While he isn’t bringing “it” back to Winnipeg like he promised he would all those years ago at the old Winnipeg Arena, Eddie O will be joining the Jets alumni team. In addition to Olczyk, half of the goalie duo of Pokey and the Bandit aka Daniel Berthiaume, who will also be lacing them up.
Dan Maloney coached the Jets from 1986 to 1989 and was ousted from the playoffs by these same Oilers in two of his three seasons as coach so he will likely have some incentive to help his team to victory. It does bear mentioning that he successfully got the Jets into the second round (first time Winnipeg won a best of seven NHL playoff series) when his Winnipeg team beat the Calgary Flames in six games in his first year with the team.
Full Release:
The Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers have announced their Tim Hortons Heritage Classic Alumni Game rosters.
Each roster currently features 23 players and three coaches. The majority of each team’s roster was announced on August 5. Attached is the list of players currently committed to playing in the Alumni Game which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Investors Group Field.
Hockey Hall-of-Famer Dale Hawerchuk will captain the Jets and will be joined by legendary Winnipeg Jets players such as: Teemu Selanne, Thomas Steen and Teppo Numminen. A pair of players, goaltender Daniel Berthiaume and forward Eddie Olczyk, have been added to the roster along with coach Dan Maloney.
The Oilers roster will be led by team captain Wayne Gretzky. He will be joined by five other Oiler players in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier and Hall-of-Fame coach, Glen Sather. The Oilers have rounded out their roster with the additions of Curtis Joseph, Craig Muni, Steve Smith, Steve Staois and coach John Muckler
The alumni game is a tribute to the hockey history between Edmonton and Winnipeg, going back to the two cities competing against each other in the WHA and the NHL. Over the 30 seasons of Edmonton versus Winnipeg hockey history, the Jets are 85-99-8 all-time against the Oilers franchise.
