from Valerie Fortney of the Calgary Herald,
They’re young, really young. Many of those shining bright in playoff action so far are way under the quarter-century mark: Sam Bennett (18), Sean Monahan (20) and Johnny Gaudreau (21), for example.
Contrast that to other notable Flames’ trips to the Stanley Cup altar, like the winning 1989 team — where not a single teenager could be found on the roster, and captain Lanny McDonald was a relatively ancient 36. Even in 2004, the biggest stars under 30, Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff, were 26 and 27, respectively.
It’s a youthful crop we have for 2015, that’s for sure, a fact that was played up at Sunday’s home game against the Vancouver Canucks. From radio show pundits to arena announcers, the emphasis was on a young, inexperienced but fearless crew you would only underestimate at your peril. The Twitter hashtag #neverquit was a nod to the folly of those under-expectations, a sentiment that was clearly embraced by the insanely loud, cheering fans in the seats.
The slogan and corresponding philosophy is catching on across the city, prompting people like Laura Kachuck to employ it as a teaching and empowerment tool for budding young hockey fans at Our Lady of the Evergreens in the city’s southwest.
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