Hockey

[SilentTuba]

So, yesterday, I went to my first ever NHL game. I've never been a big fan..watched the playoffs a bit when the Devils were making their Stanley Cup runs, but that's about it. I decided I wanted to see what it was like live. Plus, I'd heard the Devils' new arena in Newark, NJ was really nice, so I thought I'd check it out.

I think I'm hooked. Hockey is the most fast-paced, action packed game you could hope to see, and in person, it's absolutely captivating. Anyone else have a similar experience...with hockey, or with another sport??

 

[airplanedoc]

How many fights in the stands? That is the true measure of a good Hockey game.

Best game I ever saw was a AAA game Port Huron MI vs Sarnia Ontario.
1. cross river rivals
2. nation pride at stake
3. kids busting butts to get up 1 more step to the pros

I love watching live hockey.

 

[Torcams]

Hockey is my favorite sport to watch live. Love the fast pace of the game. Being there to feel the hits into the boards really makes a difference.

 

[gollum83]

Just hooked? Heck, I've been addicted ever since I could remember! The first game I ever attended was back when I was 9 years old. My dad and I crossed the border over into Canada and took the train from Windsor all the way to Toronto to see the Red Wings face the Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Wings won 5-3.

 

[ouch]

On one of my first dates with the future Mrs. Ouch, I took her to a Ranger game at MSG. She saw a penalty shot and a Gordie Howe hat trick in her very first game. After her second game, she bought me a season ticket. That makes me half Canadian.

 

[moonshine44]

Gotta love live hockey. There's an East Coast Hockey League team about 1 1/2 hours away from us that we go watch sometimes...

 

[gollum83]

Gotta love live hockey. There's an East Coast Hockey League team about 1 1/2 hours away from us that we go watch sometimes...

East Coast Hockey League in Oregon? That's a bit of a misnomer, don't you think?

 

[TinFish]

I miss live hockey terribly. Shortly after moving to Reno, the Rengades, later renamed the "Rage" folded. Back in my old hometown, we enjoyed watching the Syracuse Blazers of the now defunct EHL play teams like the New Haven Blades, Cape Cod Cubs, Long Island Ducks and a bunch of other NHL Farm teams. Good, hard, kick-*** hockey, lots of scoring and fighting, and about $6 for the cheap seats. Good times.

 

[Mr_Amazing]

My first ever game was game 3 of the 1994 NHL Playoffs, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks. Tony Amonte scored 4 goals in this game. It was one of the last games in the old barn Chicago Stadium. Loudest event I have ever been to. The place was shaking. Great great game. That is what got me to start paying more attention to hockey, though it was difficult with the lack of Blackhawks games on television. Also, going to college in Minnesota really forces you to go to hockey games and stay current on the teams.

 

[thunderball]

Been watching hockey since the day I was born (well, maybe a few days after I was born)...

 

[Marbelizer]

I love it, been watching since i was old enough to cheer for the hawks. I went to see the world hockey championships in halifax a year or so ago, and got to see the first canada vs us game.

It was intense, game winning goal for canada scored with like 30 secs left to give them the win. Best game I have ever seen and I have seen alot of games.

 

[flatstick96]

No live sporting event that I've ever seen compares to hockey. Of course, I'm kinda biased.

I grew up in Ithaca, NY and in the winter I practically lived in Lynah Rink - one of the best hockey venues ever. I can't count the number of games and practices I participated in there, but it has to number in the thousands. for most of my formative years my dad maintained two season tickets in the second row by the Cornell bench, and my brother and I almost never missed a game.

A few years back Cornell had a goaltender from Dallas named David McKee; his dad had one of my favorite hockey quotes ever:

"The first time I went to a Cornell game, I was in awe. I'm a big believer that sports fans should get out and see everything - the Indy 500, the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby. I've seen all that, and there's nothing like Lynah Rink."

When I moved from NY to Texas I spent a lot of time lamenting that I couldn't go see Cornell play any more (although I've made numerous trips back north to watch them play in the NCAA regionals over the decade that I've been here). My wife, a native Texan, could not comprehend my love for hockey (or really sports - she's not a sports fan). I eventually was able to get back up there with her and take her to a game (scoring tickets nowadays is not always easy). As we were driving home from the game her mom called her to ask her what she thought of it and she said: "It was the best sporting event I've ever attended - and yes, that includes UT football." (for a Texas football fan, that's saying something.)

When it comes to live sporting events, I'll take a good college hockey game over just about anything.

The one NHL game I've been to was game 3 of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Detroit Red Wings (I flew up from Austin to NC just to tailgate with my brother and some friends - it wasn't until a few minutes before game time that my brother surprised me with the tickets); Detroit won the game 3-2 in triple overtime - it was pretty intense, and one of the coolest things I've ever been to.

Yeah, hockey in person absolutely rules...

 

[Tzar]

I live in Montreal, where the most illustrious and winningest franchise of NHL hockey lives, that is the Montreal Canadiens !!! I go to a game about once a year.

Here hockey is crazy, it's a religion... Long live the Montreal Canadiens !

 

[SilentTuba]

I live in Montreal, where the most illustrious and winningest franchise of NHL hockey lives, that is the Montreal Canadiens !!! I go to a game about once a year.

Here hockey is crazy, it's a religion... Long live the Montreal Canadiens !

See, living in northern NJ, hockey is a far from that. We're in the shadow
of NYC, home of the winningest sports franchise in North America, the New York Yankees. I've been to more Yankees games than I can count (6 this past season alone). I've managed to get to an NFL game once or twice (tickets are nearly impossible to get). Every so often, someone offers me some tickets to an NBA game, usually the Nets. But, until this week, never really paid too much to hockey. That is changing, and fast. Hockey is quickly becoming my second favorite sport, right behind baseball.

 

[Tzar]

See, living in northern NJ, hockey is a far from that. We're in the shadow
of NYC, home of the winningest sports franchise in North America, the New York Yankees. I've been to more Yankees games than I can count (6 this past season alone). I've managed to get to an NFL game once or twice (tickets are nearly impossible to get). Every so often, someone offers me some tickets to an NBA game, usually the Nets. But, until this week, never really paid too much to hockey. That is changing, and fast. Hockey is quickly becoming my second favorite sport, right behind baseball.

The Devils are currently the second best team of the Eastern Conference, and overall the New Jersey Devils have been quite a successful franchise in the last 10 years, with 2 Stanley Cups if I am not mistaken. The only thing is that some of their top players are getting older such as Elias, Langenbrunner and of course the legendary Martin Brodeur. But Parisee has still his best years ahead of him. Anyway, it's about time you pay attention But I understand that it's not the same thing seeing it live and on TV, although HD is making hockey a much better show on TV now.

BTW, if you ever get the chance to get tickets right behind the goalie's net, you are going to be totally flabbergasted by how goalies can stop these pucks: when opponent players back at the blue line get a slapshot full-blast towards the net, you are not going to believe it: you don't even see those pucks flying in and the goalie has already made the save...Pucks are regularly shot at over 90 MPH towards the net. It's crazy that a human can anticipate and stop these flying bullets (they often have to anticipate the shot otherwise moving just a fraction of a second later will let the puck into the net).

Enjoy your new passion, hope you're going to be a convert to hockey !

 

[SilentTuba]

The Devils are currently the second best team of the Eastern Conference, and overall the New Jersey Devils have been quite a successful franchise in the last 10 years, with 2 Stanley Cups if I am not mistaken. The only thing is that some of their top players are getting older such as Elias, Langenbrunner and of course the legendary Martin Brodeur. But Parisee has still his best years ahead of him. Anyway, it's about time you pay attention But I understand that it's not the same thing seeing it live and on TV, although HD is making hockey a much better show on TV now.

BTW, if you ever get the chance to get tickets right behind the goalie's net, you are going to be totally flabbergasted by how goalies can stop these pucks: when opponent players back at the blue line get a slapshot full-blast towards the net, you are not going to believe it: you don't even see those pucks flying in and the goalie has already made the save...Pucks are regularly shot at over 90 MPH towards the net. It's crazy that a human can anticipate and stop these flying bullets (they often have to anticipate the shot otherwise moving just a fraction of a second later will let the puck into the net).

Enjoy your new passion, hope you're going to be a convert to hockey !

Oh, I watched a little when the Devils were playing for the Stanley cup (they've won three), but not enough that I'd call myself a fan. Having had the live experience is changing that.

Sitting behind the goal sounds like it would be fun, much like sitting behind home plate at a baseball game, for much the same reasons. When you see a pitch headed towards home at 93 or 94 MPH, and suddenly change directions a few feet from the plate, you realize why getting a hit 30% of the time is such a great feat!

 

[perlslacker]

My dad used to get front row seats to see the Wolves every once in a while. It was amazing being right on the boards.

I've never gotten to see my beloved Red Wings live though :-(