A trio of Stanley Cup champions commanded the attention of local hockey fans during the Estevan Bruins' annual sportsman's dinner on Saturday at Spectra Place.
Marty McSorley, Bryan Trottier and Gary Leeman were on hand for the event, which is the Bruins' biggest fundraiser.
Instead of the usual speeches format, the three retired NHLers formed a panel of sorts, with McSorley acting as emcee and asking questions of the other two, while telling a few stories himself.
McSorley was the keynote speaker at last year's function and played a key role in setting this one up.
"For me to come back into a city like Estevan where they support their hockey teams so well, they've built a beautiful rink, there's a real passion for the game, you get caught up in it," said McSorley. "I live in southern California, so when I get up into Canada and get into hockey country, that's who I am, I'm a fan myself. It's really fun. I enjoy it. I got a chance to meet some people last year, people that I now call my friends, and I get a chance to see them again."
Trottier, who was the New York Islanders' director of player development from 2006-10, told The Mercury he was excited to see the Islanders get into the playoffs this year and push Pittsburgh to six games.
"I'm a big John Tavares fan. I was pulling for the fans of Long Island, I was pulling for all the players that I worked with when I was in player development there. For me there was a special attachment, an affinity. I was really, really enjoying not only their playoff run, but their season to get there," said the Redvers native, who was raised in Val Marie.
"They're going to make their own identity and God bless them, they're doing a really good job They can make some noise in the next few years. They're not that far away."
Leeman scored 51 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989-90, but two years later, he became known as the main player heading to Calgary in the 10-player deal that brought Doug Gilmour to Toronto.
Leeman said it's a little-known fact that he "pulled the trigger" on the trade.
At the start of that season, Leeman told general manager Cliff Fletcher that he wanted to stay with the Leafs, but that soon changed.
"We'd never had a general manager that we could trust. If you told him you wanted to stay, they'd have traded you, or vice versa. But Cliff was a great guy and an honest guy. When I was approached by Cliff, I said, 'As of right now, I'd like to stay,' because I wanted to see some of the changes that he was going to make."
Not long after that, the team traded away some youth to get Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson, and Leeman said that was the final straw for him.
"A short time after that, I went to my agent and said, 'I've had enough of Toronto,' because what we had done was what we had done in the previous years. We got rid of some young, cornerstone type guys. Luke Richardson and Vincent Damphousse left in that trade, and I thought, 'Here we go again.' I was the only guy that went on to win a Stanley Cup from that trade, so I'm very happy with it."
He did that with the Montreal Canadiens in 1992-93.
Although Leeman has been retired for 14 years, McSorley said he can still put on a show at alumni games.
"I think Gary Leeman could be the best retired player that still plays in the alumni games. He is really fun to watch. I know he could go to Europe and still play right now."
Trottier said he's enjoyed the extra time to spend with family and speak at engagements since he left the Islanders' front office, but he'd still consider a return to the hockey world.
"Would I go back in? Oh yeah, but it'd have to be a pretty unique situation with a pretty unique organization that wanted to win, that was committed to winning, that had a crop of kids that wanted to win and wanted to learn too," he said.
Roughly 30 years have passed since the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s, but Trottier said not much has changed when it comes to spending time with old teammates.
"Without a doubt, the championships are the biggest highlights, and the camaraderie, the friendships, the bonds you make with those players that you win those championships with. Those are the greatest memories.
"You might not see a guy for a few weeks, you might not see him for a year or two, but next thing you know, you're with him and you're right back in the locker room from 1980. That makes it special."
McSorley said he enjoyed the question and answer format for the dinner.
"This is something where we don't get up and speak at people, we speak with people. We talk to them and have what I call a kitchen table conversation."
There was no word from the Bruins at press time as to how much money was raised at the dinner.
