Episode 8
Hope and Betrayal
Synopsis
Canadians are in a sour mood as the 1980s begin. The unpopular National Energy Policy angers the west, a divisive sovereignty debate splits Quebec, and a crippling recession has much of the country on its knees.Things get worse when the USSR wins the 1981 Canada Cup, and a bitter Alan Eagleson, the tournament's organizer, refuses to let the Soviets take home the trophy they won fair and square. Embarrassed by the childish display of poor sportsmanship, Winnipeg business owner George Smith collects donations from across Canada and commissions a replica Canada Cup trophy, which he presents to grateful Soviet diplomats.
Another ray of light emerges from the '81 Canada Cup in the form of Wayne Gretzky, whose brilliant play confirms his status as hockey's next superstar. Already with two 50-goal season under his belt, the barely-out-of-his-teens Edmonton Oilers centre scores a jaw-dropping 92 to go with 120 assists in 1981-82. Over the next few years, the ordinary-looking kid with the out-of-this-world talent turns into a marketer's dream as he rewrites the NHL record books and inspires school-kids and beer-leaguers alike.
Gretzkymania is at its most rabid in Edmonton, which emerges from its recession-era slumber to catch Oilers fever as the star-studded team captures the Stanley Cup in 1984, and again in '85, '87 and '88.
Edmonton, in fact, is home to two great teams in the 80s. Led by captain Shirley Cameron, the Edmonton Chimos dominate women's hockey in Alberta. Looking for a bigger challenge, the Chimos head to Gretzky's hometown of Brantford, Ont., to play in the fist-ever women's national championship. The landmark event ends on a sour note for the team when it loses in the final to Ontario and Cameron is suspended from her job at Canada Post for skipping work to attend the tournament. Two years later, though, Cameron and the Chimos bounce back to capture the national championship, this time with the blessing of Cameron's bosses.
Spurred by the high-flying brand of hockey popularized by Gretzky's Oilers, the NHL finds itself in a golden age. Intraprovincial rivalries in Alberta (Edmonton-Calgary) and Quebec (Montreal-Quebec City) keep Canadian fans riveted. Meanwhile, television audiences in La Belle Province stayed glued to Lance et Compte, a saucy soap opera about a fictional pro hockey team that bears a striking resemblance to their beloved fleur- de-lis-clad Nordiques.
English television discovers its own sensation when a brash former NHL bench boss named Don Cherry shows he's not afraid to shoot from the lip during his new Coach's Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
Like Cherry, Toronto youngster Justine Blainey is loathe to back down from controversy. When, despite her talents, she's barred from joining a boys travel team, Blainey challenges the ruling under the new Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Her appeal, though, is denied and Blainey returns to girls hockey to find she is no longer welcome there, either. Fortunately, three years later the Supreme Court rules in her favour and Blainey finally earns the right to play with the boys. But by now the faster game has passed her by and, overmatched, she is forced to quit. Still, Blainey's legacy lives on as her determination inspires legions of young girls to play at the highest possible level.
Back in Edmonton, the wedding of Gretzky to Hollywood actress Janet Jones attracts 10,000 well-wishers to Edmonton's Jasper Avenue. But what the swooning fans don't know is that flamboyant Oilers owner Peter Pocklington is drowning in red ink. Desperate for cash, he commits the unthinkable by selling Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. As the Great One says goodbye to Edmonton in a tearful press conference, Canadians mourn the loss of their greatest star to the southern United States.
Oilers with Cup, Hockey Hall of Fame
Shoppers Drug Mart, Hockey Hall of Fame
Justine Blainey, Hockey Hall of Fame
