says.
In a post-game interview with CTV News that night, Lanny McDonald agreed it was a major breakthrough.
"The guys feel we deserved that seventh game and I think we worked hard enough and proved that we definitely belong, more than belong, in this series and we've got what we want," said McDonald.
CTV News Calgary has been showing some "Battle of Alberta Memories" from our archival tapes during the 2022 edition of the Flames-Oilers playoff series. Many fans of a certain age will recognize the game highlights, interviews and celebrations along Electric Avenue that followed Flames victories.
Keep watching this webpage, and CTV News at 6, for more Battle of Alberta Memories.
Flames-Oilers Postseason History
- 1983 division finals: Oilers win 4-1
- 1984 division finals: Oilers win 4-3
- 1986 division finals: Flames win 4-3
- 1988 division finals: Oilers win 4-0
- 1991 division semifinals: Oilers win 4-3
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.