Memories of '86

"Now I know how Steve Smith feels."

Those are the words of Chris Phillips, who accidentally lost the puck in his goalie's feet for what proved to be the game winning goal in the Stanley Cup finals.

Steve Smith played 13 seasons in the NHL from 1984 to 1997 with the Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks and was a member of three Stanley Cup-winning teams in Edmonton. Unfortunately he is a legend of hockey.

Unfortunate because he is probably best known for inadverdently putting the puck into his own net in the third period of Game Seven of the 1986 Smythe Division finals, giving the Flames a 3-2 victory over the Oilers. Smith attempted to fire a pass out of his zone from behind the Edmonton net, but the puck hit the back of goaltender Grant Fuhr's pad and squirted into the net to give Calgary the lead.

Despite the mistake that cost the Oilers a chance at winning their third straight Stanley Cup, Edmonton general manager Glen Sather opted not to trade Smith despite the public outcry in Edmonton. He remained a stalwart in the six-man defensive rotation on the Cup-winning teams in 1987, 1988 and 1990.