EDMONTON — It may have been Day 3 of training camp Tuesday, but in the Edmonton Oilers‘ world, it was Day 1 without former head coach John Muckler, who died Monday at age 86.
“Just a really special, unique man,” said a solemn Wayne Gretzky, on 630 CHED radio.
Muckler was Glen Sather’s assistant coach on the 1984 and 1985 Stanley Cup winning teams, and was elevated to co-coach on the 1987 and 1988 Cup winners. On the post-Gretzky, 1990 Stanley Cup champion team, Muckler was the head coach.
That 1990 team was perhaps Muckler’s finest work, after being hired by Sather to coach in Wichita of the Central League in 1982.
“John ran a strict, smart team that played the same kind of style that I wanted to use in Edmonton,” Sather said in a conference call on Tuesday. “He was (nine years), older than me, a little more mature, and sometimes a little more patient than me.
“But he had one focus in mind, and that was to do it the way we wanted the players to play. The players respected that, and it made my job a lot easier.”
While Sather was the psychologist and pusher of buttons on those dynasty Oilers teams, Muckler — along with fellow staff member Ted Green, who died in October of 2019 — brought a technical aspect to the Oilers game plan. Together, the three had all the ground covered when it came to maximizing a roster that had perhaps more pure talent than any ever to lace up skates in the NHL.
“John Muckler and Teddy Green’s contributions were as important as any of the great players on those teams. I can attest to it. I lived it,” said former Oiler Kevin Lowe, one of seven players from that dynasty to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“The misunderstanding was, we don’t win all those championships without being such a superbly technical team,” Lowe continued. “In those days, sure, you could get away with winning (regular season) games without being as technical. But after 1983, we became a video-trained, highly technical hockey team. We won Cups because we had talent, but you don’t win without having more than that.”
An example: The Oilers simply could not win at the tight-cornered band box that was the old Boston Garden, even when they were winning their first two Cups. But in the ’88 and ’90 Stanley Cup Finals, Edmonton won four of five games in Boston, with the fifth one being ruled a tie when the lights went out and the score was 3-3.
Muckler’s brilliant coaching is credited with providing the game plan that could beat the Bruins in their own quirky arena.
“There was never a day when I went to the rink and I didn’t leave without the confidence that we didn’t have the right game plan to win the next game,” said Lowe. Even after a bad loss, “You’d go to practice, and you’d leave there going, ‘We’re going to be all right.’”
Pom Poms Out
In their post-practice, media Zoom calls, Caleb Jones and Kailer Yamamoto appeared wearing Team USA jerseys while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse donned the red and white of Team Canada. All four represented their country at the U-20 tournament.
“We were able to beat Canada in a shootout in Montreal (in 2017),” Jones recalled. “It’s probably the most memorable game I’ll have in my career.”
Jones’ career has reached the point where a full-time job in the NHL awaits. Seth’s little brother has been knocking on the door in Edmonton for a couple of seasons now, and with Oscar Klefbom — another left-handed defenceman — out for the season with arthritis in his shoulder, there’s a job waiting for Jones.
A year ago, Ethan Bear whizzed past him on the depth chart. It sounds like he won’t let that happen again.
“I didn’t come in camp last year with the start I wanted, and I ended up getting sent down real quick,” said Jones, who is 24 with 60 NHL games played. “This year … I knew there was some opportunity. I wanted to come in, impress people, and show that I’m ready to take more.”
As a young player you’re just trying not to make too many mistakes. Now, it’s time to simply play the game that got him here.
“I’m not worried about making mistakes,” Jones said. “I just want to make plays and have a good impact on the game.”
He’s been paired with the stay-at-home Adam Larsson early in camp. Of course, Larsson traditionally pairs with Klefbom.
Pairs, Not Three of a Kind
Head coach Dave Tippett says that his lines won’t be so fluid because training camp is so short this year.
“You’re looking at pairs,” he said, listing off the pairs he’d like to see work up front. That’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid; Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto; Kyle Turris and Jesse Puljujarvi.
“I like Puljujarvi and Turris so far,” Tippett confirmed. “We’ll tinker, through one more full day of practice and two full scrimmages. I would say with a short camp you’re trying to find some continuity, but the reality is you probably won’t know until you’re a few days into the season where all the parts fit best.”
Puljujarvi is getting some early love from his new head coach, who spoke with him about leaving Finland and giving the NHL another try.
“I think there’s a good hockey player there,” Tippett said. “He was a young player, probably thrown into some situations a little bit early, and he struggled with it. He talked very openly. He put it on himself that he didn’t handle (his first NHL stint) very well. His expectations were higher than they should have been.
“He’s matured a lot. His English is a lot better. He’s a good player who should be playing in our league.”
Nugent-Hopkins was asked if Puljujarvi had to clear the air in the dressing room, after walking out on the Oilers when he fled to Finland and Oulu Karpat.
“I don’t really think it needs to be touched on,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “He’s out here, working hard. He’s put in the time and worked on his English a lot. He’s speaking a lot better now. His attitude is, he wants to be part of this group and we’re excited to have him.
“He’s a big kid with all the talent in the world. We’re excited to help him figure it all out.”
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
