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The Battle of Alberta: The Historic Rivalry Between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames
An up-close look at the rivalry between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers, told from the perspective of those that were there. Sports writer and on-air personality Mark Spector pays tribute to the province's hockey heyday with a unique blend of humour and homage.
"I hated every single guy on the Oilers, 'cause they all hated me." --Tim Hunter, the Calgary Flames
In the 1980s, the province of Alberta was home to the two best hockey teams in the NHL. Aptly dubbed "Death Valley" due to the sheer talent and ability of its players, the province not only begat rivalry with other NHL teams, but also sparked fierce competition within its own borders. Thus began The Battle of Alberta, the historic struggle between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames.
In The Battle of Alberta , veteran sports journalist Mark Spector presents homage to Albertan hockey, and the two teams that inspired one of the most bitter competitions in NHL history. Through exclusive interviews with coaches, trainers, and players, Spector provides an unbiased, often hilarious look at the brawls, the clashes, and the schemes.
A chronicle of an unforgettable time in hockey history (filled with never-before-seen photographs), The Battle of Alberta is guaranteed to entertain fans and educate newcomers alike.
"I hated every single guy on the Oilers, 'cause they all hated me." --Tim Hunter, the Calgary Flames
In the 1980s, the province of Alberta was home to the two best hockey teams in the NHL. Aptly dubbed "Death Valley" due to the sheer talent and ability of its players, the province not only begat rivalry with other NHL teams, but also sparked fierce competition within its own borders. Thus began The Battle of Alberta, the historic struggle between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames.
In The Battle of Alberta , veteran sports journalist Mark Spector presents homage to Albertan hockey, and the two teams that inspired one of the most bitter competitions in NHL history. Through exclusive interviews with coaches, trainers, and players, Spector provides an unbiased, often hilarious look at the brawls, the clashes, and the schemes.
A chronicle of an unforgettable time in hockey history (filled with never-before-seen photographs), The Battle of Alberta is guaranteed to entertain fans and educate newcomers alike.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 7, 2024
Oh…the battle. THE BATTLE! This book is an intimate look at the greatest rivalry ever. Of course, as an Alberta boy, I am quite biased. I was just born after the rivalry hit its climax in 1991, but I have always heard stories. The Oilers and the Flames in the 80s were teams to be reckoned with and whenever these two faced each other, the energy in the arenas took off to a whole new level. High scoring games, bone crunching hits, fights, brawls. It wasn’t pretty but it sure was entertaining.
February 24, 2018
Some of this book is uncritically magic - the beginning, in particular, a history of a rivalry told like gangbusters by someone who lived it, breathed it, at the time in his life when these things mean the most. The peak of it is when the author acknowledges how much he's bought into the romanticism of the Battle, the myths and legends of it; there really is so much history that you can't feel, and it's really the best glimpse you can have of the enormity of what it was to have someone telling you, who loved it. That said the lack of clarity and distance hurts the book as it progresses, and it slips swiftly into an uncritical longing for the good old days that enables and encourages a toxic yearning for violence and "non political correctness" that is deeply unpalatable to a modern reader. (For one an incredibly distasteful anecdote about a homophobic joke, relayed uncritically; for another the constant fetishization of the violence that coated this decade of hockey swiftly becomes tiresome, almost masturbatory.) This book has an afterword from 2016, and ought to know better. And I wish the loving detail brought to recreating injury after injury and fight after fight had also been spent upon explaining the dynamics of the teams, the ways they fell and rose together as people, not just bodies on ice. That said, the magic way it depicts the space of two cities at the height of their hockey rivalry is genuinely fascinating, and worth the read.
January 2, 2021
"The Battle of Alberta" - the actual games, not the book - was something of an "inside story" in the world of professional hockey in the 1980s, especially in the United States. We knew all about the Edmonton Oilers, thanks to the fabulous Wayne Gretzky and his supporting cast that was much more than a supporting cast. Names like Messier, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey and Fuhr were Hall of Famers in their own right.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames were just down the road in Alberta. They were obviously a very good team in those days, but they were constantly bumping up against one of the great teams in the history of hockey. Sadly for the Flames, the playoffs were intramural affairs within the division in the first couple of rounds, which meant Calgary had to go through Edmonton to get to close to the promised land.
Those games, regular season and playoff, were close to off the charts in intensity. The Oilers usually won, especially when the Flames were just building their team.Eventually, though, Calgary broke through. The catch in terms of public attention is that Edmonton and Calgary aren't major media centers, and therefore few people knew about those games.
That left the subject open for Mark Spector, attacking the rivalry in his book, "The Battle of Alberta." He does a thorough job of getting the feelings of the participants out in the open. In fact, it doesn't sound like there was a great deal of prompting.
The Flames were never going to match the Oilers' level of skill, so they built up a slightly different type of team. The roster had a bunch of college players from America who were overlooked by NHL scouts, so they had a chip on their shoulder coming into the league. Playing second-fiddle to Edmonton fit in nicely with that formula. And if that meant using players with grit to do anything possible to slow down the speedy Oilers, well, whatever worked. Neil Sheehy, who went to Harvard, became well-known in the sport for his efforts to at least slow Gretzky.
Author Mark Spector was around for much of the fun, which ran through much of the 1980s and leaked into the start of the 1990s. The Oilers and Flames were good talkers, as they say in the media, and they haven't lost the touch. Spector only needs to turn on the tape recorder, ask a question, and sit back.
He uses a different technique of organizing the book that many such efforts. Since the matchups were irregularly played, Spector opts to use a different theme for each chapter. So we read about coaches Glen Sather and Bob Johnson, Edmonton's Steve Smith and his famous "own goal" in which he took too much of the blame, the goaltenders, and so on. About the only drawback is that sometimes facts and stories get repeated. It interrupts the flow a little bit.
Still, the passion comes out on practically every page. It's great fun to read the reactions of what happened when coach Terry Crisp of Calgary opted to dress Lanny McDonald for a potential Cup-clinching game in Montreal in 1989, from the players who had to sit out the game to McDonald's thought as he scored the go-ahead goal - the last goal of his career.
Ken Dryden once said that playoff meetings developed rivalries, and there's no doubt that it worked in the case of Edmonton and Calgary. There's nothing like seven games in 10 days between two teams to develop a good-size level of emotion, year after year.
The Oilers and Flames haven't been very good too often in the last 30 years, and when one has been good, the other has been mediocre or worse. Fans from the 1980s certainly have a head start when it comes to enjoying "The Battle of Alberta," but I think most hockey followers will get the idea about what an interesting time it was - and to hope we see a renewal of the rivalry sometime relatively soon.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames were just down the road in Alberta. They were obviously a very good team in those days, but they were constantly bumping up against one of the great teams in the history of hockey. Sadly for the Flames, the playoffs were intramural affairs within the division in the first couple of rounds, which meant Calgary had to go through Edmonton to get to close to the promised land.
Those games, regular season and playoff, were close to off the charts in intensity. The Oilers usually won, especially when the Flames were just building their team.Eventually, though, Calgary broke through. The catch in terms of public attention is that Edmonton and Calgary aren't major media centers, and therefore few people knew about those games.
That left the subject open for Mark Spector, attacking the rivalry in his book, "The Battle of Alberta." He does a thorough job of getting the feelings of the participants out in the open. In fact, it doesn't sound like there was a great deal of prompting.
The Flames were never going to match the Oilers' level of skill, so they built up a slightly different type of team. The roster had a bunch of college players from America who were overlooked by NHL scouts, so they had a chip on their shoulder coming into the league. Playing second-fiddle to Edmonton fit in nicely with that formula. And if that meant using players with grit to do anything possible to slow down the speedy Oilers, well, whatever worked. Neil Sheehy, who went to Harvard, became well-known in the sport for his efforts to at least slow Gretzky.
Author Mark Spector was around for much of the fun, which ran through much of the 1980s and leaked into the start of the 1990s. The Oilers and Flames were good talkers, as they say in the media, and they haven't lost the touch. Spector only needs to turn on the tape recorder, ask a question, and sit back.
He uses a different technique of organizing the book that many such efforts. Since the matchups were irregularly played, Spector opts to use a different theme for each chapter. So we read about coaches Glen Sather and Bob Johnson, Edmonton's Steve Smith and his famous "own goal" in which he took too much of the blame, the goaltenders, and so on. About the only drawback is that sometimes facts and stories get repeated. It interrupts the flow a little bit.
Still, the passion comes out on practically every page. It's great fun to read the reactions of what happened when coach Terry Crisp of Calgary opted to dress Lanny McDonald for a potential Cup-clinching game in Montreal in 1989, from the players who had to sit out the game to McDonald's thought as he scored the go-ahead goal - the last goal of his career.
Ken Dryden once said that playoff meetings developed rivalries, and there's no doubt that it worked in the case of Edmonton and Calgary. There's nothing like seven games in 10 days between two teams to develop a good-size level of emotion, year after year.
The Oilers and Flames haven't been very good too often in the last 30 years, and when one has been good, the other has been mediocre or worse. Fans from the 1980s certainly have a head start when it comes to enjoying "The Battle of Alberta," but I think most hockey followers will get the idea about what an interesting time it was - and to hope we see a renewal of the rivalry sometime relatively soon.
March 13, 2021
Any book that looks into a great hockey teams past rekindles warm memories in the heart for that particular fan. Edmonton was loaded with superstars in their line up, any one of those top 6 forwards could have been a captain on any other team in the league. Calgary was always potent, as explained in the book, driving the Oilers many times late into playoffs, wearing them down for the next series for whomever would play. Calgary perhaps was just missing that one piece at times, to go past the speedy Oilers and in 1986 they squeaked by.
I liked the focus on the Calgary lineup, something that I had missed in the those years, what some of the players thought, the coaching styles of Calgary, Johnson and Crisp were well respected by the vast majority of Oiler fans. Calgary gearing up for matchups, acquiring key players, were well explained in the book on how they tried to emulate the Oilers lineup, and how the competition between the two made each team tougher.
Great book for those hockey enthusiasts who wish to step back in time for the battle of Alberta, for some of the Oilers Glory Year(s) or the Flames incredible tenacity and their Stanley Cup Glory year.
I liked the focus on the Calgary lineup, something that I had missed in the those years, what some of the players thought, the coaching styles of Calgary, Johnson and Crisp were well respected by the vast majority of Oiler fans. Calgary gearing up for matchups, acquiring key players, were well explained in the book on how they tried to emulate the Oilers lineup, and how the competition between the two made each team tougher.
Great book for those hockey enthusiasts who wish to step back in time for the battle of Alberta, for some of the Oilers Glory Year(s) or the Flames incredible tenacity and their Stanley Cup Glory year.
December 7, 2019
A good inside story on the rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. I wish it got more descriptive and detailed for the times they faced each other in the playoffs, but it wasn’t bad. Really like the info on Stu Grimson and Dave Brown, two players I didn’t know a whole lot about. It’s rare to find a good hockey book these days so I enjoyed this one.
February 15, 2017
It was so fun to read and remember what hockey was like during the hay day of the battle of Alberta. I hope we will be able to see some more Flames/Oilers battles in the future like those games of the 1980's. Loved every second of this read.
January 13, 2021
Wanted to like this more than I did. If had some great stories from the players and coaches. It seemed like the phrase "the Battle" worked it's way into every page, which became distracting. Repetitive in spots. Overall, glad I read it but I feel no need to add it to my re-read pile anytime soon.
April 20, 2023
This was an excellent read. Growing up as a Flames fan, I figured I knew a ton about the team’s history and their battles with Edmonton over the years but there were a lot of cool nuggets thrown in that I never knew about. Any Flames or Oilers fan should definitely check it out
January 28, 2018
Entertaining stories. Book seems to have quite a few grammatical errors but that is probably what you get with a sports writer.
March 3, 2019
If you grew up during the 80s watching NHL, you were aware of the battle. Some great stories.
December 16, 2019
If ur not a soccer goof u will like this book
June 13, 2020
Average book.
December 4, 2020
Great topic. Book jumped around and was not easy for a casual hockey to follow.
May 10, 2022
Outstanding read. Absolutely loved the trip down memory lane for this fierce rivalry. Great stories and insight, along with many quotes from those involved.
April 9, 2023
Amazing read!
February 18, 2024
Good book and reading it in 2024 provides me with some fond memories of Edmonton Oilers hockey back in that era.
August 6, 2020
An excellent look at was a far bloodier feud than I remembered. The cast of characters involved in the Battle was vast and went beyond the surface of Gretzky, Messier, McDonald and Peplinski. A fun read back to a time where the game was bigger, faster and better!
August 9, 2021
One of the most passionate rivalries in hockey history, the Battle of Alberta was at its peak throughout the 1980s. Spector looks at this by interviewing many of the participants, and discusses what it meant to them. The chapters are organized thematically, rather than chronologically, and as a result it can be difficult to keep track of events unless you are already familiar with the subject. More analysis of what happened would also have been good to include, as it mostly just becomes stories from former players, and little narrative giving those stories context.
May 6, 2016
As a child, I knew absolutely nothing about hockey. However, with the all the hype in 1979 about the Oilers joining the NHL and bringing with them a certain young player named Wayne Gretzky, I decided to check out their first televised NHL game. To my surprise, I found myself hooked immediately and I have been a huge Oilers fan ever since. I remember much of what Mark Spector talks about in his well written, hugely entertaining book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being able to reminisce along with him about days gone by. I am hopeful that the exciting rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary will be rekindled in the years to come, and am especially looking forward to seeing what Connor McDavid might have to say about some of Gretzky's amazing records! "The Battle of Alberta" is a great read, one that I'm sure any hockey fan (whether they're from Alberta or not) would enjoy.
October 5, 2016
I found this book quite interesting. It was a $2.00 library book sale find during the summer.
I'm not much of a hockey fan - perhaps if I had a TV, I'd watch the occasional game. But I certainly remember the Oilers of the past and I did try to keep track of their victories.
Anyway, Mark Spector has written this book about the legendary rivalry between the Oilers and the Calgary Flames. I think that he did a good job of getting into the heart of these 2 teams. He helped me to understand what was going on both on and off the ice while these men where battling for their careers.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the sport and to people like me who are just curious.
I'm not much of a hockey fan - perhaps if I had a TV, I'd watch the occasional game. But I certainly remember the Oilers of the past and I did try to keep track of their victories.
Anyway, Mark Spector has written this book about the legendary rivalry between the Oilers and the Calgary Flames. I think that he did a good job of getting into the heart of these 2 teams. He helped me to understand what was going on both on and off the ice while these men where battling for their careers.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the sport and to people like me who are just curious.
October 24, 2015
I don't read sports books. Hell, I don't even follow sports as a general rule. But growing up halfway between these two famous hockey clubs I was drawn to it immediately. It's the Montagues and the Capulets all over again- but on ice! I couldn't put this book down, and that says a lot for someone who's not a sports fanatic. This one is a must read for any hockey lover in your life, especially if they're from Alberta.
May 22, 2016
There were a lot of editing errors in the book, which was a bit disappointing and distracting. It was great to reminisce about the "good old days" of Edmonton-Calgary hockey though.
November 9, 2017
Oct. 10, 2017: Bought this book last April during my trip to Victoria (I always comb the bookstores in Canada for hockey books), before I knew I would be going to Edmonton in November, for hockey of course. I am reading this in between other books and plan to finish it before mid-November. Very much enjoy the history of the rivalry between these two Canadian cities--that rivalry is NOT all about hockey.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews