A young Grant Fuhr with his grandmother and cousins. [credit: courtesy of the author]

Grant was named the 1979-80 WHL Rookie of the Year with the Victoria Cougars: it was no fluke, as the next season he was named WHL Goalie of the Year. [credit: Victoria Times Colonist]

Edmonton selected Fuhr (pictured here with Wayne Gretzky) with the 8th pick of the 1981 entry draft after Oilers head scout Barry Fraser told general manager Glen Sather that Grant was going to end up in the Hall of Fame. [credit: Miles Nadal/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Grant Fuhr makes a save during the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals against Philadelphia, en route to the Oilers’ second championship (and first of two against the Flyers). [credit: Paul Bereswill/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Fuhr was a member of two Canada Cup teams in 1984 and 1987, the latter a signature performance for Grant as he backstopped Team Canada to victory in a tournament many consider to have featured the finest hockey ever played. [credit: Paul Bereswill/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Grant Fuhr makes a save during Game 4 of the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals against Boston (which was actually game 5, as a power failure at Boston Garden caused the previous game to be suspended and replayed). Edmonton swept Boston for their third Stanley Cup, and Grant became the first NHL goaltender to win 16 games in a single playoff year. [credit: Paul Bereswill/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Along with the Canada Cup that preceded the season and the Stanley Cup that ended it, Grant was also awarded the 1987-88 Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender, voted on by the league’s general managers. [credit: Doug MacLellan/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Grant with his hand on the Stanley Cup, the most coveted trophy in professional sports. The 1988 Stanley Cup was the Oilers’ last with Wayne Gretzky. [credit: Paul Bereswill/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Prior to the 1991 season, Grant was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose legendary goalies Johnny Bower and Terry Sawchuk had been role models for Fuhr. [credit: Doug MacLellan/Hockey Hall of Fame]

In 1993, former Oilers head coach-turned-Buffalo general manager John Muckler traded for Fuhr. As a member of the Sabres, Grant would share the net with another future hall of famer, Dominik Hasek. [credit: Chris Relke/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Fuhr was briefly reunited with Wayne Gretzky in 1995 as a member of the Los Angeles Kings—a team Grant had known well since “The Miracle on Manchester.” But Grant’s Oilers had the overall edge against the Kings in the playoffs. [credit: Doug MacLellan/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Grant and Gretzky reunited a second time in St. Louis, where Fuhr signed as a free agent in the 1995 off-season. This photo was taken later at Wayne Gretzky’s fantasy camp, and was the last time Grant ever played. [credit: courtesy of the author]

Fuhr ended his playing career in an unlikely place: Calgary, home of his longtime rivals, the Flames. There he was a mentor and inspiration to Fred Brathwaite and Jarome Iginla. [credit: Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images]

5 rings for 5 Stanley Cup Championships: in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990. [credit: Gerry Thomas]

Grant with his son RJ and daughter Kendyl.

Grant Fuhr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003, his first year of eligibility. [credit: Dave Sandford/Hockey Hall of Fame]

Grant Fuhr with his family on induction weekend. [credit: Dave Sandford/Hockey Hall of Fame]

For Grant, golf wasn’t just a distraction for the off-season—it was a passion just like hockey. He continues to play scratch golf in tournaments like this one in Lake Tahoe. [credit: courtesy of the author]

Grant Fuhr with his old teammate Marty McSorley, with whom he played in Edmonton and Los Angeles. [credit: courtesy of the author]

Grant Fuhr with his daughter Kendyl, Matt Pendergast and Mark Messier. [credit: courtesy of the author]