The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It was a dream come true for an 11-year-old Creighton boy as he was in the right place at the right time. Austin Cardell, along with his mom Dawn, was at a barbecue this past summer talking to a few people. He didnÕt know it at the time, but former Flin Flon Bomber Tom Gilmore was about to strike up a conversation. Gilmore, also a former Edmonton Oiler, said hello. ÒI didnÕt really know who he was at the time, he just started talking to me,Ó recalls Austin. By the end of the conversation, as Dawn was getting ready to leave, Austin filled his mom in on some interesting details. Gilmore told the Cardells to give him a call when they wanted to go to an Oilers game, and he would send them tickets. And so they did. Austin received his tickets in September, for a January 13 game between the Oilers and the Calgary Flames. ÒIt was the only good team in the NHL...in the Battle of Alberta,Ó says the young fan. It was off to Saskatoon before flying out to Edmonton. It was AustinÕs first plane ride he could remember. ÒI was a bit scared at first. I wasnÕt scared of going up, just of the noise,Ó he says. ÒBut it didnÕt even bother me when the plane started off.Ó And while the game was part of the fun, the unexpected bonuses were just as good. Not many people, let alone children, can brag about being in the Oilers dressing room, but Austin has that right, along with a few others. But it helps to have a few ins as well. A family member works at the teamÕs home rink, Rexall Place, and Austin was able to watch the Oilers practice. If that wasnÕt enough, he even got to sit on the home bench while the guys practiced. See 'Young' on pg. Continued from pg. And, to his surprise, he later made it into the dressing room. He walked through the gold Ôelevator doorsÕ into the dressing room. ÒI got to meet the players and talk with the coach,Ó says the excited fan. ÒHe got to ride on the Fanboni,Ó says Dawn, adding that some kids are given the opportunity to follow the Zamboni around on a special machine. ÒIt had a PlayStation and a TV on it,Ó she adds. While many Bomber fans have seen Austin at the Whitney Forum cheering on his home town team, he says there were a few differences between the homes of the Bombers and the Oilers. ÒItÕs like ten times the size. I donÕt even know what to say, it was just awesome,Ó he says. The Cardells received Alumni tickets, from Garry Meyer, and were able to sit nine rows up from the goalieÕs net. The Oilers, the best team as far as Austin is concerned (aside from the Bombers, of course) came out on top 2-1 over the Flames. It was hard to narrow down a favourite part of the experience for Austin. ÒEverything was the best,Ó he says. ÒIt was my second time in Edmonton, but my first time in the Rexall Place.Ó As if there were any doubt, Austin says he would definitely go back for another game. ÒI got to do the wave with 17,000 people. It took a couple of seconds, but I got it,Ó he says. While Austin had the opportunity to meet the players in the dressing room, there was also an open Meet and Greet at the West Edmonton Mall. ÒWe stood in line for two-and-a-half hours to get autographs of the players I didnÕt meet,Ó he says. After the trip, Austin walked away not only with the experience of a lifetime, but a signed jersey and pictures to prove it. It just goes to show, being in the right place at the right time pays off.
