April 7, 2025 by Heavy Hockey Network Staff

This is a tribute from all of us at the Heavy Hockey Network to Bruce McCurdy, an extraordinary figure in the City of Edmonton, the Oilers media community, and the astronomy world. Though Heavy Hockey has only been around for a few years, Bruce quickly became an integral part of our story as a supporter, guest columnist, podcast and livestream guest, and above all, a kind and generous presence. More than his incredible insight, what stood out most was his deep humanity. His passing is felt deeply by so many, and we share in that sorrow.

Michael Hebert (Founder, HHN)

Bruce had a rare gift. He never made me, or anyone, feel small. Even those of us that I’m not sure would be in his inner circle of friends, he had a way of making everyone feel like they mattered. Like their voices and stories were worth hearing. Over time, I realized that wasn’t just how he treated me, that’s who he was to so many. It was a kind of quiet superpower, one of the many things that made him both exceptional and irreplaceable. If you knew Bruce, even a little, he made you feel like a friend.

I met Bruce later than most, just seven years ago, when I was starting my podcasting journey. At the time, there were already countless Oilers podcasts, and there wasn’t much to set mine apart. I reached out to Bruce, a total long shot. I had no following, no reputation. But true to form, Bruce didn’t hesitate. He made time. He always did. And from that first conversation to our final exchange just two weeks ago, he continued to show up for me and for this community.

What I came to cherish most were the conversations we had off-mic. He was endlessly curious about hockey, about people, about the world. When he learned I was Cree, we shared conversations about Indigenous culture and his own connection through his wife. He genuinely wanted to understand more, and his openness was deeply moving. In his own gentle way, Bruce was extraordinary.

To his family, thank you for sharing Bruce with us. We’re grateful for the memories, the conversations, the wisdom, and the warmth. The world is brighter for having had him in it. He may be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten.

Ryan Lotsberg (Senior Writer, Contributor, HHN)

I started out in writing by writing my own blog called ‘Edmonton Oil Drops’. On January 12, 2019, Bruce sent me a DM on Twitter pointing out a typing error that I made in one of my pieces. There was Bruce, a legendary writer, taking the time to read my content and let me know about an error I made.

I was doing a lot of research on the way that LTIR works at the time. That was around the time former Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli was fired, and Bruce put out a series about Chiarelli’s time with the Oilers. I pointed out what I thought was an error in that piece based on my research. Bruce made an editor’s note and mentioned me in it, which was exciting for me as an independent writer that started from nothing.

That led to him sharing that he also started as a solo writer, and his blog was called ‘Oil Droppings’. He shared his first ever blog post with me as well.

I was eventually corrected by other knowledgeable sources, and what I shared with Bruce ended up being wrong. He wasn’t upset with me. He said it was an ‘illuminating discussion’. He took something of value from the conversation, even though I was just confusing the situation.

His passion for hockey and his kind heart were on full display in that interaction with me. Bruce will be missed.

Bob Schmidt (Writer, Contributor, HHN)

I was blessed to have a number of interactions with Bruce. I only knew the hockey side of Bruce. I am sure his qualities as a family man and friend far outweigh the one side of the man I interacted with. Nevertheless, I valued that one side a great deal. I feel that the Edmonton Oiler community, and the hockey community in general, lost a walking, talking, and breathing hockey archive encyclopedia with a photographic memory who could tell you the most minute details of specific events. Bruce and I shared a mutual love of the original six goaltenders. When I first posted of my dream fulfilling meeting with Glenn Hall, Bruce DM’d me wanting to know the details and we began to swap old goalie stories. He shared with me different articles he had written in the past on some of these netminders. I valued that interaction greatly then and even more so now.

I was thrilled to participate on a podcast episode with him on one occasion and his appearances on the 99 Forever Podcast with Eric Friesen are some of my favourite episodes. You really get an insight of the wealth of memories and detailed information the man had on a variety of Oiler moments throughout their history, countless of which he witnessed in person.

Another legend gone.

Eric Friesen (Host of the 99 Forever Podcast, Editor-in-Chief, HHN)

I woke up to terrible news on Wednesday that Bruce McCurdy had passed away. Bruce was a beloved member of the Oilers fan community and someone I admired for many years. We bonded over our shared admiration for Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers glory days in the 1980s. As an Oilers season ticket holder from 1977 to 1993, Bruce estimated that he saw Gretzky play live around 600 times – a dream come true for a lifelong hockey fan to witness greatness on a nightly basis.

Sadly, I never had the chance to meet Bruce in person, but I was fortunate enough to have him as a guest on my podcast five times, and I will always cherish those conversations. Those will always be some of my favourite episodes. Bruce could recall specific games and moments from 40 years ago as if they happened yesterday. His incredible memory never failed to amaze me.

For Episode 99 of the 99 Forever Podcast, I wanted to devote an entire episode to talking about Gretzky’s 9.9 seasons with the Oilers (something Bruce pointed out to me years ago, because Gretzky played nine NHL seasons in Edmonton as well as 72 of the 80 games in the 1978-79 WHA season). He was truly a numbers guy, which was another thing we had in common.

I will miss talking to him about the Oilers, listening to him on the radio and his podcast, and reading his articles and tweets about the team. He left us far too soon, but he won’t be forgotten in Oil Country. Rest in peace, Bruce. You were one of the great ones.

Bruce was an absolute legend in the Oilers hockey community, and he positively impacted the lives of everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him. Thank you for all that you did and for being the person you were, Bruce. Rest in peace.