Mike Zanier

Here is a little known fact that surprises many people. On the night when the Edmonton Oilers won their first Stanley Cup, Grant Fuhr was not between the pipes. In fact, he was not even dressed.

At the 52 minute mark of game three of the finals against the New York Islanders, Fuhr had to leave the game with a shoulder injury. He would be done for the series.

It did not matter, as the very capable Andy Moog took over and won games 4 and 5, and clinched the Oilers first Stanley Cup championship.

So the question now becomes - who backed up Moog in games 4 and 5 of the 1984 Stanley Cup finals?

An unknown kid named Mike Zanier dressed as the back up those two games. Zanier had never played in the NHL prior to that evening.

Zanier was the property of the Oilers after signing with them as a free agent on October 4, 1983. The Trail, BC native played for five different junior A teams in the WHL including four in one season

During the 1983/84 season he was with the Moncton Alpines, the Oilers affiliate in the AHL. The highlight of his career had to be on May 19, 1984 he found himself on the bench in game five of the Edmonton Oiler, New York Islander Cup finals. At the end of the night he was living every Canadian's dream by sipping champagne out of the Stanley Cup with fellows named Gretzky, Messier, Coffey and Kurri.

Despite backing up two games in the Stanley Cup finals, Zanier did not get his name on the Stanley Cup.

Zanier went on to play a total of three games for the Oilers the following season but never was able to make it back to the show. He went on to play throughout Europe, including in Britain, Austria, Sweden, Germany, and most famously Italy. He actually represented Italy in two world championships and the 1992 Albertville Olympics.