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okay...went to the card show today. Bought my tickets to get autos of Grant Fuhr. Looked around to see if there was anything good. Pretty much the same sellers as usual. More high end stuff b/c the cost of a table was pretty expensive. There were a few tables with $1 bargain inserts/rookies/jerseys.
Anyway I waited until the end to get Fuhr's autos. I guessed correctly in thinking that there wouldn't be a huge turnout. About 1/2 hr left in the signing, I went up with my items to be signed. Shook his hand and got him to sign 1 mcfarlane base with HOF03, and another with the 5 stanley cup years and Vezina 88. Because I was pretty much last, I got to ask him a bunch of questions while he was signing a bunch of stuff for the host.
I'm paraphrasing a bit and trying to re-collect our conversation. So hopefully I get the time line correct and remember everything.
Me: You played with Gretzky and he's the goal scoring champ, did you ever face him?
Fuhr: I played against him in the playoffs the year he got traded ot LA.
Me: Gretzky is the goal scoring champ but he's more known as a playmaker. Who are some of the best goal scorers you've faced?
Fuhr: Gretzky was still pretty good. Bossy, Lemiuex, Hull.
Me: I heard on the radio yesterday that you were at Gretzky's fantasy camp. Did you just fly in today? When are you heading out?
Fuhr: Yeah, I was there yesterday and am flying out later today to go back. It's a lot of fun.
Me: I read somewhere that you had a chance to play baseball too. (he had a chance to play Catcher with the farm team for the Pittsburg Pirates)
Fuhr: That was a long time ago. I was better at hockey.
Another guy asked this:
During the Olympics they showed a sit down meeting with you and Luongo.
Me: How does that make you feel to have one of the best goalies today say that he emulates your style of play?
Fuhr: I'm alright with that. *smiles*
Me: Who did you look up to when you were growing up?
Fuhr: Glenn Hall. Huge Glenn Hall fan.
Me: Did you ever get to have a 1 on 1 session with him, like Luongo with you?
Fuhr: I see him every summer.
Me: Last I heard, you were with the Coyotes. What are you doing for them?
Fuhr: Yes I am. I'm helping with the goaltender development.
Me: I was wondering how Montoya is doing?
Fuhr: He was doing great, until he injured his shoulder.
Me: I was surprised that a top prospect like Montoya got traded.
Fuhr: He isn't a butterfly goalie, but they (the Rangers) were trying to turn him into one.
Me: Would that slow a players development?
Fuhr: He was the best prospect we had at camp this year.
Me: It's great that the Coyotes are doing so well. They were tied for 1st in the West a week ago. But there's all that talk that they could be moving to Winnipeg.
Fuhr: I don't think it's going to happen. There isn't enough corporate support.
Me: If they did, would you move back with them?
Fuhr: Of course, to come back to Canada. It's home.
I proceeded to tell him about my Vegas trip last year and my experience at the NHL awards. I mentioned how people at a card store signing was asking "who's that sitting beside Pete Rose?" (It was Gordie Howe). And how Mike Bossy was walking around and nobody recognized him, except for me, but I had called him Borje Salming at first.
Fuhr: Yeah, he's aged a bit.
Me: Do you get recognized much in Phoenix?
Fuhr: Only on the golf course. Because lots of Canadians go down there to golf.
Me: What are some of your career highlights. Obviously, you have lots to choose from.
Dale (the organizer): You guys had a great 87-88 season.
Fuhr: I consider that year, by far the greatest team that we've had.
Me: And you won the Canada Cup too!
Fuhr: Yeah, it was a good year. We finished the Canada Cup in August, and then right after training camp started.
Me: You played most of the games that year too.
Fuhr: I played all the Canada Cup games, and all the playoff games too.
Me: Thanks, it was a pleasure meeting you. *shook his hand again*
I was so excited about getting to chit chat with Fuhr for so long that I forgot to get my picture taken with him. I came back later and set up the Mcfarlane figures that he signed and took a picture. Got a couple of Oiler pucks signed too. Still in a haze after, I went back to get my picture taken, when the photographer told me, "we already took one for you".
Anyway I waited until the end to get Fuhr's autos. I guessed correctly in thinking that there wouldn't be a huge turnout. About 1/2 hr left in the signing, I went up with my items to be signed. Shook his hand and got him to sign 1 mcfarlane base with HOF03, and another with the 5 stanley cup years and Vezina 88. Because I was pretty much last, I got to ask him a bunch of questions while he was signing a bunch of stuff for the host.
I'm paraphrasing a bit and trying to re-collect our conversation. So hopefully I get the time line correct and remember everything.
Me: You played with Gretzky and he's the goal scoring champ, did you ever face him?
Fuhr: I played against him in the playoffs the year he got traded ot LA.
Me: Gretzky is the goal scoring champ but he's more known as a playmaker. Who are some of the best goal scorers you've faced?
Fuhr: Gretzky was still pretty good. Bossy, Lemiuex, Hull.
Me: I heard on the radio yesterday that you were at Gretzky's fantasy camp. Did you just fly in today? When are you heading out?
Fuhr: Yeah, I was there yesterday and am flying out later today to go back. It's a lot of fun.
Me: I read somewhere that you had a chance to play baseball too. (he had a chance to play Catcher with the farm team for the Pittsburg Pirates)
Fuhr: That was a long time ago. I was better at hockey.
Another guy asked this:
During the Olympics they showed a sit down meeting with you and Luongo.
Me: How does that make you feel to have one of the best goalies today say that he emulates your style of play?
Fuhr: I'm alright with that. *smiles*
Me: Who did you look up to when you were growing up?
Fuhr: Glenn Hall. Huge Glenn Hall fan.
Me: Did you ever get to have a 1 on 1 session with him, like Luongo with you?
Fuhr: I see him every summer.
Me: Last I heard, you were with the Coyotes. What are you doing for them?
Fuhr: Yes I am. I'm helping with the goaltender development.
Me: I was wondering how Montoya is doing?
Fuhr: He was doing great, until he injured his shoulder.
Me: I was surprised that a top prospect like Montoya got traded.
Fuhr: He isn't a butterfly goalie, but they (the Rangers) were trying to turn him into one.
Me: Would that slow a players development?
Fuhr: He was the best prospect we had at camp this year.
Me: It's great that the Coyotes are doing so well. They were tied for 1st in the West a week ago. But there's all that talk that they could be moving to Winnipeg.
Fuhr: I don't think it's going to happen. There isn't enough corporate support.
Me: If they did, would you move back with them?
Fuhr: Of course, to come back to Canada. It's home.
I proceeded to tell him about my Vegas trip last year and my experience at the NHL awards. I mentioned how people at a card store signing was asking "who's that sitting beside Pete Rose?" (It was Gordie Howe). And how Mike Bossy was walking around and nobody recognized him, except for me, but I had called him Borje Salming at first.
Fuhr: Yeah, he's aged a bit.
Me: Do you get recognized much in Phoenix?
Fuhr: Only on the golf course. Because lots of Canadians go down there to golf.
Me: What are some of your career highlights. Obviously, you have lots to choose from.
Dale (the organizer): You guys had a great 87-88 season.
Fuhr: I consider that year, by far the greatest team that we've had.
Me: And you won the Canada Cup too!
Fuhr: Yeah, it was a good year. We finished the Canada Cup in August, and then right after training camp started.
Me: You played most of the games that year too.
Fuhr: I played all the Canada Cup games, and all the playoff games too.
Me: Thanks, it was a pleasure meeting you. *shook his hand again*
I was so excited about getting to chit chat with Fuhr for so long that I forgot to get my picture taken with him. I came back later and set up the Mcfarlane figures that he signed and took a picture. Got a couple of Oiler pucks signed too. Still in a haze after, I went back to get my picture taken, when the photographer told me, "we already took one for you".
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