Your first NHL game and other prominent games you attended

[goldenage]

First game - Upper level seats Boston Garden 1970s

2nd game - Spectrum Philadelphia. 1980. Flyers score two in the last minute
of the game to tie the Bruins 3-3.

Devils joined the league in the mid 80s and tickets were $10 a piece, and you could sit anywhere you wanted because the place was empty. Saw Mario
play quite a few games there in the 80s, plus this rookie named Sakic. Met Joe in the dressing room after the game. Very nice guy.

Lots of games at Madison Square Garden. A great place to see the game.
One night Rod Gilbert between periods was telling some Habs fans how their rookie goalie Carey Price was terrible. Price did have a bad night and struggled early on in his career.

Saw Gretzky in Philadelphia. Saw Orr in Boston. Saw Lemieux in NJ and NY.
Never saw Gordie, even though he played until 1980.

[Kevin]

Isles ‘81
Isles ‘83
Lightning ‘04 (told my friend living in Tampa at the time “if there is a Game 7 in Tampa, I’ll buy the tickets and fly down there”)

We have Isles season tickets (dad dating back to 2nd season, although he tells everyone “original season ticket holder” and they believe him) went to about 25 games a year from mid 80s through Pittsburgh brawl game earlier this decade. Where was I during the brawl game - most significant regular season home game for franchise in 20 years at that point - where was I? Attending my first basketball game at MSG as a 37 or 38 year old. Girlfriend at the time was a Kobe Bryant fan. I broke up with her a week later, eating my heart out for not being at that game. I swore to never miss an isles home game at the Coliseum for the rest of my life. (I missed 11/26/14 - my daughter’s birthday and one in December right before Christmas - sewer back up in new house.)

We took Brooklyn off. Went to one game there; worst arena in the league. You can say one thing about the Coliseum, as the ‘old barns’ started disappearing, the Coliseum had the best sight lines in the league. We sat in 205 and the back. On the blue line isles shot 2x. Best seats in the NHL. The 15 games dad sold off from Pittsburgh brawl game to the move to Brooklyn, I bought on stubhub for $5 or less. Once paid 99 cents. We were season ticket holders, I just went to my section, tipped the usher, sat down. Last season, didn’t even have to buy tickets. Just walked in and paid the ticket taker later on. Showed an old ticket and he pretended to scan it. A year or so later, Rangers-Lightning Semi-Finals. I think a Game 7. MSG had about 1000 extra fans there walking around. The usher I knew for pinched in a sting.

I could tell you some other significant games: Trottier’s 500th, Lemieux’s 500th. But there was just so much bad terrible hockey from 1990 through Brooklyn. The 80s stuff is great. Went to so many significant games. You know how I got back into my cards? My T206s? All started with Peter Schwartz (WFAN 1010WINS update guy) posting his ticket stubs. I found mine at my folks house w my T206s. Pulled 5 random games. Bossy scored 13 or 14 goals in those 5 games I pulled.

In 2012, I bought tickets to Game 5 of the Kings-Devils Final. Hoping I’d see a 4th Cup won. Wasn’t to be.

I’ll be back with more stuff...

[Kevin]

Funny, I’ve been to about 15 arenas. I’d say MSG was the SECOND WORST place to watch a game. Sight lines were terrible pre-facelift. Didn’t think anything could be worst until Barclays Center.

[commishbob]

First game was at the old MSG, December 1960. Leafs played the Rangers. My Blueshirts go a rare win (6-0!) Back then my uncle passed along a lot of sporting event tickets to my father. My uncle was a pharmasist in a one-pharmacy town in North Jersey and knew everyone. He was always getting tickets and had no interest in sports but my father and I took the seats happily.

Saw a lot of Ranger games in the 60s until I went off to Texas for college. Best memories are seeing Brad Park's first goal in '68 and, above all, this game, Game Three of the Bruins-Rangers playoff series in 1970. https://youtu.be/fp1x_2Iu5BQ

They had a major brawl just after the puck dropped to start it. Rangers vs Derek Sanderson. Set a record at the time for penalties in a period. Sanderson got tossed and shot us all the bird as he left. Fun night. We'd skipped school to land the tix after the Rangers clinched a berth on the last day of the season. EDIT to add to the above post...our seats for that Rangers Bruins playoff game were in the last row upstairs behind one end. My buddy and I had to literally stand on our seats to see the whole ice. But we didn't care.

I saw some fun games in Dallas and St. Louis over the years but I didn't see a game at MSG again until 35 years later when I saw the Sabres in 2005. I admit to getting a bit emotional when I walked inside the Garden. Traveled back for several games since including Lundqvist's last start at MGS a year ago.

I was a Houston Aeros ticket holder during most of their short WHA life in Houston. Some good times watching the Howes and many more.

[Throttlesteer]

I was present at the game Gretzky tied Gordie's goals record. Many other memorable games, but no huge milestones. I guess I did see Jagr's last GWG.

[Kurri17]

My wife and I started making the 4 1/2 hour trip to St. Louis in 1992 to see Kurri (and of Gretz), so my first game was the Kings and Blues at the "old barn." First few games I saw were there and I loved the ambience. My main memory for that game is a large group of fans, Blues fans primarily, crowded above the tunnel where the Kings came out, and when Gretz came out they all did the "we're not worthy" arms out bow.

Most notable game would have to be Brett Hull's jersey retirement. Of course, no Kurri there that night, but my buddy was, and still is, a huge Hull fan and he was kind enough to invite me along.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Kurri17

Most notable game would have to be Brett Hull's jersey retirement. Of course, no Kurri there that night, but my buddy was, and still is, a huge Hull fan and he was kind enough to invite me along.

Brett Hull, I think, does NOT get the love he deserves. After Bossy, best pure goal scorer I've seen.

[Throttlesteer]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Brett Hull, I think, does NOT get the love he deserves. After Bossy, best pure goal scorer I've seen.

I might suggest Ovi be considered in that discussion.

[Nunzio11]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Brett Hull, I think, does NOT get the love he deserves. After Bossy, best pure goal scorer I've seen.

Grew up going to the Islander games in the mid 80s. Would even take the train into the city to go to Islanders Ranger games at MSG in high school. Always an adventure.
The best time ever though was 2014 going at a Blues game with a buddy who grew up with Brett Hull. Went to his box then down to the ice level bar outside the locker rooms. Watched the whole game with Brett. Must have drank 20 vodka sodas. The stories were just incredible.

[irv]

I've only been to two NHL games in my life. The first one was years ago when I was in my late teens/early 20s. My buddy and I purchased scalpers to a Toronto/Red Wings game but managed to get some decent seats for a decent price.

Toronto was up 7-0 on the Wings and I told my bud, a die hard Wings fan, well, this game is over. He told me lots of game left yet, Irv, but I thought it was just wishful thinking.
Long story short, the Wings came back and won that game.

My second NHL game was 10 yrs ago when I took my then 10 yr old son to his first game, a Toronto/Flyers game.
The Leaf's were fighting for a playoff spot and needed to win this game but you wouldn't know it. Half way through the second period, my son leaned over and put his head on my shoulder and said, dad, can we go.
He was bored as was I. It was an absolute boring, non eventful game up to that point and I remember thinking, more than once, I see way better hockey when I watch my Oshawa Generals, and for about an 1/8th of the price.

I told my son lets stick it out for the rest of the second and then we'd decide.
Before the second was over, Mikhail Grabovski had a goal scored from off his face. I forget the player who took the shot, but that's where it went before it deflected into the net. He was uninjured.
When that happened, and the place erupted in laughter and cheer, we decided to stick out the rest of the game.
Toronto ended up losing and in all honesty, my son never mentioned about ever going to another game, and personally, it really took away a lot of desire for me as well.