EDMONTON, AB - Not often discussed or appreciated enough are the ones who helped instill leadership in the legends themselves.
To those who have their names hanging in the rafters at Rogers Place -- the Wayne Gretzky's, the Paul Coffey's, the Jari Kurri's and the Kevin Lowe's -- former captain and stalwart defenceman Lee Fogolin was a foundational part of their careers and the Oilers storied success in the 1980s.
That sort of legacy speaks volumes despite its quiet appreciation.
Fogolin was a veteran of eight seasons and 586 regular-season games for the Oilers from 1979-86, recording 36 goals, 124 assists and a +153 plus/minus as a defensive anchor on Edmonton's blueline and captain for three seasons that you wouldn't hesitate to follow from his tough-as-nails approach on the ice.
"He always came to play,' Oilers alumni forward Jari Kurri said. "Fogey was always there, playing hard on the ice in key times, and was a very important player. The team needs different types of players, and Fogey took care of that part defensively."
The right-shot rearguard played a further 78 games in the playoffs, scoring five times and adding 13 helpers as a key ingredient on the back end in two of Edmonton's five Stanley Cups in 1983 and 1984.
"He was one of the toughest, steadiest defencemen I've ever watched and had the pleasure to play with and be a friend with," former Oilers captain Al Hamilton said.
Lee Fogolin, Jr. was born in Chicago, IL on Feb. 7, 1955 when his father was a member of the Blackhawks before moving back to northern Ontario following his retirement from hockey, where his dad owned a service station and instilled within him the work ethic that he'd eventually bring to the Oilers locker room.
"No matter what it was, the harder it was to do, the better it was going to turn out," Fogolin said. "He was so laid back then, but he'd speak his mind. I remember his nickname. He owned a service station back in northern Ontario and everybody would call him 'The Pope', because what he said went and that was it."
Fogolin grew up playing minor hockey in Port Arthur, ON (now a part of Thunder Bay) and was drafted 11th overall in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft by the Buffalo Sabres where he'd spend the first five years of his career. After the merging of the WHA and NHL in 1979, Fogolin was picked eighth overall by the Oilers in the expansion draft and would become arguably the most impactful selection of any of the 65 players taken across the draft's 17 rounds.
OILERS HOF: Fogolin helped build the foundation for Oilers dynasty
The former Oilers defenceman and captain played a foundational role building the work ethic and character of Edmonton's dynasty
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