The Hockey Thread

[conundrumed]

Anyone care for a general hockey thread that's for our love of hockey and hockey stories?

A place to talk about hockey and why we love it.

For starters, off of the top of my head, I've been to all of these arena's. Pros, jrs, midgets. It's a lot I think, but I'm old.lol

Saddledome, Max Bell, Father David Bauer (Calgary)

Rexall Place, Rogers Place (Edmonton)

Centrium (Red Deer)

Enmax Center (Lethbridge)

Rogers Arena, Langley Events Centre (Vancouver)

Brandt Centre, Mosaic Place, (Saskatchewan)

Maple Leaf Gardens, Scotiabank, a few various (Toronto)

Budweiser Gardens (London)

Bell Centre (Montreal)

Scotiabank Centre (Halifax)

Joe Louis, Little Caesar's, Compuware/USA Hockey Arena  a few others (Michigan)

United Center (Chicago)

Excel Energy Center (Minnesota)

 

They all have one thing in common. It was a lot of fun. Lotsa mems. Bell Center Montreal was the '96 super series final US vs Canada. Crossed the street earlier with Lindros.lol

HNIC opening used to show the 2 fans with Rene Levesque and Brian Mulroney masks (huge enemies). Prior to the game, we were in a packed pub across the street and they rolled in. I got them over to our table to sit down (there were zero seats left). Never took the masks off. We got them Blockchaining hammered.lol

Seeing them after on the HNIC intro video always made me laugh to tears. They were wrecked and it was all my fault. I kid you not!!

Hockey's fun. Share your stories!!

 

[Heartbreaker]

That's cool!

 

I have a bucket list item to see a game in every NHL rink. I think that'd be cool!

 

From your list:

 

Saddledome, Max Bell, Father David Bauer (Calgary)

I've actually played at all of these rinks, too. Last night, I played at Norma Bush, which is in the same building as Father David Bauer. I can add WinSport to this group as well.

 

Rexall Place, Rogers Place (Edmonton)

Been meaning to go to see the Flames in Oil Country, but it's never come to fruition. I'd really like to check out that new rink. I've been to Rexall, though. I saw AC/DC there.

 

Centrium (Red Deer)

Enmax Center (Lethbridge)

Got me there...

 

Rogers Arena, Langley Events Centre (Vancouver)

Lots of events at Rogers Arena, dating back to several different names. Most recently, we went to Vancouver to see The Black Keys. When I was in high school, I skipped during my week of final exams to see Nine Inch Nails at GM Place... got in a lot of trouble for that. Saw a bunch of hockey games there, too.

 

Brandt Centre, Mosaic Place, (Saskatchewan)

Got me there, too.

 

Maple Leaf Gardens, Scotiabank, a few various (Toronto)

When I was living in Toronto, I used to play a weekly game at Maple Leaf Gardens. I always thought that place was really cool. It's a Loblaws now, and it's marked on the floor where centre ice was. Played lots at the Scotiabank Pond, too. I'm there every Easter for a tournament (it's my favourite, actually... that's in the Arts League). Played a ton at Ricoh, and I'd go see the Baby Flames every time they played the Marlies. Marlies tickets were always really easy to acquire, so I'd go a few times each year. I worked at a bar not far from Ricoh, and sometimes youth hockey teams from the surrounding area would come in on a bus for brunch with their parents, and they'd go see the Marlies. One time, they were playing against the Baby Flames, and they had an extra ticket. Anyway, some of the dads stole a couple of bottles from the bar, and the heroic drinking ensued at the game. It was outrageous! There were all these dads with their shirts off, and a group of moms with their heads in their hands.

 

I never had any luck with the Flames at the ACC (now Scotiabank Arena). I saw them almost every year that I was there, and they lost every single time. Plus, the tickets were egregiously priced. My wife bought tickets for my birthday one year in the lower bowl, and they were $800 each... the boys got blown out in that one. There was another one that I saw, though, and it was against New Jersey. I was right at ice level (it was a Monday, or Tuesday, and it was a date with a lady from Calgary who had a corporate job, and was there for work - they gave her two tickets). I took this picture, and I thought it was pretty cool to see this guy up close (sorry for the filter - it was like, 2012 or 2013, and those things were pretty novel):

 

 

One of my best memories playing hockey was in Toronto as well. I played on a beer league team, and we were all pretty into it. One of the teams that we used to play had a former member of the Sarnia Sting. He played on a team with Steven Stamkos. Anyway, it was never fun to play them because they were dirty, and that guy could score at will. One game, they beat us 7-6, and he scored all seven goals. The only way to beat them was to get under his skin. If you could do that, he'd do something criminal, and get kicked out of the game. When the playoffs started, we made it all the final. The problem was, the final was not played on Wednesday night (which was when all of the other games were played). I had to work at the bar. I was having a really hard time getting my shift covered, but I needed to play, and my team needed me there. A good friend and coworker had plans that night, but as he'd come to see us a few times, he knew how important it was to me. An aside, he's a guy that has done quite well for himself - he went from working at the bar to touring all over the world as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, and then doing a few segments on ESPN. He's a baseball super fan. Anyway, he made a deal with me - he'd cancel his plans, and cover my shift on the condition that I score the game-winning goal... and I totally Blockchainin' did!

 

I know I'm an old man now, and I was well beyond my prime hockey playing days when that happened, but it really did mean a lot to me, and that I made true on my deal with my friend was next-level.

 

Budweiser Gardens (London)

Never been there...

 

Bell Centre (Montreal)

My Arts League team are all Habs and Oilers fans, so the team used to travel to Montreal each season to see the game when Edmonton was in town. I went on one of these trips... we took a Via train to Montreal, and it was something like -100 outside. Our team captain dropped the envelope with the 15 hockey tickets on the ground at the train station. That was an unwelcome discovery the morning of gameday as everyone was waking up with a hangover. It was an afternoon game, so there was a great deal of urgency to get that sorted out. The man that found the FedEx envelope on the ground was, evidently, a saint. He was able to contact her, and return the tickets just in time. That was 97's rookie year, and his first game in Montreal. He scored, and everybody cheered. However, the roof really came off when PK Subban stepped into a shot off the point, and put the Habs up. It was a great game!

 

Scotiabank Centre (Halifax)

Joe Louis, Little Caesar's, Compuware/USA Hockey Arena  a few others (Michigan)

United Center (Chicago)

Excel Energy Center (Minnesota)

Someday!

 

Love.

[conundrumed]

Absolutely loved him when he entered the league. Gaborik in Minny too. Datsyuk in Detroit.

Game changers.

 

[travel_dude]

I will add a few to the list:

 

Went to Rexal Place for an Oilers game; that seems like about 10 years ago.

Yeah, I live here, and yes it irks me to no end.

 

Saw the Flames play a few years back (BC - before Covid) at the Coyotes barn in Glendale.

Nice complex. too bad they got the boot.

 

The Old arena in St. Louis.  I'm assuming it is the same location as whatever they call it now.

Interesting tidbit.  I was there for a conference back around 2000 and couldn't get tickets for a Blues game.

Waited outside the arena, looking for a scalper.

Weren't any around initially.

One guy, very pleasant fellow, offer to smoke some crack with me.

I politely declined and he said okay and left.

Ended up seeing a person leaving the arena after the first period and they sold me their ticket for cheap.

 

In Halifax, went to Moosehead games when it was still called the Metro Centre, so that was quite some time ago.

Also, the AHL team Halifax Citadels played there for a short period of time before they folded (93).  They sucked. 

Before the Metro Centre was built, the NS Voyageurs plays at the Halifax Arena.  They were good, baby Habs.

 

Other than that, my arena visits are non existent except for the Saddledome.  Not even that many games seen there.

[sak22]

Don't have an extensive list but:

In Calgary (Saddledome and McMahon Stadium also will be trying for the Heritage in Commonwealth in October as Commonwealth is just a better stadium)

Edmonton only went to Rogers Arena once, never been to the old one.

WHL went up to Red Deer in what is now the Peavey Mart Centrium, and have done a Saskatchewan trip covering Regina, Moose Jaw (Crushed Can days) and Swift Current.

I used to go to American Airlines Center in Dallas pretty frequently when a friend of mine was in SMU, haven't been since 2008 but I do want to get back someday.

Gila River in Glendale a few times as well once to see the Flames another time I was just down there more for football and golfing, not as fun in a half full arena when you have no interest in either teams, but I hope things work out in Tempe for them because I fully intend on becoming a snowbird later on in life.

I've been to Staples in LA for basketball but never hockey.  Outside of that the only real bucket list arena I have is MSG, I have a greater desire to see more of the baseball and football fields as all of those ones are different and some have stood the test of time.

[conundrumed]

I watched a playoff game outside at MSG. Does that count?lol

[Ryan Man]

Great thread Conundrumed!
 

My list is very short..

Saddledome on 3 occasions

Flames v Kings - 2019

Flames v Leafs - 2019

Hitman V Silvertips - 2019

 

Non hockey

TD garden - NBA -2019

MSG - NBA - 2020

 

Id love to get back to North America one day and get to a few more games/arenas

[jjgallow]

 

 

 

great day, would do again

[conundrumed]

13 hours ago, Ryan Man said:

Great thread Conundrumed!
 

My list is very short..

Saddledome on 3 occasions

Flames v Kings - 2019

Flames v Leafs - 2019

Hitman V Silvertips - 2019

 

Non hockey

TD garden - NBA -2019

MSG - NBA - 2020

 

Id love to get back to North America one day and get to a few more games/arenas

It may be short, but that's impressive!!

I left out 2 major ones. Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena, but they were concerts.

Grateful Dead, Yes and Rush at arena, Rolling Stones at Stadium. The Stones at Wembley Stadium was surreal. It was similar to a Grateful Dead show in the US but way more people. Hippies and hash joints everywhere.lol Prolly around '89.

[conundrumed]

Another fun one is what players/former players have you met?

From the Flames, I've met Roberts, Otto, Peplinski, Macoun, Vernon, Mony, Warrener, Reggie, Kulak, Lomberg. I think that's it.lol Tim Bernhardt was my goalie coach and was amazing! Best I ever had, by a lot.

The others mainly a couple minutes each but if my boy was with me I was just kinda there.

Others are Howe, Orr, P. Esposito, Makita, Dionne, Stapleton, Sittler, Cheevers, the Hunters, Ciccarelli, Verbeek, McKegney, Redmond, Coffey, Curtis Joseph were the mains that actually was more than just hello.. I was supposed to do a job in High Prairie but passed it off to a good friend that was an Oilers fan. Saw they had an Oilers old-timers game so gave my Oilers-head buddy the job, game, same hotel, he was in heaven partying with them and picking up too many tabs.lol

I haven't met too many current players now. Stamkos, Chychrun, Kyrou of course, Keller, Max Jones, Dvorak, the Greenway bros, Nylander, Granlund.

Most of this was with my then-young son. He was maybe 10-14yo.

So particularly with the old-timers, there was zero focus on me, it was ALL talking to my son. Near all of them. It was so fun. They treated him like he was the only one in the room.

Marcel Dionne in particular. We ate at his daughter's restaurant, walked into his hockey emporium and he literally took my son around for over an hour. People would gather to listen to his stories but he was only telling them to my boy. It was incredible. We had to leave for his next hockey game so Dionne was checking us out. We just finished and his phone rang. We left and he came flying out into the parking lot calling my son with an armful of stuff apologizing for the call. Then he personalized everything he had with a sharpie on my tailgate. What an experience for my boy!! Just magic.

[sak22]

Thanks for starting these discussions.  Easier to read and discuss here than the main forum.

 

My first ever encounter was Terry Crisp when I was about 8, I was doing a door to door chocolate sale for my ball team, I was expecting an angry man because I all ever really saw him do was yell at people, very nice man invited us in and showed us some pictures.  He also bought chocolate so he didn't waste our time.

Went to skate at an ODR when I was about 10 or 11 and Theoren Fleury was out as well, didn't talk to him at all he was just having fun with all the kids, but I can say he is the greatest player I've ever passed the puck to or received a pass from.  Ran into him years later at 7-11, nice guy from my encounters.  On a not as nice, saw Trevor Kidd at a Rogers Video, while not necessarily rude he noticed I recognized him and basically booked it.  Tragic that kids these days can't ever have video store encounters with NHL players.

I don't know if anyone remembers a commercial from the late '90's where players were playing street hockey on a driveway, I saw parts of filming that and got autographs from Iginla, Stillman, Tabbaracci and Marty McInnis.  Also met Roberts at an autograph session.

In my adult party days, I met a few of the younger players Lombardi, Kobasew, Nystrom and Moss.  Other players I would see but they had reputations that you don't speak to if you don't have boobs.  Nystrom and Moss are hands down the nicest I've met.  Alumni I've met at games in recent years include Macoun, Regehr, Sarich, Morrison.  Non-Flames I don't have much of a list, when Dany Heatley when we were really young might be the only one as my dad had played beer league with his uncle and played a couple times with Murray Heatley.  For current days, I haven't had anything but in all honesty my facial recognition is off Elias Lindholm could walk past me in the grocery store and I would have no idea.  My wife met Gaudreau and Bennett through a work function.

[conundrumed]

Sweet! I do remember that commercial. My wife served "the young guns" frequently at Smuggler's Inn. She said all they drank was cranberry juice by the pint.lol

Ahhh, Trevor Kidd. A friend of mine should have made the NHL. His family bounced from Sarnia to Red Deer back and forth a few times. His stats were unreal and got drafted by Spokane. He scored 34g/82 pts in his rookie year then got traded to Brandon. I know Kelly McCrimmond through him.

They traded for Trevor Kidd. "He was an airhead acting like a surfer dude but a great goalie". They got on the ice to practice and were skating laps and Kidd sat on the boards, no helmet. He told him, "you better Blockchaining get out here". A couple laps later McCrimmond ripped a puck right past Kidd's head and said, "get Blockchaining skating".

Scouts told my buddy his PIMs are way too low and he turned into a scrapper and a party animal. Never drafted. Shame. He's still involved in hockey as a minor league scout. He knows EVERYBODY from that era. He said the worst beating he ever took was Mike Modano, of all people. Grabbed his face-mask and just started throttling him.

I grew up with Doug Armstrong and I have zero problem cheering for St. Loo. He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Caught up with him when he brought the Cup home. He's still the same guy, as easy-going as the day is long. I also have family and a few other friends involved in scouting, both pro and jr. Terry Doran is best buds with my bro-in-law who could have been an NHLer in his own right if he hadn't shattered his leg. Him and Ciccarelli were neck-in-neck for who's better. Terry's a great scout, glad we have him.

 

edit: as much as we'd like to redo drafts, making the show is prolly 20% skill and hard work and 80% luck. There's never really a bad pick in any round. What happens afterwards is entirely up in the air if you aren't a heavily-coddled top 10 pick. The wheels can fall off at any given time with a lot of varying circumstances. I'd tell any pick right up front, "you have 5 to 7 years to start making a lot of money, so try to stay focused and block out the outside noise".

[conundrumed]

I left out Ken Dryden. He was doing a talk/book signing on my brother's birthday maybe a decade ago. My bro had zero plans as it was a weeknight so I said I'd take him out. Dinner, Ken Dryden(he had no idea why we were going to the library lol) then drinks.

Stayed for a while and talked to him. He's one educated and fascinating guy. The NHL was never really a big goal in his life...yet he only won 5 cups in 7 years...

@rocketdoctor Scotty Bowman: A Hockey Life Like No Other is really good. I have it, got him to sign it(he authored) and then some newer ones I bought for my bro.

I asked him about that book and he said it was difficult getting Bowman to understand the process and had to tell him, "let me be your coach now".

Tons of respect for Dryden, just a really nice, well-spoken gentle giant. We got too many pics with him but his PR girl just kept snapping with my phone while we were chatting.

And of course I was telling funnies to break the ice. I told him I moved to goalie at 13yo he asked me why. I said because I didn't want to sit in the penalty box for 5 minutes for fighting lol (that's only half true). I offered to treat them to dinner or drinks (even though we already ate) but they bowed out saying they weren't staying the night. Probably just to get away from me. No, that was a great night. He's impressive. One thing he talked about that really stuck with me was football vs hockey retirement. In hockey, you still have old-timers games or reasons to get back together with the gang, it never leaves you. In football, you're done playing and unless you're very elite, the game is done with you. You're done, it's over. Like it never happened. So in football there is a much higher incidence of life struggles post-retirement. And of course he had the stats to back it up, tied together with the head poundings the athlete has endured.

[redfire11]

Cheering hard for Johnny tonight hope the Jackets steal the 2 points from the Coilers.

[travel_dude]

4 hours ago, redfire11 said:

Cheering hard for Johnny tonight hope the Jackets steal the 2 points from the Coilers.

 

Got 2, but let them have 1.

Too funny

[sak22]

8 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

Got 2, but let them have 1.

Too funny

Speaking of too funny

 

 

 

[Heartbreaker]

39 minutes ago, sak22 said:

Johnny on Connor video here...

 

Somewhere, deep down inside, he's still one of us.

 

Love.

[conundrumed]

Who new Johnny's upper body strength is 10x Lucic's?

[420since1974]

I have never met a NHL player.

But, at ages 10 & 11, I played basketball, baseball, and hockey with someone who would become one.

At that time, Doug Wickenheiser was simply the best player on the team at any sport that he played in.

Despite coming from a well to do family (his dad was a doctor), he was always a hard working and humble kid.

[conundrumed]

On 1/30/2023 at 10:30 PM, 420since1974 said:

I have never met a NHL player.

But, at ages 10 & 11, I played basketball, baseball, and hockey with someone who would become one.

At that time, Doug Wickenheiser was simply the best player on the team at any sport that he played in.

Despite coming from a well to do family (his dad was a doctor), he was always a hard working and humble kid.

Have a kid. Put them in hockey. They find you.lol

Seriously. That was like 80% for me. My boy talked to them all, often at length. I was just there.lol

It's pretty magical how they're all about the kids.

I was packing my boy out of practice on a Tuesday night and a group of older kids addressed him by name and asked him how practice was.

I recognized Chychrun, my boy new them all. Kyrou was with him and a couple of other Sting players. Most Tuesday's they helped the 8-12yos practice.

Good hockey stories tend to get forgotten in the bad.

 

Has anyone actually played on a frozen lake? I never did, and played a ton. It just wasn't here. I grew up in rinks that were pretty much glorified quonsets.lol

We have a fun thing in a nearby gigantic park now. We 'secretly' run a hose to a giant dip and let the fire hydrant buck. It turns into 2 hockey rinks, easy, with skating room to spare. Technically not legal, but no one cares.

[conundrumed]

Oh. And everyone, watch out for the Sting. They look better than I've ever seen. 5 game winning streak and looking great doing it. Adding Kyrou and Del Mastro on the backend has been WOW.

I think they're at 9 players drafted/signed to the NHL.

You heard it here first. This is a really good team.

[conundrumed]

On 2/1/2023 at 12:48 AM, conundrumed said:

Oh. And everyone, watch out for the Sting. They look better than I've ever seen. 5 game winning streak and looking great doing it. Adding Kyrou and Del Mastro on the backend has been WOW.

I think they're at 9 players drafted/signed to the NHL.

You heard it here first. This is a really good team.

Bring on Ottawa, we're at 6 in a row now after torturing SSM 12-1 last night. Sucks being the 2nd hat trick guy, there's no hats left.

Ottawa's 4th ranked in the CHL. They better bring their A game and hope it's enough.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

Sweet idea for a thread,not alot of games but lets see.

 

1980/81? Prince Rupert civic center. Some Czechoslovakian nation team vs the local junior team (Prince Rupert Kings).  First ever live game of any kind for me.

1982 - First NHL game - Winnipeg arena vs the Flames, next to the glass in the corner and got to see Lannys stach up close.

1999 - Went to a few world junior games in Winnipeg and a couple Brandon Wheat Kings (Jordin Tootoo era) at the Keystone center.

Been to only 3 Jets 2.0 games, 2 of which were vs Flames. Last one was just a few weeks ago.

 

Playing I only made it to tryouts for the Eastman selects AAA midget. Got to play with Trevor Kidd a couple pre season games and played against him a couple times in bantam and midget.  One AAA pre game Pat Faloon went around me like a friggin pylon, I was cut the next day. Played fairly regular rec hockey up until about a dozen years ago. Now I just try to hit the community to shoot the puck around once and a while.

 

I've met a few pros, Bobby Hull, Keith Tkatchuk, Teppo Numeinen, the Shannon brothers and Tie domi. I was also in the movie "Goon" where I met George Laroque.

 

[conundrumed]

42 minutes ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

Sweet idea for a thread,not alot of games but lets see.

 

1980/81? Prince Rupert civic center. Some Czechoslovakian nation team vs the local junior team (Prince Rupert Kings).  First ever live game of any kind for me.

1982 - First NHL game - Winnipeg arena vs the Flames, next to the glass in the corner and got to see Lannys stach up close.

1999 - Went to a few world junior games in Winnipeg and a couple Brandon Wheat Kings (Jordin Tootoo era) at the Keystone center.

Been to only 3 Jets 2.0 games, 2 of which were vs Flames. Last one was just a few weeks ago.

 

Playing I only made it to tryouts for the Eastman selects AAA midget. Got to play with Trevor Kidd a couple pre season games and played against him a couple times in bantam and midget.  One AAA pre game Pat Faloon went around me like a friggin pylon, I was cut the next day. Played fairly regular rec hockey up until about a dozen years ago. Now I just try to hit the community to shoot the puck around once and a while.

 

I've met a few pros, Bobby Hull, Keith Tkatchuk, Teppo Numeinen, the Shannon brothers and Tie domi. I was also in the movie "Goon" where I met George Laroque.

 

lol. Where are you in Goon? A player? My buddy lived in Canmore for awhile filming Mystery, Alaska as a teammate of Russell Crowe's. I went partying with them one night, Captain Tractor was playing at a pub I've forgotten the name of, English, like maybe the Rose & Crown which I know is there but maybe not in '95ish.

By 11pm, I had my buddy outside for a smoke to talk him down from kicking the Satoshi Nakamoto out of Russell Crowe, who looked nothing like the gladiator, and was as arrogant af. But the chicks dug the accent.lol

I engaged him a few times to try to get him over himself, but he's an airhead. Honestly, I can't watch one of his movies without thinking about how self-absorbed he is. Like dude, "go Blockchain yourself" is the literal level. His mirror must get a proper rogering regularly.lol

Who hires this guy is the frightening part.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

39 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

lol. Where are you in Goon? A player? My buddy lived in Canmore for awhile filming Mystery, Alaska as a teammate of Russell Crowe's. I went partying with them one night, Captain Tractor was playing at a pub I've forgotten the name of, English, like maybe the Rose & Crown which I know is there but maybe not in '95ish.

By 11pm, I had my buddy outside for a smoke to talk him down from kicking the Satoshi Nakamoto out of Russell Crowe, who looked nothing like the gladiator, and was as arrogant af. But the chicks dug the accent.lol

I engaged him a few times to try to get him over himself, but he's an airhead. Honestly, I can't watch one of his movies without thinking about how self-absorbed he is. Like dude, "go Blockchain yourself" is the literal level. His mirror must get a proper rogering regularly.lol

Who hires this guy is the frightening part.

There was a call out for people to fill in the stands and I called in, wasnt trying to be an actor or anything, I just wanted to see what the behind the scenes was like. They asked if I had and hockey experience since I've officiated back in the day I got the role of linesman that someone recently backed out of. Since I was going to have direct contact with the main actors I got paid more, got better catering and had a ton of more paperwork (waivers, nudity clauses, non-disclosure agreements, etc) It was a very long and drawn out weekend but it was a neat experience.  I think I only end up on camera for about 10 seconds total.