After a long hibernation, the Battle of Alberta has returned to the NHL playoffs, prompting fond memories of the glory days of hockey, and a sign they might have returned.
The last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers vied for the Stanley Cup was three decades ago.
Moshe Lander, a resident of Edmonton and a senior lecturer in economics at Concordia University, remembers the old days well. He says the Battle of Alberta superseded all regional hockey rivalries because both teams were elite.
“This became the gold standard of battle. The equivalent, I guess, would have been seeing the Battle of Quebec with the Nordiques and the Canadiens, but it wasn’t a fair contest. The Nordiques were always the ugly step-sister to the Canadiens,” Lander said in an interview….