Do you remember your first NHL game?

[ISTOUT 0]

Do you all remember going to your first NHL game as a kid? Mine was when I was 6 and it was Buffalo vs. Boston at the old Memorial Auditorium known affectingly to "buffalonians" as just simply the “Aud”… Over the years having been to more than my fair share of games around the country I guess I have over time lost that feeling of excitement that I used to get on game day and I had forgotten how special going to the game and that whole expearence really is.. So Wednesday night I had a chance to get the excited feeling back and to share that same first game experience with my 7 yr old daughter at the Sabres/ Panthers game. All day long she was so excited she could hardly stand it every 5 minutes it seemed she was checking the time to see how much longer until it was time to go. When we got there it was funny to see her eyes light up when we hit the inside of the HSBC arena as she was instantly overwhelmed and in total sensory overload and was just amazed by all the action. Just walking to get to our row I think she spent a total of 50 bucks between food, a hat and shooting the puck at the “tic tac toe” board which was pretty funny as she has also just started playing hockey and it was the first time she has ever been able to lift the puck up with her shot and it just so happened to accidently smack the kid who was cleaning the pucks out from the other end of the game.. Come game time she was just totally into it sitting on the edge of her seat with every play yelling and cheering and then dancing her ass off and being goofy with the other kids as well as the big adult kids in the row trying desperately to get the “megatron/ jumbo tron whatever it is” camera guy to get them on the big screen.. After the game she got to meet a few of the players who signed her hat and that just made her night complete. All in all a very special evening and expearence for her and in watching her enjoyment it reminded me why I continue to love this game so much..

Pre game just getting to our seats

End of the 3rd period after Afinogenov put in the Sabres 5th goal of the night

[Fletch 219]

I remember mine. It was in 1991 - a 4-3 Kings loss against the Winnipeg Jets at the old Great Western Forum. That was my first time ever to the Forum and I remember walking into the lobby then into the main concourse and being in awe at the sheer scale of the place and the size of the scoreboard.

[pg-1000 0]

I went to the first NHL Premier game between the Ducks and the Kings at the O2 in London at the start of the 07/08 season.

You could say my first 'real' NHL game was last week though. Went over to NYC and managed to see 3 games in total: Wild @ Devils, Sabres @ Rangers and Senators @ Rangers.

Was glad to get to a Devils game and see the Prudential centre, completely blows any conception of a decent sports arena over here out of the water.

[jds 20]

My first game was Washington at Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1977. Final score, 4-4 . Randy Carlyle was in his rookie season..Had seats in the golds right behind the penalty box and got a huge thrill when my brother called Tiger Williams a bum for a cheap penalty and he actually turned around to glare at us when he heard him. I remember how huge the players seemed and how fast the game was. MLG was such a classic hockey building. I think the tickets were around $25 each or something like that and we were four rows off the ice.

As a photographer I spent many nights in the same building shooting Leafs games but it is not the same as being a fan and just getting to enjoy the atmosphere. Finally got to go to my second NHL game as a spectator last week when I took my eight-year-old son to Scotiabank Place to see the Senators take on the Sabres. Tickets were $30 each but this time that meant we were four rows from the ceiling. Still, it was the same magic for him as it was for my first game. Bought him a Senators puck to go with the Leafs puck my brother bought me in '77 that I still have. Circle completed.

[adam14 182]

my first nhl game was TBL's first playoff game against the Islanders the year they won the cup. pretty sure they won 4-2. sick seats, right behind the tbl bench.

[Bucky25 0]

My first game was the 1991 Stanley Cup Final...Game 6, North Stars v. Pens...We are from Wisconsin but my Dad had good friends from the Twin Cities who were die hard North Stars fans (obvious I guess, for the record I was a Bruins fan but also liked the N.S. in a close second. Not much choice is WI and all of my buddies were Hawks fans which made me want to barf). It was amazing, we sat in the upper deck of the Met Center, almost last row. We must have been a mile from the ice...

The Pens were blowing the N.S. out of the water (ended up 8-0) and the "MN faithful" started to empty out with about 10 min left...We made our way down to ice level and into some empty seats in the 3rd row in the corner of the PIT end...

Horn sounds, the Pens go apeshit and mob Tom Barrasso...We watched the cup presentation and saw them skate it around! It was unbelieveable! This is my greatest sports memory which is saying something since I was also at the 1994 Rose Bowl when Wisky beat UCLA to win their first R.B. in eons! Both amazing but you can't beat the Cup!

I also vividly remember the Lemieux and Jagr flowing mullets but that is for another thread :D

ISTOUT-- Congrats on a great night and hopefully many more experiences like this with your daughter. I have two girls and a boy (all <4 y.o.) with whom I hope to share memories just like this.

[fieldofdreams 0]

Yeah, I remember my first NHL game. Didn't go to well....

I was -2 with 4 PIM.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

So far, I'm the old man of this group. :D My first NHL game was Feb 8, 1974, to see the Buffalo Sabres play against the California Golden Seals at the Oakland Coliseum. The Sabres won, 7-2.

[metalwinger13 1]

Mine was in '96 at Joe Louis Arena. Dallas was in town and before the game started they retired Sid Abels jersey. I remember thinking who the hell is this old guy, hes not as good as Yzerman, Probert, and Fedorov. It was a ball. All i remember about the score was Dino Ciccerelli scored a empty netter and i was so excited. Then again this all had to deal with being about 10. My uncle ended up taking me and what he did was get me a pack of cards, open it, put my ticket in it, seal it back up for me to open. The whole thing was great!

[TBLfan 25]

95 Lightning/Bruins. Lightning won 3-2.

[furlanitalia 1]

I'm so depressed that I can't remember my first game...Although I do remember my dad buying me a canucks tracksuit one time, and then a few years later I bought him a hat when they changed the logo to the whale in the "C".

One "first" was taking my girlfriend to a game earlier this year. She'd never been and didn't really know hockey but was so excited to go and have me help teach her the rules. Splurged and got seats besides the Canucks tunnel so we could be super close and we had an absolute blast. Game went to overtime and the Canucks took the win over Detroit!

[interpathway 9]

Early 90's, Capitals at home against the Dallas Stars in their old home in Landover. I was really young, but the Caps lost. The one thing I vividly remember is a Star player skating backward over our blueline on a breakaway toward and empty net and sliding it through his legs (backward still) and into the EN. Totally weak!

[chippa13 1844]

Bruins and NorthStars (I believe). It set the record for penalty minutes in a game.

[interpathway 9]

Well no wonder you're still a fan today!

[dsjunior1388 81]

It must have been 1999, I went to a Wings/Penguins pre season game at Joe Louis arena. I remember Brenden Shannahan scored two goals in the first and I was worried I would have to throw my beloved tigers hat if he scored another one. I was more worried my throw might make it. Shanny didnt get another one, and we lost, but I was really happy Id actually been to a game, even though Yzerman sat it out, as did Jagr, plus it was the year after Lemieux retired. Still, I saw Fedorov skate, fascinating in itself.

[Scoobersti 0]

I don't live in a NHL city, so I've only been to 2 regular season games and 1 preseason game, but the first one I went to was a Canucks game at GM place against the Capitals. I can't recall the final score but, I remember that Canucks wore the red alternates with the flying skate logo.

[Larry54 243]

So far, I'm the old man of this group. :D My first NHL game was Feb 8, 1974, to see the Buffalo Sabres play against the California Golden Seals at the Oakland Coliseum. The Sabres won, 7-2.

I was less than 10 years old in the '60s when my father took me to see Gordie Howe (my idol at the time) with the Red Wings against the Habs at the Montreal Forum. What I remember the most is the first time hearing the crowd roar after a Habs goal!

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

2002, march... canes played the canadiens in carolina. 1-1 tie. canes tied it with 11 seconds or so left on a jeff o'neill goal.

and there was doug gilmour and ronnie francis in that game :)

[RadioGaGa 162]

Still have the stub. Habs/Sabres. Oct 11 1992. We sat in the "Family Orange" That was WAY up there in the old Aud.

Sadly...I can't recall a score...but we went in April of '93 as well...and it was a late win (Maybe OT) Bellows scored the winner.

[EDIT] Ah crap...I guess that's why I've blocked that result from my mind. Montreal Lost 8-2 > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992-93_Montr...anadiens_season

[team50 20]

1982-Leafs versus Kings at MLG. Rick Vaive, John Anderson, Mike Palmateer, Stu Gavin, Rocky Saganiuk, and Borje. Dave Taylor was playing for the Kings. Don't remember the score but I'm pretty sure the Kings won.

[ag12 0]

1988 Bruins - Nordiques: 2-2 was the score; Ken Linseman and Peter Statsny had the goals in the old Garden.

[XLII 0]

April, 19th 1992

Divison Semi Finals

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals

My first trip to North America and my first game outside of Germany.

The Capitals won the game 3:1, but eventually lost the series 3:4.

The cup went to Pittsburgh and I was hooked on Caps hockey.

[cptjeff 0]

I don't really remember much about it, but it was a Hurricanes game back in 97 and we lost. It was my first introduction to hockey at all, and It didn't really catch on at that point. My dad got me into it in the 2006 season, we went to a win against philly.

Of course, that season went pretty well and I also got out to game 2 of the finals.

[Ltrain 0]

I can't remember if it was '87 or '88. Dad took my brother and I to see Rangers vs. Oilers so we could watch Gretzky and friends at MSG. Ever since I watched "Hockey My Way" I was obsessed. :P

Unfortunately, my Dad couldnt get 3 tickets sitting together so he had to sit in another section nearby. He "escaped" back to our section because some genius sitting in front of my Dad decided to wear a Hextall jersey and stood up flaunting it to the rest of the people sitting in his section. The guy started to get pelted by beer and various other foodstuffs as my dad became a victim of "friendly fire". :lol:

I just remember being surprised at how bright the ice was lit up and grinning ear to ear the minute #99 stepped on the ice (Daousts, Blue Perfectas, Titan stick, Jofa Helmet, and tucked Jersey in all it's glory). Good times.

-L

[fawn111 0]

Devils - Penguins

1988 I think .... couldn't believe how big Lemieux looked in person......