This October, when Grant Fuhr reunited with his teammates from the 1984 Edmonton Oilers squad, he all but forgot about his new book that would be coming out a few weeks later.
“The reunion was about the whole team. We were raised by Glen (Sather) as a family – 24 guys in a locker room – brothers looking after each other. That's what I value most about those years. Those are the memories that came back at the reunion, and when we were putting the idea for this book together six or seven years ago,” said Fuhr on a stop through Edmonton to promote his just-released memoir, Grant Fuhr: The Story of a Hockey Legend.
“It was the right time, right place, right guys. We really were like a big happy family,” he said. “Gretz was a great teammate and great friend. We've been together 25 of my 38 years in hockey.”
The now 52-year-old Hall of Famer from Spruce Grove, said by Gretzky to be the greatest goalie in the world, does about 20 charity events a year, when he's not running a golf course in Palm Springs, California. Fuhr said it's only since he retired from hockey that he's been able to reflect on his life and career. With co-author and sports writer Bruce Dowbiggin, Fuhr recalls “the good, the bad and the ugly” of his storied career, one that included five Stanley Cups as part of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s.
“We tell the story through my 10 most important games. For me, the top three are the '84 Stanley Cup final, the '87 Canada Cup, and my first game as a pro,” he said.
Even though he was the first black superstar in the NHL, and an inspiration for later players such as future Hall of Famer Jerome Iginla (from St. Albert), Fuhr said he didn't feel the importance of breaking the colour barrier in the NHL at the time.
“I'm more aware of it now. I got lucky, wearing a mask, so people looked at me as a goalie, first and foremost. Colour didn't feel like an issue then. I just felt happy to play,” Fuhr said.
Not shying away from recalling the challenging moments of his life, Fuhr remembers being suspended for substance use, and the time he was sent down to the team in New Brunswick for 10 games after calling Oilers fans jerks.
“I'm so glad we didn't have social media back then, he said. “That would've killed me.”
Grant Fuhr's book is available at the Bookstore on Perron and other retailers.
• Fuhr played for more than 10 years after his years as part of the Oilers' dynasty, joining teams in St. Louis, Los Angeles and others, before retiring from the Calgary Flames in 2000.<br />• Fuhr plays golf at the professional level on the pro Stars Tour, with ex-professional athletes who benefit charities by their activities.
