Thread: Any Hockey Fans Out There????

I always thought that Olympic hockey was a better game to watch. It seems smoother, faster and has less of the unnecessary body contact the NHL has allowed more of over the years.

Bob

Another huge hockey fan here. Played it (JV) in college, where I listened on the radio to hear the Flyers win the Stanley Cup. Took my kids to Flyers and minor league and college (Princeton) games (historic Hobey Baker arena), but my best times were playing pickup games with my youngest son at our town rink. He was a goalie and I loved to suit up with him and his friends and skate around and shoot some pucks.

Originally Posted by Portsecurity

Another huge hockey fan here. Played it (JV) in college, where I listened on the radio to hear the Flyers win the Stanley Cup. Took my kids to Flyers and minor league and college (Princeton) games (historic Hobey Baker arena), but my best times were playing pickup games with my youngest son at our town rink. He was a goalie and I loved to suit up with him and his friends and skate around and shoot some pucks.

Awesome memories! So I see you live in New Jersey now. Are you a Devils fan? I know you mentioned Flyers but I've always wondered about that. Having lived in Florida most of my life and really not having been a hockey fan for very long If I were to move to let's say, Arizona would I become a Coyotes fan even though I've been a Lightning fan all along? I mean, you have to support the local team don't you? Isn't it... unpatriotic not to support the local team? I can't imagine not being a Lightning fan but I'm conflicted about that.
I guess maybe it's not as complicated as that because I already like other teams. The Florida Panthers for instance I support... Except when they're playing the Lightning of course.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Awesome memories! So I see you live in New Jersey now. Are you a Devils fan? I know you mentioned Flyers but I've always wondered about that. Having lived in Florida most of my life and really not having been a hockey fan for very long If I were to move to let's say, Arizona would I become a Coyotes fan even though I've been a Lightning fan all along? I mean, you have to support the local team don't you? Isn't it... unpatriotic not to support the local team? I can't imagine not being a Lightning fan but I'm conflicted about that.
I guess maybe it's not as complicated as that because I already like other teams. The Florida Panthers for instance I support... Except when they're playing the Lightning of course.

I was born and spent the first 30 years in Pennsylvania so I am always rooting for Pa teams, Penn State, all Philly teams (worked there for 12 years) and even if I have to, the Steelers (but never the Penguins). When I was a kid I was a fan of the original 6 teams I would see on TV, especially the Rangers, Habs and the Blackhawks, then the Flyers came along in 1967 and that was it for me. I've never been a Devils fan. BTW, NJ is divided between North Jersey which roots for NY teams and the Devils who play in Newark, and South Jersey which roots for Philly teams. The two parts of the state could not be more different physically either. North is all turnpikes, highways and industry, while south Jersey is mostly agricultural.

Originally Posted by Portsecurity

I was born and spent the first 30 years in Pennsylvania so I am always rooting for Pa teams, Penn State, all Philly teams (worked there for 12 years) and even if I have to, the Steelers (but never the Penguins). When I was a kid I was a fan of the original 6 teams I would see on TV, especially the Rangers, Habs and the Blackhawks, then the Flyers came along in 1967 and that was it for me. I've never been a Devils fan. BTW, NJ is divided between North Jersey which roots for NY teams and the Devils who play in Newark, and South Jersey which roots for Philly teams. The two parts of the state could not be more different physically either. North is all turnpikes, highways and industry, while south Jersey is mostly agricultural.

Good tip and good information. I've been through Jersey a couple of times. First time we flew into Newark. Another time we drove through the south up the New Jersey turnpike and I thought , "Wow! This looks nothing like Newark." I had to laugh about what you said about the Penguins. No offense to anyone but I hate the Penguins. It seems like you either hate them or really, really love them.

Bruins fan here....been a fan since 1971...Yah know ,when hockey was hockey....no helmets,Donny Brooks, .....Bobby Orr ,Phil Esposito...the Big Bad Bruins....those were the days !

Originally Posted by nessmuck

Bruins fan here....been a fan since 1971...Yah know ,when hockey was hockey....no helmets,Donny Brooks, .....Bobby Orr ,Phil Esposito...the Big Bad Bruins....those were the days !

The NHL has had a lot of mega stars, but Mr. Orr, in my opinion, was the brightest. He could dominate a game the way nobody else had in the past or has since and that was obvious from the moment he stepped on the ice as a young boy.

Gretzky was the great one, but Bobby has never been equaled. A defenceman who won the scoring title and the Art Ross and ...

He was also an incredible ambassador for the sport.

Too bad he didn’t have access to the kind of knee rehab and surgery available to today’s athletes.

Don't forget Gordie Howe in the list of NHL greats.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Don't forget Gordie Howe in the list of NHL greats.

Bob

Absolutely!!

I think I mentioned this in a post last year, but the actual last Maple Leaf game I attended was in the Gardens. The Stanley Cup champion Leafs (guess the date) were playing the NHL All Stars. The All Star starting forward line was Hull, Howe and Beliveau and I had seats right beside the goal judge at the Leaf end of the rink. A Hull slapshot hit the glass right in front of me and I was stunned for the rest of the first period.

My only disappointment was that Johnny Bower wasn’t in goal for the Leafs that night. I did get to see Carl Brewer use his palm-less gloves to grab a few sweaters and Bobby Baun line up a few hits. Eddie Shack scored twice - one off his head and another off his rear end. Even though I was just a teen and it was quite a long time ago, I can still picture those scenes. Part of the evolution of a long suffering Maple Leaf fan.

I loved going to games back when we had the Aeros. Had all the Howes on the team I think.
Then the NHL politics turned me off.

Here....The WHA days.