You can take the boy out of Saskatchewan, but, as the saying goes, you'll never completely take Saskatchewan out of the boy.

"The first place I ever bought was probably midway through my second year pro (with the Florida Panthers),'' said Shaunavon-born and Frontier-raised Rhett Warrener, a four-season Calgary Flame whose non-negotiable warrior mentality was an indispensable and under-appreciated component of the franchise's unexpected '04 trek to the Stanley Cup final.

Now 88 years young, the ol' potlicker himself, Jim "Bearcat" Murray, long ago passed into the realm of legend hereabouts.

Nearly a quarter-century since retiring from the Calgary Flames as the only NHL athletic trainer with his own fan club (boasting Boston and Montreal chapters), Murray – recognizable by his bald head, generous moustache and ready grin – continues to be an icon.

Located smack-dab in the middle of the city and packed with amenities, the Beltline could be considered both the literal and figurative heart of Calgary.

For a 19-year-old just starting his career, Dana Murzyn's decision to buy his first house in the picture-perfect town of Farmington, Connecticut, 10 miles west of Hartford, seemed like nothing more than a logical step.

Southwest Calgary born and raised, Mike Vernon knows his way in and around this city the way he knows his way around a game-, series- and title-saving overtime glove save off Stan Smyl.

Three decades ago, the small, acrobatic goaltender morphed into an authentic hometown hero when he helped deliver a Stanley Cup championship to the Calgary Flames.

As one of the ablest shutdown wingers of his generation, Colin Patterson has always been a details guy.

When Robyn Regehr arrived for his first Calgary Flames training camp, projections were naturally guarded, given the extraordinary circumstances.

Raised in Acadia, the neighbourhood where he learned to love the game, Tim Hunter admits he still has fond memories and an affinity for Calgary's southeast.

He was, at the time, a long way from becoming the soundtrack of an NHL franchise for an entire generation, a Foster Hewitt Award recipient, a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most respected names in the play-by-play business. In fact, the idea of going on to call 2,954 NHL games would've quite likely made 26-year-old Peter Maher question his sanity.

However, back in 1975, in his hometown of Campbellton, N.B., Maher was a mighty busy fellow, nonetheless.