Well,
was the Heritage Classic Mega Stars event a game and a half or what? If you
missed it, shame on you! For those of you who were there, I envy you, ten times
over.
I want
to share with you an e-mail I received from Gordie McKercher, a regular reader
of Puckin’ Around, who had this to say about the whole experience:
“WOW,
what a game! Our seats were on the 50 yard line and about 40 rows up underneath
the deck. It was fantastic. We could see everything without binoculars and the
place was phenomenal. For the alumni game, when they were introducing both
teams, everyone was cheering, and for Mark Messier, Guy Lafleur and Wayne
Gretzky the place went absolutely nuts. Imagine 57000 people in a standing
ovation for the Great One, it was enough to bring a true blue hockey fan to
tears. We were all screaming our heads off and cheering and clapping, it was
fantastic. Everyone was just great. The game itself was wicked. When Grant
Fuhr made the big save, the whole place went nuts when the replay went up on two
giant screens. In the second period when Bill Ranford was standing on his head
the venue went nuts again. It was the best hockey experience I’ve ever
had. The crowd was fantastic. It didn't matter what team won. Everyone was
just out to enjoy the game and the atmosphere.
When the regular season game started, people started to leave, because it
was -20 degrees Celsius with a wind chill of about -28, but all of the diehard
fans who stayed enjoyed every minute of it. I was really thankful to the
players just because they wanted to play even though it was damn cold. Jose
Theodore played with a toque on over his helmet which was awesome. I liked
that. The game was pretty good, it was really fast paced because it was so
cold, but it really didn't matter. Everyone that stayed was cheering hard to
keep warm, and it was just the best. When either team scored, everyone cheered,
although when we were chanting for the Oilers the Habs fans were chanting just
as hard back, if not harder. They were outnumbered by a lot, but both sides
were having the time of their lives.
Most of the game stuff you can get from the television broadcast, but the
crowd was phenomenal. I heard a lot of people saying it really didn't matter
who won, the experience was one-in-a-lifetime, and I agree. It was good the
game was close, it helped a lot. I think that everyone had a great time. I
only heard one person complain, but that guy was kind of a monkey. He wasn't a
fan, he just wanted to be able to say he had been there. The real fans, and
even the not so real fans were having the best time, chanting, and just
remembering the game for what it was, the greatest hockey day ever.
Anyway, I just got back, and I am tired, but I wanted to give you guys a
good description because I know you are part of the diehard contingent that
would have given anything to be there and can appreciate the whole experience.
I just want to say that it was the best time I ever had, just in case you didn't
get it from what I said about the game.”
I’ve
had many great hockey e-mail conversations with Gordie over the past year and
I’m grateful for his having been there and thank him very much for his input.
Personally, I would have sold my soul to the Devil to have been there (but only
if it was a New Jersey Devil and only if I get a day with the Stanley Cup or box
tickets to an Edmonton vs. New Jersey final series). All I’m waiting for
now is a special DVD to commemorate the event.
UPDATE
- April 2004: Our prayers have been answered! Warner Brothers has released
a special 2 DVD set in March which includes the original CBC broadcast of both
outdoor games as well as plenty of behind the scenes stuff that you won't find
on any sports highlights show. The disc is entitled "Heritage Classic - A
November To Remember".
Order this and
several other hockey DVDs here:
http://www.prohockeydvd.com - the DVD itself can also be purchased at Best
Buy, Wal-Mart or wherever DVDs are sold.
I get the sense there are only so many of
these that were pressed, either that or they're selling like hotcakes, because
you may or may not see it on the website.
If you enjoy this DVD, the Ultimate Gretzky
as well as the 2003 Stanley Cup New Jersey Devils DVD I highly recommended!
LINE CHANGES
Here we
are a mere week removed from the outdoor Heritage Classic in Edmonton and
already everybody and their dog want a piece of the action. While I wouldn’t
mind seeing other outdoor games, maybe we should limit them to special events
like the All-Star game or maybe the odd exhibition game. While I still have
goose bumps from the Mega Stars alumni game, the whole day was an event which
would be hard to top unless you could somehow convince #99 and #11 to show up as
part of the New York Rangers alumni. I personally can’t see it happening
again. As Gretzky said afterwards “it would be like trying to replay the 1972
Summit Series all over again”. Hopefully the hockey powers that be will listen
and take heed of the Great One’s words. Then again, maybe they can find a way
to incorporate this with what has become an annual event, Hockey Day In Canada.
Flip a coin, pick a location and play the entire tripleheader on the pond, or
turn the tripleheader into a shinny tournament. Maybe the Habs would even
consider making Joe Juneau a healthy scratch. Another idea to coincide with the
All-Star break is stage an annual outdoor alumni game between the current NHL
All-Stars and the Stanley Cup Champions from ten years ago. The whole idea
sounds so crazy it just might work.
I saw
this comment posted in a hockey forum somewhere and it’s worth repeating here
because I agree wholeheartedly. The Edmonton Oilers Mega Stars alumni team
could beat (and beat soundly) the 2003/04 Pittsburgh Penguins on any given
Saturday on any ice surface, indoors or outdoors. Think about it for a minute.
The original commentator went so far as to say they’d bet everything they own on
it. I wonder what sort of odds Las Vegas could conjure up.
With
November finally over, it’s time to nominate another bonehead of the month.
This time around I’ve decided on two: Mike Comrie and Magnus Arvedson. Comrie,
only because he missed playing in the biggest game in hockey history, and
Arvedson for comments he made to reporters about why he didn’t return to
Ottawa. In case you missed it, Edmonton boss Kevin Lowe came right out and said
Comrie should have been on the ice for the outdoor game. As for Arvedson, he
was quoted as saying the reason he signed with the Vancouver Canucks and not the
Ottawa Senators was because “I wanted to come back but they wouldn’t even offer
me $100”! The sad thing here is I had a great deal of respect for both of these
players until now. Who said it’s not about the money?
Last
time around I commented on how San Jose was on pace to qualify for the post
season by virtue of ties and overtime losses. Well somebody within the
organization must have printed my article and pasted it on the walls of the
Sharks’ dressing room, because ever since I made this observation the team is
undefeated. Was it me or just an amazing coincidence? I'd be interested to
know if my words had the ability to fire up the team. If they did see my
words, I myself admit they were a tad premature, but it was frustrating to see
them play so well and only get rewarded with one point or none at all, which
leads into my next observation.
It’s
unbelievable the amount of flack the Ottawa Senators have taken from fans and
media alike over their recent mini-slump. Is this what fans are really like in
Montreal or Toronto? How soon they forget how November has never been friendly
to this team. I’m not sure what it is, but traditionally Ottawa gets off to a
great start out of the gate, only to come back to earth during the month of
November, even during games they should have won on paper. If the fans had
their way, half the team would have been traded to a Western Conference team by
now, and Jacques Martin would be head coaching another team in about 2.5 seconds
flat. If the fans think this mentality will win their team a Stanley Cup,
they’d better think again. During times of adversity, a team needs their fans
to stand behind them more than anything. From what I’ve observed by taking in a
few live games this year, the fans only cheer when the team wins, and the rest
of the time are acting like a bunch of crybabies. Another thing to consider is
the officiating, or lack thereof in many of the games. The Senators offensive
firepower is no secret around the league, so if you can’t beat them, get in
their way, hook them, trip them, cross check them, whatever you have to do, just
don’t let the referee catch you. One of the more frustrating things to see is
two referees on the ice turning a blind eye to this. However, as they say, what
goes around comes around, and the calls seem to finally be coming around for
Ottawa. I heard a fan on the air blaming Martin Havlat for the slump (if you
can even call it a slump), when he along with Jason Spezza has been nothing
short of offensive spark plugs. The season is 82 games long for a reason,
they’ve only played 23. And don’t forget they still have games at hand on most
teams in the east! With the exception of what I refer to as a practice game at
Madison Square Garden (and not a very good one either), the bulk of their losses
have been by one goal (three of these games overtime losses, so they still
earned a point!) Throughout all of this their special teams rank among the top
three teams in the league, if not number one. If they can ever get an
undefeated streak of three or four games together they’ll be back on top, the
conference is that close. Relax Ottawa, it’s only a game! At the end of the
day, they’ll be there, just like the experts predicted. The team as a whole
knows they have to get it going, and they will, no point in placing blame on one
particular player or coach. Whatever they do, they’d better not be looking for
any sympathy from any other team’s head coach, especially Bob Hartley, Ken
Hitchcock, Doug Maclean or Paul Maurice.
Fast
forward now all of a sudden to the beginning of December, the Sens get a sixty
minute effort, they get their power play going and they win to snap
Philadelphia’s best start in five years and all of a sudden the so called Ottawa
fans are once again back on the bandwagon? I don’t get it. I have a question,
however, does Patrick Lalime really have the flu or is it just an excuse for
Jacques Martin to shake things up? Whatever the case, it's working. Up next
for the “Ministry of Offense” is just what the doctor ordered, a trip to the
Sunshine State, and I know two things: 1) they’ve been saving a big can of you
know what for the Florida Panthers to avenge an October home ice loss, and 2) if
John Grahame plays in the Tampa Bay game the Bolts will most likely crazy glue
his goalie stick to his gloves so he can’t get caught throwing it, again.
Look
for Ray Emery to get a start in net as he’s been called up from Binghamton,
something the fans have been asking for.
Often
opinionated, never duplicated, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeremy Roenick spoke
his thoughts about the whole collective bargaining impending doom in 2004 in a
recent interview on Sportsnet, saying everybody involved “needs to get off their
high horse” and while he believes a lockout must be avoided at all costs, is not
optimistic things will play out as such. He further went on to undermine NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman by saying “don’t believe a word he’s saying”. I’m
really beginning to wish I was a fly on the wall during some of these NHLPA
meetings.
While
we’re on the topic of labor strife, has anybody else noticed the trade flood
gates have started to open? Recently Atlanta and Nashville made a two for two
deal which saw defenseman Tomas Kloucek and forward Ben Simon headed to the city
of music, and heading to the home of the Braves, er Thrashers, was forward Simon
Gamache and defenseman Kiriil Safronov. My only question is who’s dumping the
salary here?
There's no
question Pittsburgh was not only dumping a salary but saving some money when
Martin Straka was shipped to Los Angeles and Mario Lemieux refused a pay raise.
How much longer can this team survive?
The
Jaromir Jagr to the New York Rangers rumors have surfaced again, giving
columnists in the Big Apple something to write about again. It’s been suggested
some writers in New York have kept copies of their original Jagr rumor articles
archived on their laptops so they can just regurgitate them as needed. Sounds
like a good idea to me. Funny how Jagr has all of a sudden snapped his
scoreless drought.
Now
there’s talk Edmonton’s Mike Comrie could be packaged up with another big name
or two for two or three players who won’t break the bank. Ryan Smyth, Eric
Brewer, Jason Smith, George Laraque and Brad Isbister are all names who are all
of a sudden on the trade block with the Oilers riding yet another losing
streak. You’d think with all the money made from the Heritage Classic they
could cut a little slack to the players they have and allow them to turn it
around themselves, but something tells me the pressure will be on. I know Adam
Oates has only played three games, but how long does it take a player to get
their timing back?
We can
expect to see some more movement and even more dumb rumors as we approach the
holidays and get closer to the All-Star break, not to mention the trading
deadline.
Marc
Savard of the Atlanta Thrashers needs to stop hanging around with Mike Tyson as
he’s started biting players. The victim was Darcy Tucker and the incident
earned Savard a one game unpaid vacation. How long before “Darcy Tucker Glove
Style Buffalo Wings” are deemed a staple food in sports bars all over Atlanta?
So much for floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. On an
unrelated note, how on earth did Marc make it back on the ice in three weeks
when initially he was supposed to be out eight to ten weeks?
And
finally, if anyone knows where I can find a McFarlane Patrick Roy Colorado
alternate jersey variant action figure, please notify this avid collector.
They’ve been seen selling on E-bay for no less than $400 US, for a toy you can
purchase for $13.92 at Wal-Mart, if you can find it. I always knew Roy was
popular with hockey fans, but this is ridiculous! Furthermore, if
I had known the toques the Habs wore at the Heritage Classic would be as hot a
commodity as Roy once was in Montreal, I would have bought a few and put them on
E-bay. And all because Jose Theodore didn't want to get in trouble with
his mother.
For
Sports Byline, I’m Adam Hill blowing the whistle on yet another issue. Stay
tuned for the ever popular report cards, coming soon to a website near you!
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