Alex's Hockey Memories
Unlike you, seasoned veteran fans of the hockey, my introduction to the sport truly came at the tender age of 24 when visiting Vancouver during 2011 when the Canucks were on the road to the Stanley Cup final! Drinking beers with fellow Canadians and strangely a lot of Australians- I got to know the game well and the Sedin brothers became my instant idols!
But if I were to pinpoint one moment that first irked my interest, I would have to turn the clocks back to December 28th, 2000 when at age 13 on a family visit to New York City, my Dad managed to acquire tickets to see the New York Rangers vs Atlanta Thrashers at Madison Square Garden! At this point in time hockey was a completely foreign subject to me and part of me then secretly wished he had gotten Knicks tickets instead!
However this was to be an evening to remember and as I ascended the stairs into 'The Garden' I remember being struck at how big and impressive it all seemed-but then again compared to being boxed into my football team Southampton FC's tiny old ground The Dell, anything else seemed amazing. The Rangers then still had many of their 94 cup winning team still active such as captain Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Mike Richter and Mr Consistent Brian Leetch, as well as Theon Fleury, being his old fiery self and Petr Nedved bolstering the attacking ranks.
Their form coming into this had been inconsistent and it became obvious to the Ranger fans that this might be another year where the playoffs were missed by the Broadway Blue. My memories of the game are hazy but I remember the scoring line going 4-1 in favour of Atlanta with the Ranger goal coming with seconds left in the third period, former Canuck Kirk Mclean making a horrendous mistake in net that led to the third Atlanta goal and an in-depth conversation with a New Yorker about how England had blown the chance to host the 2006 World Cup.
But the thing that stays in my mind most of all that stands out in my mind- is the excitement all around when any fights broke out! We are taught as children that fighting is barbaric and to participate is wrong on all counts! Here there was no evidence of that as men, women and child rose to their feet and greeted each punch with screaming enthusiasm. Being English, this whole culture was alien to me- but I absolutely loved it! As I walked past a series of disgruntled Ranger fans to the subway afterwards, I had no idea just how significant this game would be in the future!
But if I were to pinpoint one moment that first irked my interest, I would have to turn the clocks back to December 28th, 2000 when at age 13 on a family visit to New York City, my Dad managed to acquire tickets to see the New York Rangers vs Atlanta Thrashers at Madison Square Garden! At this point in time hockey was a completely foreign subject to me and part of me then secretly wished he had gotten Knicks tickets instead!
However this was to be an evening to remember and as I ascended the stairs into 'The Garden' I remember being struck at how big and impressive it all seemed-but then again compared to being boxed into my football team Southampton FC's tiny old ground The Dell, anything else seemed amazing. The Rangers then still had many of their 94 cup winning team still active such as captain Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Mike Richter and Mr Consistent Brian Leetch, as well as Theon Fleury, being his old fiery self and Petr Nedved bolstering the attacking ranks.
Their form coming into this had been inconsistent and it became obvious to the Ranger fans that this might be another year where the playoffs were missed by the Broadway Blue. My memories of the game are hazy but I remember the scoring line going 4-1 in favour of Atlanta with the Ranger goal coming with seconds left in the third period, former Canuck Kirk Mclean making a horrendous mistake in net that led to the third Atlanta goal and an in-depth conversation with a New Yorker about how England had blown the chance to host the 2006 World Cup.
But the thing that stays in my mind most of all that stands out in my mind- is the excitement all around when any fights broke out! We are taught as children that fighting is barbaric and to participate is wrong on all counts! Here there was no evidence of that as men, women and child rose to their feet and greeted each punch with screaming enthusiasm. Being English, this whole culture was alien to me- but I absolutely loved it! As I walked past a series of disgruntled Ranger fans to the subway afterwards, I had no idea just how significant this game would be in the future!
I remember the game well in 2000 but am amazed at your detailed recall of who played. I do remember the noise and that the arena space was astounding
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