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.

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.

Over the course of his time in the NHL, Jamie Macoun embodied all the intangibles hockey folks prize so highly: dependability, competitiveness and an innate will to excel.

These days, two decades on from his playing career, he brings those same attributes to his work as the driving force behind Macoun Real Estate in Calgary.

Perry Berezan was 24 years old and in his fourth NHL season by early spring of 1989, part of a carefully crafted Calgary Flames team teetering on the precipice of history.