# Hockey fans?



## Jeff_MI84

Any fellow hockey fans in here? Growing up in Metro Detroit, of course I'm a Red Wings fan, but also love the New York's Rangers and surprise surprise, the Toronto Maple Leafs.


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## bosox_5

Wait, the wings rangers and leafs? That to many. Also what did the bruins, blackhawks, and Canadians do to you?


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## Retired292

Grew up in Detroit, lived through the dead wings era and the Cups. Loved old Olympia (red barn) saw many games there. Dislike the Leafs would be an understatement


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## Jeff_MI84

Well Detroit is #1 always. Toronto and NYR are my backup teams. I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada, so Toronto became a team I'd love to hate/ hate to love.


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## Retromower

Jeff_MI84 said:


> Any fellow hockey fans in here? Growing up in Metro Detroit, of course I'm a Red Wings fan, but also love the New York's Rangers and surprise surprise, the Toronto Maple Leafs.


Wisconsin for college and Chicago Blackhawks for the pros. I keep hoping that they will eventually put a team in Milwaukee but it hasnt happened yet. The funny part is that Im a Blackhakws fan and the owner of the Hawks is the reason why Milwaukee doesnt have a team. LOL


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## Jeff_MI84

I can totally see that being the case.


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## Boy_meets_lawn

Was an Aeros fan growing up but now a Stars fan by default as it's the only team in the state.


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## tdcarl

Another Red Wings fan here. Excited to see the YzerPlan starting to take shape with some bright young stars.


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## Uk0724

Another RedWings fan here…and I'm born and raised in Kentucky!

For some reason I picked them to watch and root for back in the early 90s and have stuck with them since.

Usually make a trip to Detroit at least once a season (with the exception of last year…COVID)

My 3 year old is taking a liking to Larkin quite a bit.


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## Jeff_MI84

@Uk0724 good choice. I can't stand Larkin though.


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## bosox_5

I just watched "All or Nothing" on Amazon with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It made me miss my high school days of being on a hockey team. A couple of notes and observations:

1. Knowing how the season ended made the whole series similar to a horror movie where you know the bad guys win in the end.

2. Goalie are lunatics. As a goalie, I understand

3. Seeing Joe Thornton still playing and what he was like in the locker room made me super angry at the Bruins all over again for that trade. That man is an international treasure. (Also John Tavares giving him the game puck for 1100 "apples" made me smile because calling assists apples is funny to me).

4. Austin Mathews needs to be on American TV every day. That kid can play.

5. Canadians are funny. I just love them so much.


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## Amoo316

When I as growing up in South FL we didn't quite have the Panthers yet or TB. One of my good buddies was a Pittsburgh fan and those were the years they had all those good series with the Caps in the playoffs. As a result of my BF being a Pittsburgh fan, I'm naturally a Caps fan.

I pull for the Avs in the West and the Panthers when they're not playing the Caps or Avs.

Hockey on any level is still the second most exciting sport to go watch in person behind CFB IMO. Been to quite a few Panthers games.


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## kman6234

Islanders fan here. I love hockey. Grew up playing it and now I just watch.


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## Jeff_MI84

@kman6234 the Islanders have really improved a lot since management stopped making so many head scratching decisions.


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## Baretta

Canucks fan... these last 8 years have been painful.


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## Jeff_MI84

@Baretta as a Red Wings fan, I feel your pain. After Luongo left and the Sedin's retired, there isn't much else. I thought Brock Boeser had a lot of potential, but seems streaky and injury prone. I wish Vancouver didn't lose to Boston in 2011.


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## Baretta

@Jeff_MI84 In Yzerman I trust. We are grateful for Ken Holland passing on Hughes though. 

It's been a tire fire since Benning took over. Ownership didn't want a rebuild and here we are 8 years later. Poor signings, always against the cap and a run two seasons ago thanks to Demko in the playoffs that only happened because of Covid changes to playoff format. Management thought we were on our way. I have more thoughts but it would be long. Ha!

Boeser looked great coming out of the USHL. What a shot. I think he hasn't been the same since his wrist injury. Quality young man who's been through a lot.

Oh man, don't get me started about 2011. :lol:


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## Jeff_MI84

@Baretta Ryan Kesler's aunt is a friend of my family, and had they won I had a pretty good shot at meeting him. Ironically I did around 2015. Chill dude.

I respected the Canucks of the 90's. Linden, McLean and Bure.


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## Baretta

@Jeff_MI84 I have all the time in the world for Kesler. Single handidly one the Nashville series for us in 2011. Gave his heart for the team and couldn't blame him for leaving to go to a contender for another shot at the cup. Just wish we got a better return.

Went to Bure's first game as a Canuck. You were on your feet when he carried the puck up the ice. Man it was electric.

Nothing to complain about the Wings back then. Didn't the make the playoffs like 18 years in a roll. Yzerman, Datsyuk and others were a joy to watch.


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## Baretta

I'm curious to see what the new regime in Vancouver has in store at the draft. All the talk is about shedding salary and moving JT Miller with 1 yr left. I guess now would be the most value for him.

What does everyone else what to see happen at the draft or free agency with your team? Or any team in general.


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## Jeff_MI84

I see Detroit not attracting a top defenseman to pair with Seider. I trust Yzerman's long term plan though.


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## TheSwede

Played myself from pretty much before I could walk and I was eating, drinking and pissing hockey until I was 16 when I realized that I was not quite good enough to make a living out of it, so I quit cold turkey and got myself an education instead, and never looked back, basically. Only watched World Championships and the Olympics, pretty much, for almost 30 years. A couple years ago, when my son turned 5 (yes, I am an old dad, ) he wanted to try hockey so I bought him the gear needed, bought myself a pair of hockey skates, gloves and a stick and, I was not prepared for it, really.

The feeling, just opening the door to the rink and putting your skate on the ice after having been away from hockey for so many years was mind altering for me. I probably looked like Bambi on ice for a few moments but then it all came back to me. I just love every bit of hockey!

I am now a coach of his team, I follow Swedish hockey and of course NHL hockey even more closely and I love every bit of it!

So yes, I am a fan of Hockey. Do I have a favourite team? Yes! Does it matter what team it is? For me, no, I just want to eat, drink and piss great hockey!


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## Jeff_MI84

@TheSwede Sweden has blessed the NHL with so much talent over the years. 2006 was a great Olympic final.


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## Amoo316

Jeff_MI84 said:


> @TheSwede Sweden has blessed the NHL with so much talent over the years. 2006 was a great Olympic final.


Peter Forsberg was always my first pick on my superstar video games and he was my Line 1 Center. One of my favorites of all time.

Forsberg C, Bure LW, Iginla RW - The speed rating on that line was stupid fun to play with.


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## Baretta

@Jeff_MI84 In Yzerman I trust. He will make Detroit great again with a little patience.

@TheSwede Yup! Nothing like the smell of being at the rink. Unfortunately I was a far better... check that, better ball hockey player than on the ice. Decent hands, skating was meh. Vancouver loves acquiring Swede's. Sedins all-be-it not flashy, were still fun to watch. Class acts.

@Amoo316 I only had the one move. Coming over the blue line on the off wing, cutting into the slot and ripping it. 9 out of 10 times it was going in. Ha!


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## Amoo316

Baretta said:


> @Amoo316 I only had the one move. Coming over the blue line on the off wing, cutting into the slot and ripping it. 9 out of 10 times it was going in. Ha!


For me it was the cross ice one timer. Forsberg would come down the middle then lean to whichever side was weaker and throw a cross ice one timer. Worked stupid good with that much speed on one line.

Jagr was one of the only guys I could get goals with, just ripping regular shots. I had him on what I called a "playmaker line" with Bondra and I forget who was the third on that line. Probably Sakic.


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## TheSwede

@Jeff_MI84, @Amoo316, we are a small country, only around 10 millon people or so, but hockey is a big sport here. I am the same age as Fredrik Forsberg, actually, so my Swedish hockey idols when I grew up where Borje Salming -what a player! And such a humble guy. Hakan Loob is another of my childhood legends -I played for the same team as he did (Farjestad) for a number of years so I have actually been on the ice with him. He was really nice and took the time to play around with us.

Recently, the former NHL goalie Tommy Söderström soared up into my top favourite players. He saw a couple kids playing street hockey on the street from where he lives, so he decided to put his gear on and go out to play with them! How friggin' cool is that!?!



But, what made my season this year was that the team of 6yo I coach was selected to show their skills and play a hockey game in-between periods in the Sweden-Czechoslovakia game on the national arena in Stockholm. It was a hell of a lot of work for 5 minutes of hockey, but to see their faces, super proud, dressed up in official "Three Crowns" hockey jerseys and being high-fived by the official "Three Crowns" team when they entered the ice was epic. I think I might have cried a little, haha!


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## pennstater2005

That is awesome @TheSwede!!!


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## Jeff_MI84

@TheSwede I'm a huge Maple Leafs fan, I know all about Salming. Söderström is a name I haven't heard in ages. That's very cool he did that. I loved Lidstrom, Holmstrom, Zetterberg too. And I can't forget about King Henrik. Tommy Salo at the '94 Olympics.


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## spaceman_spiff

Huge Wings fan here. Been playing beer league myself for 12 years. Love it.


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## Jeff_MI84

@spaceman_spiff nice!


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## TheSwede

Jeff_MI84 said:


> @TheSwede I'm a huge Maple Leafs fan, I know all about Salming.


RIP Börje! He was a pioneer, and a true hockey warrior for decades but suddenly ALS took him away in less than a year.


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