1981: Ciccarelli vs. Riggin

[checkerdome]

I recall an ongoing kind of feud between Dino Ciccarelli and goaltender Pat Riggin of the Calgary Flames showcased during the 1981 Stanley Cup semi-finals.

It was something about Ciccarelli never having scored on Riggin.

I'm looking for a clarification of the parameters of that stalemate.

Had Riggin shutout Ciccarelli since their junior days (both played in the OHL) and their NHL games up to then, or had Riggin blanked him only since they began facing each other in the NHL?

Admittedly a minor detail, but one for which I can't seem to find specific facts on the net.

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[MS]

Don't know first-hand but looking at the evidence :

Riggin and Ciccarelli were junior teammates in London from 1976-78 when Riggin bolted for the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA.

Ciccarelli had only played 30 NHL games before that playoffs.

So I'd certainly say it's quite likely that Ciccarelli had never scored on Riggin before, but the context of the story was probably in more of an 'ex-teammate rivalry' sense than that Riggin had actually stoned Dino in the past.

 

[checkerdome]

Don't know first-hand but looking at the evidence :

Riggin and Ciccarelli were junior teammates in London from 1976-78 when Riggin bolted for the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA.

Ciccarelli had only played 30 NHL games before that playoffs.

So I'd certainly say it's quite likely that Ciccarelli had never scored on Riggin before, but the context of the story was probably in more of an 'ex-teammate rivalry' sense than that Riggin had actually stoned Dino in the past.

Thanks for the reply!

Sure makes a lot of sense.

Anecdote:

Riggin was named one of the 3 stars in one of those '81 playoff games in Calgary.

When he skated out to acknowledge his selection as a star, he whacked a small inflated cartoon dinosaur(sort of like "Dino" on the Flinstones) with his goal stick that a Calgary fan had lynched in effigy.

Loved that bit.

Those green Dino toys were everywhere in the Met Center in Bloomington that year to support Ciccarelli, who was a fan favorite.