The night Oates snubbed Chevrier

Adam Oates, the newly appointed head coach of the Washington Capitals and newly inducted member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, left a lasting impression on Randy Chevrier when he was a kid.

Not a positive one, however, and one that still resonates with him today.

“My buddy was a huge Boston fan,” said the Stampeders long-snapper who hails from Montreal. “I wasn’t, but my buddy was. One night after a game, we waited for about two hours by the bus to get his jersey signed. He just blew us off — walked right by.

“He could have had just a bad night or something, but at that moment, he was the biggest jerk in the world. My buddy threw away his jersey and that was it.”

When the news came out on Tuesday that Oates was to be hired in Washington and inducted in the Hall of Fame’s class of 2012, he Tweeted: “Congrats 2 Adam Oates … u inspired me 2 b exactly opposite of u when dealing with young fans.”

Chevrier backed up his words Wednesday and said now, as a professional athlete himself, he tries to acknowledge his fans — especially the youngsters. Being a father of three young boys, he understands how impressionable kids are. Little moments and interactions with their heroes mean the world to them.

“For me, that moment was a first impression,” said the veteran Stampeder who is the club representative to the Canadian Cancer Society and is very active in the community during the season and off-season. “I’m sure he’s a great guy but at that moment in time . . . that makes me realize how impacting it is to do what I do.

“I had to realize that going to hospitals or whatever we do, whenever I have my jersey on, it’s like wearing a Superman ‘S’ on your chest . . . I try to represent myself as best I can.”