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COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing
WE STARTED OFF SLOW IN THE 1984 Canada Cup. We didn't play as well as we could have for the first couple of games and it was taking us a few games to get going. Obviously, there's a lot of pressure. You felt like the whole country of Canada was watching you and pulling for you.
The first couple of games, we needed to come together as a team. There was something unusual about our team. The guys from the Islanders and the guys from Edmonton really didn't get along because the torch had been passed. The Islanders had won four Stanley Cups and had their dynasty and now the Oilers had just won the Stanley Cup. Then when it came to the Canada Cup, all of a sudden you're having guys who are, I don't want to say bitter enemies, but had really battled, and now you're trying to merge them into one team.
It was hot easy. All of sudden when the team came together, you had the John Tonellis and the Bob Bournes and Mike Bossys, and then you have the Wayne Gretzkys and Mark Messiers and Kevin Lowes and all of that, it was a fascinating group that took a while to come together. But once it did come together, it played hard for its country.
Out team was kind of a combination of both the Oilers and Islanders. There were other great players, too, people that I had idolized, like Larry Robinson. It...
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