You could pitch this as a movie but you might get told it's too unrealistic – a pint-sized hockey player who's short on stature but big on heart overcomes incredible odds to not only make the Calgary Flames but become a prolific scorer and team leader helping the Flames win the team's only Stanley Cup in 1989. He is traded in 1998, leaving the Flames as their all-time leading scorer before eventually playing for Colorado, New York and Chicago. In addition to his Stanley Cup, he also wins an Olympic Gold Medal in 2002 but the following year, leaves the NHL after violating the league's substance abuse policy multiple times.
He bounces around – playing in a British semi-pro league, for a northern Alberta senior team and later, with a Manitoba senior team as well. Eventually, he starts a concrete business with his wife and brother and after six years out of the league, it is assumed his hockey playing days are over.
So when it is announced a week ago that he has invited to attend the training camp of his original team at the age of 41, rumours about the reason for this offer ran wild – the Flames only offered him a try-out to deflect attention from others on the roster, they wanted to ensure sell-outs for their pre-season games to maximize revenue (or demote him to their new farm team in Abbotsford and have the same thing happen there), they want to sell a new retro jersey or most promisingly, they wanted to give a local hero a chance to have some closure after leaving the league in disgrace.
Well, I know it was only a pre-season game but no matter what happens from here on in – whether he makes the team or not – the ending of the first NHL game for Saskatchewan-born Theo Fleury in six years, will go down in the history as one of the most dramatic endings to a hockey game ever with Fleury scoring the game-winning (and only) goal for either team in a shoot-out!
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