What the world looked like during the last Flames/Oilers Battle of Alberta

It’s been more than three decades since the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames faced off in the Stanley Cup playoffs and it got us wondering what was life like wayyyy back in 1991.

We mean Connor McDavid, Johnny Gaudreau, Leon Draisaitl, Jesse Puljujärvi, Matthew Tkachuk and so many more players weren’t even born yet!

We are sure Mike Smith remembers the year fondly though. So let’s get into what 1991 was all about!

1991 In Movies

Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the top dog at the box office in 1991, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and friends bringing in a whopping $520 million.

Other top films from 1991 include The Silence of the Lambs, Beauty and the Beast, Hook, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and The Addams Family. Such CLASSICS!

1991 In Music

Bryan Adams RULED the airwaves in 1991 with his smash hit “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” which topped the charts in more than a dozen countries, including the United States and Canada. It went on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide, making it Adams’s most successful song, and one of the best-selling singles of all time. Bring on the Canadian pride!

Other top hits of 1991 include “Black or White” by Michael Jackson, “Joyride” by Roxette, “Wind of Change” by Scorpions, and “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. Smash after SMASH in 1991, phew!

1991 In Politics

Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister of Canada the last time the Oilers and Flames went to head-to-head against one another in the playoffs, and George H.W. Bush was President of the United States.

The Premier of Alberta during the 1991 playoff run was Don Getty, who also played football for the Edmonton Elks (the team went by its former name back then) of the Canadian Football League before eventually becoming premier.

1991 In Fashion

The 1990s were dominated by supermodels, especially the likes of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss. We mean, Crawford’s dress at the 1991 Oscars has its own Wikipedia page. Iconic!

Neon colours, leggings, exercise wear, and grunge also started to take off around 1991. People were donning everything from flannel shirts, ripped jeans, oversized knit sweaters, bodysuits, black leather jackets with shoulder pads, leg warmers, turtlenecks, and more.

1991 In Technology

We can’t imagine a world without smartphones let alone the internet, and in 1991, this little thing called the World Wide Web was released to the general public in August of 1991. Imagine the thrill of searching the web for the first time? Mamma MIA!

1991 In Disasters

Inspiring a book and later a film, the 1991 Perfect Storm scraped along the northeastern United States, killing 13 and causing an estimated $200 million in damages. In the middle of the storm, the fishing vessel Andrea Gail sank, killing her crew of six and inspiring the book, and later movie, The Perfect Storm.

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century and created effects that were felt worldwide. Nearly 850 people were killed in the eruption and so much lava and ash from the volcano injected significant quantities of aerosols and dust into the stratosphere, leading to a volcanic winter.