Edmonton Oilers Shouldn’t Rush New Captain
By Kurt Leavins
As the Edmonton Oilers prepare to embark upon a new season, the inevitable debates have again ensued, including: Who should be the Oilers Captain?
It is an awkward argument from the word “go”, because the club already has one, 36 year old Andrew Ference. And it’s also, at least for me, difficult to not let sentiment get in the way when you see true pro’s like Ference near the end of their careers, especially one who has conducted himself like Ference has, on and off the ice. I just think those guys deserve a little respect.
So, in order to take a more balanced view of the situation, I looked for an apples-to-apples comparison of this situation with another, successful example of transition of the captaincy. And if you have been an Edmonton Oilers fan for any duration, you will know that I didn’t exactly need to reach. The parallels between Andrew Ference and Lee Fogolin, while perhaps not exact, are more than striking enough to study them in a real way.
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For casual and newer fans, Lee Fogolin was named captain of the Edmonton Oilers in the 1981-82 season. It was a vital time for the young Oilers to have a Captain like him. The younger players like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Paul Coffey were just hitting the heights of their individual careers. One wonders how different their paths might have been, if the pressure of wearing the “C” had been thrust upon them all at the same time.
But as most of you will be aware, this story did not yet have a happy ending. The 81-82 Edmonton Oilers appeared to be on the edge of a dynasty. But despite eclipsing the 400 goal mark for the first time in NHL history, and earning 111 points in the regular season, none of that could prevent The Miracle on Manchester, the stunning upset defeat (ultimately) at the hands of the underdog Los Angeles Kings.
It was a pivotal moment for the franchise. It could have gone in either of two ways, a setback like that. But the club endured and grew stronger from the experience, with Fogolin a key member of the leadership team. They advanced all of the way to the Stanley Cup finals the next season, before being swept by the defending champion Islanders. A yet again painful but necessary step along the journey.
By 1983-84, a more mature, battle-hardened Wayne Gretzky ascended to the captaincy, Fogolin earning a long and lasting place in club lore by gracefully stepping aside and letting the young turks take their rightful turn at the helm. Lee Fogolin would be rewarded with 2 Stanley Cup rings in 1984 and 1985. Along the way, before that success, Fogolin did a lot of heavy leadership lifting.
Back to present day: In an admittedly optimistic and probably premature observation, the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers are (finally) on the cusp of something special. But as anyone with experience will tell you, progress rarely travels in a straight line. And as excited as most of us are, I am here to tell you…there are more than a couple tough life lessons still to come. Sorry, it’s true.
Which is why Andrew Ference is the right man to lead this team, for one (or even 2) more seasons. He admirably shouldered the weight through two ugly seasons filled to over-flowing with lessons. More nights than not, he had to face the microphones and be the face of the franchise. And as this team grows and improves, there will be much more that Ference can offer. He is, in so many ways, the modern-day Lee Fogolin. Consider the real value of giving Taylor Hall (or whoever) one more, precious year to ripen.
Yes, Fogolin remained a productive member of the Edmonton Oilers blue-line the entire time that we wore the “C”. And is it important that Ference do the same? Yes. But until such time that Andrew Ference plays himself into the press box, or when Darnell Nurse (or someone likes him) displaces him, discount his value as a leader on this maturing team at your peril…and the teams.
In the end, No matter how long Andrew Ference remains active, players and leaders like him retire too soon. There’s no need to rush it.