Saint John Flames vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
05.28.2001

This date will go down in history as the day the Flames took home their first Calder Cup! You really can't describe the  feeling in words, it's something you definitely have to  experience for yourself. In the end it's the players that deserve all of the credit but when you follow a team as closely and passionately as I have been this year (or since 1993 for that matter), seeing the ups and downs, knowing the guys, and getting to know them you can't help but feel like you're a part of the victory. Since late September these guys have been together and have bonded like a family. They had many useful players, very young, and they all have very long NHL careers ahead of them. Usually the teams that come away with the Calder are loaded full of veterans who are on their way out. Not the case with our Flames, a hungry bunch of 22 year olds. Martin Brochu's words summed it up the most when he told a local newspaper, "I didn't want this  season to end..." It was truly a storybook season and it's going to take awhile for this to sink in. It's truly special and I don't think the full extent of what's going on will hit  the city of Saint John until the new team hits the ice next Fall. Right now, less than 24 hours after the win, the feeling around the city is one that is still very surreal.

A friend and I went to the arena around 4pm to check out the scene. Preparations were already underway for the would-be Calder Cup winning game. We headed over to McDonalds in the mall by the Delta Brunswick hotel, where the players for the opposing team stay. We saw several of them including Dennis Bonvie and Chris Kelleher, who was challenging Flames' alcoholic winger Sergei Varlamov for the playoff scoring lead. We then proceded to Harbour Station to talk to some players and get some autographs. Andrew Ference (1/5) was one of the first through so I asked him if he was nervous about the game. His response was "No, not really." I noted that it was probably a lot more intense when he was in the NHL before they got knocked out by Pittsburgh and he nodded in agreement. Most of the other players were really quiet and focused. 

After long it was time to go to the Flames entrance and welcome our players and wish them luck. We met Daniel Tkaczuk, Marty Murray, Chris St.Croix, and a few others before heading home to get ready for the game. We came back in around 7:30pm just in time for puck drop.
The feeling in the rink was electric. There were approximately 200 Penguins fans around but were drowned out by the record 6 620 strong
who were cheering on their Flames. It was a defencive battle to be sure and both goaltenders stood on their heads making the spectators
believe that neither would ever let a puck by them. Then with 5.1 seconds left in the second period, Sergei Varlamov got the puck out front to defenceman Darryl Scoville who wristed one past a stick-less Rich Parent to put the Flames on top 1-0. It was all the Flames would 
need to defeat the baby Penguins who missed a few empty nets and were stoned time and time again by veteran goalie Martin Brochu. 

With about two minutes left in the game the crowd was on their feet screaming their lungs out. The Flames were in a defencive shell which had me nervous and Parent was pulled for the extra man with just over a minute remaining. The sound in Harbour Station was deafening as 
the seconds ticked off the clock. Steve Montador just missed the empty net by about 2 inches which would have given the Flames the insurance they needed but it didn't matter as Scranton could not muster another shot and the gloves came flying off as the puck was shot down the ice with seconds remaining.  I have never heard Harbour Station so loud. It was an unbelievable feeling for team that was built during the beginning to win the Calder Cup. 

Steve Begin was named playoff MVP and rightfully so. There were so many names on this team that contributed to the Flames getting as far as they did in the playoffs, they were a true team; but the battle scars on "Beige's" face were the obvious difference when it came down to choosing one. Marty Murray was awarded the Calder Cup by league president Dave Andrews and was instantly mobbed by his teammates. Even the "black aces" who didn't play were out on the ice in full equipment to capture the full experience. Many of the Flames even had camcorders on the ice with them. Media was interviewing the players individually on the ice  as the Cup was paraded around with anthems such as Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" and Queen's "We are the Champions" blaring from the Harbour Station speakers. The crowd was also so loud you couldn't hear yourself think. It was total pandemonium, or maybe fandemonium would be a more appropriate expression? Not a soul had left the building.

Eventually the players started filing off the ice. I took this as a cue to head down to the Flames dressing room. Using a media pass I "acquired" earlier in the evening I managed to get me and my friends in. We chatted it up with Flames' family and friends who were in a total state of euphoria. One I talked with for quite some time was Doug Doull's brother. Since I am planning to make the switch to St. Mary's University in the Fall we talked about Doug's career playing there for the Huskies and got onto the topic of the course of Doug's entire career. It's very interesting the roads these players travel. And it all reached a climax for not only him, but all of these young players tonight.

Players began mulling about, Daniel Tkaczuk walked by and put his arm around his father. With a big smile on his face them both ventured into the Flames dressing room. A very proud moment and it was really nice to see. We saw Steve Begin's press conference. Beige is an awesome guy and you could tell he was at a loss for words. He was in such a state he could barely speak English! His girlfriend Amelie got everything on
tape. Dave Roche was met by a couple of hard core fans with a huge hug. It was a truly happy moment for all of these players. After taking things in for a little we decided to check out what things were like outside. It was crazy!! Cars all over the uptown area within a 10 minute walking radius of the rink were honking their horns, waving Flames banners and yelling "GO FLAMES!!" It was amazing! Of course I joined right in. We walked by Penguins players a few times, you could only imagine how they felt. There was police everywhere but all of the celebrating was peaceful.

After this we ended up at Vito's Restaurant because we knew the Flames would be partying there. Unfortunately there was a sign saying it would be a private party so we couldn't get in. Again, we saw Penguins players there... wanting to eat but were turned away for the same reason. So we went to Rocky's sportsbar and partied there. The place was full of balloons, the televisions were showing game highlights and everyone was just pumped. A friend of mine rudely gave Rich Parent the "suck it" sign, but after a talking to he apologized. Daniel Tkaczuk, Chris St.Croix, Kenny Corupe, and Blair Betts made an appearance around 1:30am and were applauded loudly for about 5 minutes. Everyone was giving them hugs, shaking their hands, and giving them comments. It was truly an amazing night and they knew, this party was for them. The whole city was proud of their Saint John Flames. It's hard to say what will become of this team in the future but it's inevitable that they will be forced to find their separate ways and will follow different paths. But one thing is for sure, and it's that nothing can take this away from them, and 
the city of Saint John. This experience is truly going to be something these 22 year olds, full of potential and promise, can take with them on their journeys through life in the NHL, as they become older, no matter where there paths may lead them.

Chris McCluskey is a dedicated Saint John Flames fan and AHL autograph hound.  His new site will debut on July 5, 2001.  He can be reached at p9cqn@unb.ca.