7 Wayne, Meet Stanley

Chapter 7 Wayne, Meet Stanley Wayne became captain of the Oilers before the 1983–1984 season. Still quiet, he tried to lead by example. He paid attention to everyone, from the oldest player to the youngest; to each and every locker room attendant. Wayne had been playing in major professional leagues for five years. For luck, he liked to do things the same way before each game. He always got dressed in the same order. Left shin pad, left outer pad. Then the right. And so on. Finally, he tucked in the right side of his jersey. He even tried to eat the same foods for his pregame meal. Superstitious? Maybe. But in 1984, Wayne could really see the Oilers winning the championship. He could feel it. "Nothing I've ever done means more than this," he told his teammates. The Oilers made it to the finals, a

best-of-seven series. Their opponents: the Islanders, again. This was Wayne's chance. But the Islanders shadowed him every second. Wayne didn't score in the first three games. It was a playoff slump. Still, the Oilers were up two games to one. In the fourth game, Wayne used an old trick: He waited half a second to pass the puck. The Islanders' defense was thrown. When the puck came back to Wayne, he "deked"—faked out— the other player again. Then he shot the puck backhand, right into the net.

The pressure off, Wayne played with a new fury. He fought through check after check until he scored again. It was a huge victory for the Oilers. But they needed to win the next game for the Cup. It was May 19, 1984. A home game. Twice, teammate Jari Kurri passed the puck to Wayne. And twice Wayne drove the puck into the net. He assisted on a third goal. By the end of the

second period, the Oilers were up 4–0. But then in the third period—bang, bang—the Islanders scored twice. The score: 4–2. Now the Islanders had the momentum. Emotions ran high. The pressure was on. But the Oilers held strong. They scored again. The crowd roared. With seconds left on the clock, they counted down the time: "Five, four, three, two, one!"

Game over! The Oilers had won the championship! Streamers and balloons fell from the ceiling. Wayne and his Oilers teammates raced toward one another for a giant group hug. Fans swarmed the ice. Wayne's little brother Brent jumped into his arms. On TV, millions watched Captain Gretzky lift the Stanley Cup, then skate around the rink. Afterward, Wayne and his teammates took "Stanley" for a walk. They went all around

Edmonton, to restaurants, parks, and hospitals. Wayne wanted to share the prize with the people of the city. Everyone was part of the victory, he felt. His teammates. His family. The fans. Because he couldn't have done it alone.