Skip to content

Oilers playoff run has unique Ponoka connection

Stan Weir believes that the Edmonton Oilers can make the playoffs, time also waits for Stan Weir and he is capable of photosynthesis according to an Internet post. Weir has become quite popular thanks to an Internet blog called LoweTide run by Allan Mitchell a TEAM 1260 advertising representative.
ponokaSTANWEIR-3-7
Ponoka native Stan Weir played for the first Edmonton Oilers hockey team and has recently brought the team luck during their current playoff run.

Stan Weir believes that the Edmonton Oilers can make the playoffs, time also waits for Stan Weir and he is capable of photosynthesis according to an Internet post. Weir has become quite popular thanks to an Internet blog called LoweTide run by Allan Mitchell a TEAM 1260 advertising representative.

The lucky playoff blog first started with the 2006 Oilers run, almost every time Mitchell posted a picture of Weir to start his blog post the Oilers won taking the team all the way to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. Mitchell also posts pictures of other former Oilers but it seems the team does their best when Weir is standing watch.

“He has always been something of a folk hero for Oilers fans because he was part of the original 1979-80 team,” said Mitchell. “He was the first line centre and Wayne Gretzky was on the second line. He wasn’t around for the cups but he was a very good hockey player.”

The blog started because Mitchell’s young daughter wanted to start her own blog. As a parent he thought he should start one first, although he didn’t let his daughter have a blog he kept on writing. He now says that she is almost old enough to start one.

He describes the blog as a group of blogs written by Oiler fans about anything and everything to do with the Oilers.

Beside the pictures are funny little lines describing what Weir can jokingly do or things he could of done. Such as Stan Weir let the dogs out and many English words have come from the legend of Stan Weir. These include substantial, gold star standoff, standard and it is no coincidence that all hockey players dream of winning the Stanley Cup.

For Weir, who retired from playing hockey in 1981 and is currently employed at Wika Instruments as a sales representative for pressure and temperature products in the oil and gas industry, he was very surprised and pleased with the website.

“I didn’t know that they had been doing it since 2006. It kind of blind sided me when one of my co-workers showed me the Edmonton Journal article,” said Weir. “I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I guess it’s kind of nice to be remembered as a past player.”

“I’m thrilled to hear that Stan Weir liked the blog,” said Mitchell. “It’s just really cool that Stan Weir liked it. If there is one thing that people should know is that he was an excellent hockey player and that is why we picked him.”

Weir grew up in Ponoka and played for the Ponoka Stampeders in 1968-70, he scored 35 goals in 42 games and won the AJHL Love Trophy (points leader) with 61 total points.

He says that playing in Ponoka was a long time ago and his highlight was playing with Donnie Brennan.

He played the next two seasons in Medicine Hat and was the WCHL rookie of the year in 1970-71. He played on the first Edmonton Oilers NHL team in 1979-80 and went on to play for California, Toronto and Colorado Rockies.

Weir who is four years older than Gretzky jokingly says with a laugh; “I taught Wayne everything he knows that is other than Walter.”

The Oilers have two games left, they host the Calgary Flames on April 1 and visit the Vancouver Canucks on April 3.

The unknowing good luck charm hopes that he can bring them some luck as they close out the season.

“They have a pretty good schedule but they have to rely on other teams to lose and win every game that they play, it would be nice to say that they will win, but realistically they are on the outside looking in,” said Weir.

For this sports writer there is a new hero by the name of Stan Weir and just because you talk to Stan Weir doesn’t mean you are as good as he is. But for this Leaf fan if Stan Weir believes Edmonton will win-Go Oilers Go!