from Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal,
Say what you will about the organization’s many on-ice foibles, their mistakes at the draft, their coaching carousel and management miscues, the Oiler salute has always been a first-class affair, be it a banner raising or, as it was on Wednesday, the fondest of farewells to their old hockey home.
And yes, the highlight packages provided by Wayne Gretzky and company offer them a leg up on most of their National Hockey League peers, right out of the gate. Those champagne-soaked moments in the old dressing room, victory parades and civic receptions all make for tear-jerking celluloid not readily available in Winnipeg, for instance. And who doesn’t love a long, nostalgic pull on the heartstrings?
Their glory gang was out in full force again Wednesday — Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Kevin Lowe, Jari Kurri and many more — smiling through another proper fete. The current Oilers played their part as the warm-up act too, hammering Vancouver 6-2, and damn the draft lottery implications.
Below, watch Wayne Gretzky as he gets saluted by the Edmonton fans. Also, the Oilers have numerous videos from last night.
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