JCShutout wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2020 10:11 pm
Hi, I'm JC. (Do you need my real name?)
My Dad was always a fan, and one day snagged tickets to a game from his work. This was the late 80s, right before Hullie became King of St. Louis. I was either 6, 7 or 8 (I've tried to look at old accounts to see which game it could have been but can't narrow it down past 2 or 3 possibilities.) I was a baseball fan like my friends. I was super shy, and didn't want to go to something new, until my Dad said there was pizza. I had to be assured that I could have pizza, and we headed down to the old Barn, parking in Forest park and weaving through areas unfamiliar to my suburban neighborhood. According to my Dad, I asked over and over again as I eyed the many people, "You said there was pizza, right?". We got my damn pizza, and walked in, and I saw the ice during warmups and my jaw about hit the floor. I almost dropped my pizza, and barely said a word the rest of the night just watching, wide eyed, as my Dad would explain the rules as the game progressed. I instinctively understood the game and was forever hooked. The Blues tied the North Stars with a 3rd period goal, and the game ended 2-2. I barely remember Steve Tuttle being on the team because I really liked Ninja Turtles, and his name kinda sounded like "Turtle". I was caught up in the Hull and Oats years, but when Fuhr came to town, he was my favorite, and goaltending, my position. I played for many years, enjoying a short stretch on the Amateur Blues, way before local teams were good and winning tournaments. I think our record that year was something like 2-37-1, and by the end had I think 12 players left (most quit because we were so bad) but wearing the note, even in an Amateur context, was special.
Dad recalls that our morning ritual after game days for years was him waking me up for school and me not saying good morning, or hello dad, or even grumbling, it was, "DID THE BLUES WIN?!?!" When the Blues played game 7 against the hated Wings in 96, I snuck a radio and headphones into my band concert and just pretended to play trumpet while listening to the game. (My radio was actually confiscated along with others, but I saw where they stashed it, and on pretense of going to the restroom, snagged it back)
When I attended a goalie camp in Toronto a couple of years later and the only person from the midwest proudly wearing all things Blues at all times, and lambasting Leafs fans for their thug Nick Kypreos for ending the Blues cup run with an intentional dive. I locked my key in my room at the dorm the hockey camp had us boarded in, and at first they refused to let me in my room unless I said Kypreos wasn't at fault. They were being playful, but I told them I'd sleep in the common TV room before saying a kind word about someone who had done so wrong to my Blues.
My Dad snagged preseason tickets right next to the Blues bench one year against the lightning. He let me have the seat immediately next to the bench and I just STARED at Guy Herbert all night. It was probably kinda creepy. When a puck flew into the bench, Mr. Herbert snuck it over the glass so I could have it. Still do.
In 07 or 08, I was working at Verison Ampitheater (its had like 5 names, I don't remember the name at the time or the current name), waitstaff for luxury boxes, and in sat Erik Johnson. He ordered a beer and I said, "I'm sorry Erik Johnson, I know who you are and how old you are, and I can't get you a beer." He looked back at two other players and said, "Well boys, I guess I'll be having lemonade tonight." (I think I remember the others being Stempniak and McClement, and/or Yan Stastny. I'm not sure because they didn't order much and I didn't want to seem more creppy and its just too many years ago.)
Oh, and this past year was a pretty good one, no? when I saw the Blues win their first SCF game ever from the watch party, with my Dad... I screamed and literally cried a little. I did the same when watching the first and only home SCF win because we shelled out the money to go... I'm still paying it off, almost done, totally worth it. I didn't really relax in game 7 until it was 4-0, maybe a little at 3-0, but in a large way at 4-0. I didn't really fully think it was actually going to happen until there was about 60-80 seconds left.
Ok so that was way more than you were looking for, but it was fun to remember.
)
Thanks for sharing!
