There was little doubt at the Royals training camp during the fall of 1988 that the first round pick, a smooth skating defenceman from St. John’s Newfoundland was going to make it. Hec, just the novelty of having another Newfie playing on the team was enough to crack you up. Wayne Maxner’s London Knights wanted him, they had liked him since he was twelve years old and playing in tournaments in Toronto and Ottawa. So had Orval Tessier’s Royals. John Slaney came to this city a virtual unknown and within a few weeks he was so well known he had become the poster boy for other kids from ‘the Rock’ to aspire to. High scoring Darren Colbourne was already here and Craig Brocklehurst followed (both Newfoundlanders) but it was Slanes who everyone remembers, 262 points in 198 games, the leagues best defenceman in ‘89-’90 and even an encore with the Aces for five games in 1995 while with the Avalanche. Most of you who follow the world junior tournament likely saw the tribute that TSN did about John and his game winner in Saskatoon over the Russians in 1991. The TSN piece brought back so many great memories of those days, that I just could not resist looking up number 27.

It didn’t take long for John to reply. Frankfurt Germany is his home these days, third season in the Deutsche Eishockey League, second with the Frankfurt Lions. He has done at least fifteen interviews this year alone, something he added, never gets tiresome, every Christmas I remember the shot and the goal, I’m glad it means so much still." Why Germany I asked? His voice hasn’t changed a bit, and as we reminisced I knew I was talking to the same great guy that we got to watch for four seasons. "I was ready to retire and try coaching, an old team mate Neil Little called and asked me to try Finland." SM Liiga Finland didn’t pan out and then the German team in Cologne called. After a short discussion with his wife Brenda, the Slaney’s decided to give it a try. "Germany is great, there is so much history here, but there are many things that remind you of home, the food is good, but the culture is different, one day I found eggs at the grocery store with feathers on them, wouldn’t see that at home, I brought them home to Brenda, we never did eat them, the language is hard, my German is so so, but there is quite a bit of English." The Lions bus to most of their games with the longest trip 4 hours, they fly to Hamburg and Berlin. The hockey is very competitive and we get about 6000 fans a night, more for rival Berlin." The Slaney’s have two children Tyler 8 and Julia 3, Tyler plays hockey in the youth league and can’t get enough of the game. "He’s got us making a rink in the yard, it’s cold enough, but there is not much snow," John adds. Tyler knows what his Dad did in 1991 and in time he and his sister will know what that legacy will always mean to Canada. Cue the Newfoundland accent, "How is everyone in Cornwall, how is Orval doing, my nephew Brad Bussey played for the Colts a few years back, how is the team doing, is the ever a chance the OHL will return?" John Slaney just wanted to know everything about the city he once called home. "Domtar is gone and it doesn’t smell, must be different" John remembers fondly and from time to time he checks in with his billet of four years Mrs. Yates and remembers how much she did for him. John’s mother is well, his dad passed away nearly nine years ago. "I wish we could get together with the guys from those teams again, I came to the Royals reunion in 2000, we had a lot of fun." Yes John, we did have a lot of fun and I remember it well too, I remember 1991 after the goal, we couldn’t wait to see him back in the line up, so much so he flew to Toronto, was picked up and whisked to Kitchener for a game against the Rangers. Early in the second period, on one of his rushes, John Slaney got hit. It would be two months before he would play again. "Yeah, that took the wind out of my Gold Medal moment for sure," John recalled. Matter’s not now though, John Slaney is still playing the game he loves, twenty years after the goal in a place that believes at times, like last month when TSN flew their crew to Frankfurt or when the Lions office secretary set up interview after interview, that John Slaney is one of our country’s most cherished citizens. By Jeeeezus John, they are right.