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Looking Back, what was your first game live?


Buffalo Rick

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My first ever game was in 1968, the last game of the regular season, in which the home team, the Rochester Americans did not make it to the playoffs that year after winning several Calder Cups including the year previous.   Don Cherry was a legend here and Dick Gamble and "Red" Armstrong were two very popular players who were on the Amerks team in those days.  We lost the game 8-7 but the score alone tells you I got my money's worth!  Or the money that was paid by a friends parents who took us.  I was about 10 years old and I fell in love with the sport instantly.  I remember bits and pieces of watching some of the Montreal and Toronto finals in 67 on the black and white Zenith, Toronto's last Cup win in fact.  When I visited my relatives in Canada and mentioned Boston was my favorite team, they instantly started in on me.  They are all Montreal fans.  Remember, the Sabres did not exist yet.  The Buffalo Bisons were running away with the AHL the next year and I was able to see them live.   They had Guy Trottier and he scored over 60 that year.  I do believe he is related to Brian in some way?  The Quebec Aces were the team that beat the Rochester Amerks as we call them on that night.  Providence were the Reds and Springfield were the Kings in those days.  The Hershey Bears were our biggest rival.  Another historic franchise in this sport.  I have seen them many times.  Soon along came the Nova Scotia Voyaguers who with the Mahovolich brothers had some real good teams.  You know if your first game is a 1-0 goaltenders  duel, it does not leave you with the same impact as the game I was lucky to see.  8-7 in hockey is still not achieved very often.  Somehow the lowly Canes put up 8 on the Isles two nights ago.  The scoring does seem to be up.  But the current days equipment is far different.  Back then you did not see any player with a helmet, and even the goalies had not yet all started to wear a face mask.  That is hard to imagine now.  So if you take a young kid to a game, it might be preferable to take him to see a barn burner than a sleeper.  Just my opinion.  So share your first games if you wish.  

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I can't remember the exact year... it was probably the 87-88 season, the game right before Christmas so like December 23. Flyers-Whalers. 

 

EDIT: I looked it up and it was the 88-89 season.

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10 hours ago, radoran said:

It was a Hershey Bears game in the old Hershey Arena back in the mid 70s.

 

I was in third grade. I have no idea who they were playing.

Your first game and you cannot remember the opponent?  I am ashamed at you!!!!!  LOL.  just kidding.  But I can never forget things like that.  You know the only live sport I have never been able to see is the NBA.  

 

I must add I have great respect for the Hershey Bears.  Like my home town team the Rochester Americans, they have never drifted from their historic past.  We have had a great rivalry with them that has disappeared due to the number of teams in the league and the realignment.

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13 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Your first game and you cannot remember the opponent?  I am ashamed at you!!!!!  LOL.  just kidding.  But I can never forget things like that.  You know the only live sport I have never been able to see is the NBA.  

 

I must add I have great respect for the Hershey Bears.  Like my home town team the Rochester Americans, they have never drifted from their historic past.  We have had a great rivalry with them that has disappeared due to the number of teams in the league and the realignment.

 

I was in third grade... :)

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Wings at the old Olympia with granddad. He loved to tell the story how at the first intermission I stood up and put my coat on because I thought the game was over. Of course as bad as the 'dead Things' were back them it probably was.....

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1977

The Spectrum

Flyers / Detroit Dead Things

Flyers win 4-2

Reggie Leach and Bill Barber with goals

Then after that about 10 Hershey Bears games a year with My Aunt and Great Aunt. 

Good Times

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It was at the original forum in Montreal, sometime in the early fifties.    Like Radoran, I don't remember Canadiens' opponent.  But,I do remember the extreme slant of the tiers of seats.   I felt as if I was going to fall forward over the heads of the people below me.  The new arenas are nice, but the old ones contained magic.  

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  • 10 months later...

The first Cup year, Flyers 12 Detroit 2....no really, that happened.  I was 6 at the time, all I remember clearly is the scoreboard saying 7 to 1 in the second period, and some poor bastard for the Wings being flat on his back out cold at center ice. 

 

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/boxscore.cgi?19730390

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  • 8 months later...
On 3/17/2017 at 5:12 PM, mkscrewy said:

I can't remember the exact year... it was probably the 87-88 season, the game right before Christmas so like December 23. Flyers-Whalers. 

 

EDIT: I looked it up and it was the 88-89 season.

 

On 3/18/2017 at 3:29 AM, Hockey Junkie said:

Your first game and you cannot remember the opponent?  I am ashamed at you!!!!!  LOL.  just kidding.  But I can never forget things like that.  You know the only live sport I have never been able to see is the NBA.  

 

I must add I have great respect for the Hershey Bears.  Like my home town team the Rochester Americans, they have never drifted from their historic past.  We have had a great rivalry with them that has disappeared due to the number of teams in the league and the realignment.

Lol, I forgot mine too. So i totally get it

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