It would be completely understandable if Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner did not know a great deal about Grant Fuhr.
After all, Skinner was just 17 months old when Fuhr played the final game of his decorated NHL career. He just turned five on the weekend of Fuhr’s induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame. And he wasn’t even alive when Fuhr was backstopping the Oilers to championships.
But Fuhr is a lot more than just a name on one of the banners that hang above Skinner’s head every time the 25-year-old netminder skates onto the ice at Rogers Place. Fuhr is the legend whose record Skinner just broke.
Skinner Has 11 Straight Victories
On Tuesday (Jan. 23), Skinner stopped 27 shots as Edmonton defeated the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. That result gave him a victory in 11 straight games, as he surpassed Fuhr for the longest single-season win streak by an Oilers goalie. Fuhr won 10 games in a row from Feb. 14 to March 25, 1986.
As he met with media following Edmonton’s franchise-record 14th consecutive win, Skinner spoke of Fuhr with great reverence and revealed that not only has he gotten to know an awful lot about the Oilers legend, but he’s also gotten to know Fuhr personally.
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“I was feeling a lot of emotions, especially when I went out on the ice for First Star, just because it’s pretty cool to be able to break a record from one of the best goalies that ever lived,” said Skinner, who started his streak on Dec. 22 in Edmonton’s 4-3 road triumph against the New York Rangers.
“He’s obviously a guy that I look up to, I guy that I’ve talked to. He’s just one of the best, so I’m very fortunate to be able to break it.”
Fuhr Won 5 Cups in Edmonton
The only goaltender to have his number retired by the Oilers, the diminutive Fuhr is one of hockey’s most iconic figures. He’s a five-time Stanley Cup champion, six-time All-Star Game selection, and one-time Vezina Trophy recipient, all during his 10 seasons with the Oilers from 1981-82 to 1990-91.
He’s one of only 13 goalies with more than 400 NHL regular season wins, and was included on the list of The 100 Greatest NHL Players. No less of an authority than the GOAT, Wayne Gretzky, called Fuhr the greatest goalie in the history of the game.
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