Your best hockey moment in person

I might be biased because it was one of my more recent hockey memories, but being at the first Winter Classic between the Pens and Sabres on Jan 1st, 2008 has to be at the top of my list.

Specifically, the shootout. My friend and I were the only Pens fans in the midst of about twenty drunk and rowdy Sabres fans and when Sid scored we went absolutely crazy. On our way back to the car we were taunted and booed and threatened, and we couldn’t feel our toes, but boy were we smiling.

Incidentally, on the way back we stopped at a travel plaza and Gary Roberts happened to be having dinner with his family there. I ran into him in the men’s room of all places. We both got to the sink at the same time and I told him I hoped his leg healed up soon. Good times.

I attended Game 3 of the Capitals series that went into overtime and Letang scored the winning goal. That was my first playoff game and the atmosphere was just incredible, along with a great game, definitely my favorite in person moment so far.

Unfortuneately most of my in person Pens memories are from the early 2000’s when me and my girlfriend (now my wife) would get student rush tickets to go see Rico Fata and Co. play hockey. But hey at least you could get lower bowl tickets for $20 with a student ID. So, the only real good moment for me was Mario’s triumphant return.

I’ve been to a lot of Pens/Devils, Pens/Rangers and Pens/Flyers games, but the best one was the home opener in 2007 against the Anaheim Ducks. It’s not like Anaheim was that big of an opponent, or even a long-time rival or anything, but the game itself was just electric. Everyone was fired up. This was a birthday gift game too. There was this “we’re gonna do it this year” feeling to the whole place. Of course the Pens wound up going to the Finals and losing that year, but I don’t know many Pens fans who weren’t happy with the general outcome of that season. The game ended 5-4. Malkin had a goal or two, one of which was scored right in front of me. Colby Armstrong also had the best goal of the game, if not his career, when he had a breakaway and swatted a bouncing puck out of a mid air past the Ducks’ backup guy whose name i can’t remember right now.

game 4, stanley cup finals this year. The place was so quiet after the wings went up 2-1. We had come out strong, geno scoring the first goal, we were playing so hard, only to be down half way through the game. Not to mention the consecutive power plays for the wings. But went staal took that puck and started driving, the whole stadium slowly stood up and gave a gasp and boom. 2-2. place went wild. the next two goals over 5 minutes happened, and the place is absolutely on fire. I think I was almost crying. I was in a row with a walk way behind me, so people could stand behind me and watch, and i was whooping it up with a couple random people like we were family. Still gives me goosebumps.

As a kid, some memorable moments include Kovalev scoring a hat trick against the islanders, only to tie 3-3 ( I got to go down and meet some players afterward outside the locker room, so that was special to me)

Another was going to Mario’s first retirement celebration. They raised his number, gave every fan a commemorative puck, only to see someone score a hat trick (I think?) and of course, the pucks went hurling on to the ice. I think they had to make an announcement over the jumbotron to stop throwing them because one of the pens got hit in the head and started bleeding.

My FIRST ever NHL game, I scored my boss’s tickets to a Panthers v. Penguins game – he was a Panthers season ticket holder and had great seats – right behind the Beazer. The only way the Panthers could try and stop the Pens was all out which resulted in a penalty shot. Jagr got the nod and he came in Fitzpatrick the backup which for some unknown reason he was able to stop. The Pens came back the next year and I got the tickets from my boss again. This was my SECOND hockey game and again Pittsburgh was awarded a Penalty Shot. This time they put Lemieux out there against the Beazer who waited waited and waited only to have Mario hold the puck behind him and then effortlessly put it top shelf. LOL my boss had never been to a game where a penalty shot was awarded. It was pretty funny

I had moved to New Jersey for work in ’95 and was out on Long Island for training in October of that year — the hotel was about 1/2 mile from the Nassau Coliseum. The Penguins were in town for a game, and I was able to score a decent seat for next to nothing (the Islanders then — as now — do not draw well, even when the team was decent).

The two things I remember most about the game were a) between the second and third periods they had two guys come out in those inflatable sumo body suits and wrestle each other (which was surprisingly one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen) and b) it was fire-wagon hockey (I think the final score was 7-5). Defense and goaltending in the game were non-existent.

I went back to the hotel and it wasn’t until I was watching the news later that I found out that Lemieux had scored his 500th goal that game. The Islanders — either because of incompetence or lack of respect — didn’t acknowledge it at all. It was pretty petty on their part. Now Islander fans aren’t the most gracious of people, but I’m sure that they would’ve given him a nice hand for such a huge accomplishment.

 I am a photographer for the Pittsburgh Sports Report magazine, so I attend a LOT of games and have been on hand for some great moments.

 But the most memorable was the night Mario scored his 600th goal. That in itself was a great moment. But what made the night most memorable to me was not a part of the game.

 At that time the Pens had a program where they honored straight A students, They would bring them onto the ice during an intermission announce their name and award them with a plaque and some tickets.

 They brought out an 8 year old and his family and talked about his great achievments in school, then announced his name….Adam Graves.

 Fans who had not been paying attention at all, heard the name, saw it in huge letters across the score board, remembered a broken wrist and booed the poor little boy to tears. :)

Caps-Somebody in their first season in the Phone Booth. I was there as a favor to a friend who was playing a rec league game after the pro game. I didn’t know much about hockey, but I did know it was cool that there was a fight between two guys, then a bench-clearing brawl, and then a hat trick celebration for Peter Bondra in which a motorcycle helmet went bouncing over the glass and along the ice. The Caps and my friend’s team won too.

Bravo.

I got plenty of stories…..starting with the most recent
 
 Game 5 of the Capitals series in Washington.
  I got seats in the 400 level of the verizon center, im way up there. I sit next to this girl and her boyfriend, she tells me that she was a sports marketing major at Univ Florida. She goes on to talk about how the Capitals are the best team in sports since they use minor league tactics for in game entertainment, she then mentions that she’s been a die hard Caps fan FOR THE LAST YEAR. Then tells me that the Penguins games are boring since they don’t do what the caps do, my sister asks if she’s ever been to a pens game to back up her claim to which she hadn’t From there on out she was very testy with my sister and I. We all know how the Pens won of the Deflected Puck off of Tom Poti’s stick. Well i didnt see who put it in, all i saw was the red light go on. The two of us are jumping up and down and high five-ing each other. Then that girl dumps a beer on my sister. This next event will always and forever solidify my sisters badassed-ness. Without a moments hesitation, she goes at the girl and swings a vicious right hand into the girls face and begins to slap the shit out of her, to the point where the caps fan was in tears and I pulled her off and we left. As we are leaving this douche caps fan (imagine that) tells me we have to leave as if it was his house, I looked at him and said “listen you danny tanner looking fuck, get your hands off me and go cry somewhere else”

I was also at the one where the Pens came back from the 4 goal defecit, the backstrom game, the reg season shoot out win, the 2 hat-tricks game. Then a few at Mellon, like Sid’s 2nd home game. Nothing too extraordinary as that Game 5.

I was at grad school at Wisconsin then, and the Badgers made it to the Frozen Four in Milwaukee, and got to the Championship game against BC. Basically, the sea of red that usually inhabits the Kohl Center in Madison transported itself 75 miles to the east to the Bradley Center, and raised the noise level by about 12 notches.

Tom Gilbert, now with the Oilers, scored midway through the third to make it 2-1, and Brian Elliot (Senators) made it stand up, with the help of some iron, as BC rang one off the post with a second to go.

Just an amazing experience.

Love that Lemieux off the faceoff goal. That’s a move more guys should try.