WHL Spokane Chiefs

Two Former Chiefs Part of Miracle

Published on February 2, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


For a pair of former Chiefs, miracle runs came with the territory in Spokane. This past summer, though, Brent Thurston and Randy Favaro had the opportunity to see the granddaddy of them all as they were a part of the new Disney movie "Miracle".

The 32-year-old Thurston was a member of the 1991 Chiefs club that made history with an unprecedented run through the playoffs before sweeping the field in the Memorial Cup tournament.

Five years after the Chiefs raised the banner, Spokane had won 50 regular season games but fell behind the sixth seed Portland Winter Hawks three games to nothing in the first round. Spokane needed a couple miracle type opportunities to eventually earn the series win. Favaro, whose slap shot in double overtime of game six sent the series to the seventh and deciding game, turned in one of those plays.

"That goal, and series, was one of the biggest moments for me in Spokane, for sure," Favaro said.

In the movie about the 1980 American Hockey Team's run to the Olympic gold medal Thurston and Favaro portray a pair of Russian players, Alexander Maltsev and Sergei Makarov.

The Vancouver natives were two of nearly 50,000 players from across Canada and the United States who auditioned for roles. By getting selected it turned a pair of old friends into teammates.

"Thursty coached me in a hockey camp when I was six or seven-years-old," Favaro remembered.

"I had heard about the auditions at the rink and there was advertising all over the place but I didn't know that Brent was trying out. In Vancouver, I was probably the 30th guy in line and I didn't find out he was there until the last day."

After getting named to the Russian team, the two took part in an 8-10 week training camp, "It was a conditioning camp at first, and most guys were former pros who weren't playing at the time so they got us into shape," Favaro commented.

The set then turned more into a giant hockey school than a movie production as the teams had to learn around 80 plays that took place in the US-Russian game.

Thurston and Favaro "would sit in the morning and learn the plays. We would then go out in the afternoon and run them. Every play and piece of action that took part in the game was done in the movie and we had to learn it all."

"Maltsev is one of the all-time greats in Russian hockey," Thurston said. "He made an incredible impression on the Team Canada stars with his speed in the 1972 Summit Series."

Maltsev scored the third goal for the Russians in the game eventually won by the USA, 4-3.

"I didn't have to do much research. I knew (Makarov) was one of the better players to come out of Russia," said Favaro. Makarov played on one of the greatest lines in international competition, the KLM Line. After playing with Vladimir Krutov and Igor Larionov, Makarov moved to North America where he played over 400 NHL games from 1989-96.

"Miracle" isn't the first foray into show business for Thurston. After playing in Sweden and for the Canadian National Team, Thurston became the EA Sports NHL 2004 and 2005 Motion Capture Player.

"I did a lot of skating, hits, scoring, high-fives, fighting and bench work," Thurston said.

"It was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing it again in 2006."

"I still stay in touch with my roommate, Mike Chrun, and talk about the good old Spokane days. I learned a lot from my junior hockey days," said Thurston, who is the father of two boys, Trevor and Mark, with his wife Patricia, who he met in Spokane while playing for the Chiefs.

"Miracle", starring Kurt Russell as US Hockey Coach Herb Brooks, will be released on February 6th.

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2004


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