OT: Players that wanted to stay in Edmonton but got traded or wasn't signed.

[Drivesaitl]

Niinimaa also liked hardcore metal. Edmonton at the time had a pretty good scene going and multiple venues that were getting good acts. Metallica before famous. Good Grunge acts too like Nirvana before they were famous used to play here. He loved all that type of music. Had particularly good taste in music. Most hockey players listen to drivel.

Local bands here were SNFU. Skinny Puppy was here for awhile before Vancouver. Others I can't remember. Regrettably the whole scene here basically shifted to Vancouver at some point. But Edmonton was really on the map for a certain kind of music. Anything from punk to industrial to Grunge-hardcore, was all happening live here lots.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I think I wrote this on the main boards on some stupid thread about which city is the best for NHL's.

Niinimaa is from Northern Finland (Oulu), he grew up fishing and hunting. That's the reason he loved Edmonton and pretty much hated NY. I think he's told some stories about going fishing with Sather in the off-season in Edmonton.

I really wouldn't want to comment on the stuff about partying, but even if he had a little bit too much liking for beer, it basically has nothing do to with his like or dislike of the city. It's more about Finnish mentality, where it's more accepted to get drunk if there's nothing important going on.

Janne was a different fish--he was wearing a shirt where you could his back tattoo--it was huge

 

[Kahvi]

Janne was a different fish--he was wearing a shirt where you could his back tattoo--it was huge

Also a heavy metal guy. Co-owned and started a huge venue mainly for metal band shows (Teatria) in Oulu that started around 2004 I think, I lived there at the time. The beer drinking and partying pretty much comes with that, I mean being a "finnish guy from the countryside who likes metal". Jere Lehtinen is an another example, without the beer of course

 

[rboomercat90]

I think I wrote this on the main boards on some stupid thread about which city is the best for NHL's.

Niinimaa is from Northern Finland (Oulu), he grew up fishing and hunting. That's the reason he loved Edmonton and pretty much hated NY. I think he's told some stories about going fishing with Sather in the off-season in Edmonton.

I really wouldn't want to comment on the stuff about partying, but even if he had a little bit too much liking for beer, it basically has nothing do to with his like or dislike of the city. It's more about Finnish mentality, where it's more accepted to get drunk if there's nothing important going on.

I’ve got no idea how much Niinima did or didn’t drink. My comment was from hearing him talk a few times in the media while he was here about how much he loved the music scene on Whyte avenue. I remember him being a big death metal fan while he was here.

 

[Kahvi]

I’ve got no idea how much Niinima did or didn’t drink. My comment was from hearing him talk a few times in the media while he was here about how much he loved the music scene on Whyte avenue. I remember him being a big death metal fan while he was here.

Oh sorry, I dont know Edmonton so I thought that was a reference to some party street downtown. But in that case, I guess I agree. He loves wildlife, heavy metal, and beer. Not a bad choice of three things to love.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Bill Guerin was gutted when traded. That line with Smyth and Weight was the #1 line that year in the NHL until he left.

I heard different things after he got traded

He was close to the core--but I think it was when Tencer had his radio show one of the talking heads suggested Guerin wanted to return out east to be closer to his new born

 

[GodPucker]

I just remembered Guerin was shocked when he got traded and it was hard to get a hold of him for a day at least.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Niinimaa also liked hardcore metal. Edmonton at the time had a pretty good scene going and multiple venues that were getting good acts. Metallica before famous. Good Grunge acts too like Nirvana before they were famous used to play here. He loved all that type of music. Had particularly good taste in music. Most hockey players listen to drivel.

Local bands here were SNFU. Skinny Puppy was here for awhile before Vancouver. Others I can't remember. Regrettably the whole scene here basically shifted to Vancouver at some point. But Edmonton was really on the map for a certain kind of music. Anything from punk to industrial to Grunge-hardcore, was all happening live here lots.

I can explain why that happened--two club owners lost their business license and or got into an argument with the city and landlords and moved their operation to Vancouver

 

[rboomercat90]

I just remembered Guerin was shocked when he got traded and it was hard to get a hold of him for a day at least.

I remember how shocked I was, lol. I remember the Bruins we’re trying to trade Anson Carter back then and everybody wanted him. I was in a bar where the sound for the tv was off and saw a headline saying the Oilers won the Anson Carter sweepstakes and I got excited. I thought he’d be a great addition to help us win. It wasn’t until later that I saw it cost us Guerin and that we were moving backwards again.

 

[Senor Catface]

Niinimaa was a really friendly guy.

I had a friend who was one of the lifers at the old rental place Movie Studio on 109th, and Janne would always rent there and chat up workers.

They ran into each other at a metal show and this was their interaction.

Janne: "Hey! It's you! MOVIE GUY!"

Friend: "Hey! It's you, hockey guy!"

For all the guys that would avoid people, ol' pass up the middle Janne was not one of them.

 

[oilers'72]

Something happened between the Oilers and Fogolin--media guys talk about it but never actually say what happened. I know after the death of his son Michael that him and the oilers started talking again and he did a few things with the alum. I think it was Radio guy Hall who mentioned that while Fogey was married with kids--the core were all single and so he was off by himself a lot of the time

Fogolin wanted to get to the 1000 career games played so that he could get an extra $250K towards his pension that the league was offering at the time. Unfortunately, he was at the end of his time and Slats wasn't going to keep him for the rest of the season plus half of another season to make the 1000 game mark. He got traded to Buffalo, played 9 more games and finished at 924.

 

[The Panther]

Fogolin wanted to get to the 1000 career games played so that he could get an extra $250K towards his pension that the league was offering at the time. Unfortunately, he was at the end of his time and Slats wasn't going to keep him for the rest of the season plus half of another season to make the 1000 game mark. He got traded to Buffalo, played 9 more games and finished at 924.

Fogolin had played his first five seasons in Buffalo (his dad had been an NHL-er, too, and a teammate of Gordie Howe in Detroit!), so I wonder if it was sort-of his choice to go (back) there...?

I always wondered about that trade, too, because Fogolin was only 31 and had gone +46 the previous season (1985-86). The stats show that he was struggling a bit, five on five, early in 1986-87, but the whole team got off to a slow start so that maybe wasn't exceptional.

Also, Buffalo by 1986-87 had been run literally to the bottom of the League (by Scotty Bowman!), so you'd think Fogolin could have stuck out another 76 career games to get his 1000. Strange...

 

[oilers'72]

Fogolin had played his first five seasons in Buffalo (his dad had been an NHL-er, too, and a teammate of Gordie Howe in Detroit!), so I wonder if it was sort-of his choice to go (back) there...?

I always wondered about that trade, too, because Fogolin was only 31 and had gone +46 the previous season (1985-86). The stats show that he was struggling a bit, five on five, early in 1986-87, but the whole team got off to a slow start so that maybe wasn't exceptional.

Also, Buffalo by 1986-87 had been run literally to the bottom of the League (by Scotty Bowman!), so you'd think Fogolin could have stuck out another 76 career games to get his 1000. Strange...

He had only played 34 games in 86/87 when he got traded on March 6th, so it may have been injuries or he was being healthy scratched. If I can find something, I'll post it, unless someone else has a better memory and recalls why he was out of the lineup so much after playing 80 games the previous season.

 

[oilers'72]

Fogolin had played his first five seasons in Buffalo (his dad had been an NHL-er, too, and a teammate of Gordie Howe in Detroit!), so I wonder if it was sort-of his choice to go (back) there...?

I always wondered about that trade, too, because Fogolin was only 31 and had gone +46 the previous season (1985-86). The stats show that he was struggling a bit, five on five, early in 1986-87, but the whole team got off to a slow start so that maybe wasn't exceptional.

Also, Buffalo by 1986-87 had been run literally to the bottom of the League (by Scotty Bowman!), so you'd think Fogolin could have stuck out another 76 career games to get his 1000. Strange...

I think you answered your own question back in 2014, @The Panther:

Game 7 (April 30, 1986): Calgary 3 @ Edmonton 2 (the game that will live forever in Oilers' infamy... After Calgary stakes another 2-0 lead, the Oil come back to tie with a spectacular Messier breakaway goal; tied 2-2 heading into the third. In the sixth minute of the third period, Flames' Perry Berezan dumps the puck into Edmonton territory. Rookie defenceman Steve Smith -- who was playing very well and had effectively ended Lee Fogolin's tenure in Edmonton by replacing him as a starter -- takes the puck behind the net and attempts to hit Anderson - or maybe Gretzky - on the right boards, near the Edmonton blue-line. The puck bounces off the inside of Fuhr's left leg-pad and into the net. Smith goes to the bench, where he sits for the rest of the game, being consoled by Kevin Lowe. For 14 and-a-half furious minutes to follow, Edmonton come at Calgary to tie, but manage only six shots on goal all period. Game over, and dynasty interrupted.)

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/1986-calgary-edmonton-playoff-series.1711999/

As to why he retired after finishing the season with Buffalo, it may have been that he couldn't find a team to sign with.

Edit: ...or perhaps he just felt he couldn't get 76 games within one season and decided to hang the skates up.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Not sure if he has been mentioned--But Janne Niinimaa loved his time in Edmonton and did not want to get traded. At the world championships a few years ago, I literally bumped into him and after we said to each other--he asked where I was from and when I said Edmonton his eye lit up. He told me who he was. It was a brief discussion--but I got the sense he truly loved his time in Edmonton

OH man, Ninimaa couldn't believe it. He was crying and shouting angrily. The guys had to console him.

That Weight lead team had the tightest-knit locker room in the NHL. Everyone wanted to be here and stay here.

 

[dsi]

OH man, Ninimaa couldn't believe it. He was crying and shouting angrily. The guys had to console him.

That Weight lead team had the tightest-knit locker room in the NHL. Everyone wanted to be here and stay here.

Niniimaa was crying when they interviewed him after the trade happened.

Boris Mironov was another that comes to mind. His firstborn child was born in Edmonton and he felt a strong connection to his city. He was devastated. One of my favourite Oilers.

 

[Del Preston]

I remember watching the 2003 deadline and Sportsnet showing Niinimaa storm out of the Oilers' dressing room (they were in Calgary for a game that night) when he found out he was traded. A few days later there was that huge fire on Whyte Ave. Niinimaa did an interview about the trade in the Journal and mentioned how how he used to walk around that area all the time.

As @Perfect_Drug mentioned, those Oilers teams were incredibly tight and full of guys who loved playing in Edmonton.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

BTW, Niinima liking Death Metal and Black Metal isn't unique to him.

EVERY finn I know male and female love all Metal. Metal is mainstream over there. They play Mastodon like it's Beiber.

Kids grow up listening to Turmion Kaitolot.

 

[ManofSteel55]

It was no different than the contract gifted to horcoff "first line centre". Only difference is Smyth was genuinely a star.

So was Horcoff, until he blew out his shoulder in the damn All Star game.