smithers joe Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 andy bathgate, larry popein lived in our neighborhood. their baseball team would let us teenagers shag fly ball for their batting practises. great guys. my self adopted dad, babe pratt. super nice. bought canuck tickets for my son and i. met him in smithers. jim and joe watson., nicest guys you'ld ever want to meet. fred shero. put on a coaching clinic in smithers and we all went to the pub after that. i've never talked to dan hamhuis but know his parents and sister. i met stan smyl's brother harvey, coach against him in a tourney at the north shore winter club. ron and rob flockart, were really stuck on themselves. made you feel like you weren't worthy to talk to. i had a very brief encounter with dave babych at smither's airport. for half a season, i coached a kid that eventually got drafted by the ny islanders and played briefly in the nhl. i'll have to ask my son, his name, i suffer from old timers memory. coached aaron asp, he was drafted by quebec nordiques but never got to the nhl. i coached with another fellow who was a goalie in the boston system, never got to the nhl. forgot his name too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 I've not met too many Canucks.... Harold Snepsts I met at a bar like 5 years ago. He's a big dude, and a nice guy. One of my parent's friend knew him from younger hockey days, and he told Harry I was a big Canucks fan. Snepsts walked up to me to give me a handshake, and we talked about the Canucks for like 10 minutes. Cliff Ronning I've met back when I was in high school. His daughters went to my high school, and I know one of them. He's a nice guy. Jake Virtanen I saw at a club last year in Vancouver, 12 West I think it was? I think it was that club. He was outside of it and nobody noticed him besides myself. Seemed like an alright kid. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, I haven't talked to in a long time, but he did go to my high school as well and was a few years younger. I was only really an acquaintance, because a guy I know played some hockey with him. Although, all I ever heard about in high school about him was how he was full of himself, and would try to tell girls that they should be with him because he's going to be in the NHL soon. I mean, he was right about the NHL, and now he's making millions, but still. I'm sure he's a nice, mature guy now, and what I heard could have just been a rumour. I know a dude who knows Milan Lucic, because they played junior hockey together. My buddy didn't make the NHL though, but I met Milan and he's a nice guy too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMillerTime Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Evander Kane. Signing stuff seemed nice didn't like hockey much back then though. Milian Lucic. Really nice and I actually got to talk to him Cliff Ronning. Got to talk about sticks with him Bo Horvat. Saw him at the airport seemed nice I said something to him. Brent Seabrook. Didn't talk much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 when i first moved to smithers in 1974, i went into a restaurant. the waitress came over and yelled at me, she said, what are you doing here? i said i wanted some food. she took my order and left. when she came back with my order, she appologized. she said, i'm mary watson, the mother of jim and joe watson who play for pjiladelphia flyers. she said, she thought i was bernie parent and since it was hockey season, couldn't figure out why i'ld be there. mary became the mother of hockey in smithers. passed on now but fondly remembered by all smitherites. fred watson, brother of jim and joe had a son that i coached in hockey. i met a couple of cfl players too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera82 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 I met Willie Mitchell once briefly in the summer of 2012 up in Port McNeil after he won his first Stanley Cup. Very nice guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezRG Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 7 hours ago, I.Am.Ironman said: . Bad.. Kyle Turris - Kind of a douche to be honest. Again ran into him at Fitness 2000 in Burnaby. I think he had just gotten traded. We were on the bikes together and I tried to start up a conversation but he just kind of grunted at me looked away. George Parros was there to but I didn't talk to him Wel no offense man but thats bad bad gym etiquette 101, you don't try and talk to someone while they're training unless it's related to training. (Asking for a timeline on reps sets remaining etc) id of ignored you let alone a pro hockey player trying to train. Oh and the good: I was friends with Daniel asham back in highschool, he was an nhl prospect at the time and played for the wheat kings (now he's an electrician... lol) but anyways he was a buddy of mine and he knew some big time NHL prospects. And once when a I was 16, we hot boxed with Ryan Nugent Hopkins. Believe me or don't but it's true. He originally was against us smoking saying he "couldn't" but wound it wound up smoking with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pears Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 I met Kirk McLean when Hockey Day in Canada was in PG a couple years ago. Took the time to take pictures and sign autographs with me and my younger cousins. Shinkaruk also seemed like a nice kid when training camp was here as well. Bryan Allen and Matt Cooke as well way back. Vrbata seemed like kind of a douche though, people wanted his autograph and he was like "tomorrow." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nd1989 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Met ryan smyth at a tim hortons in kelowna one summer, Pulled up in a red ferarri. I remember thinking "man that guys hair looks just like ryan smyths". Talked for a second, was nice but fairly quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptKirk888 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Worked in the newspaper biz as a creative director and as a result designed programs for world Bantam championships in Abbotsford. Geordie Howe was a major sponsor and dropped in unexpected at my office to thank me. Also gave me an autographed edition of his biography. Very nice and soft spoken man. also produced the program for the Ray Stewart/Dennis Vervegard charity golf tourney in Abbotsford for a couple of years. Was invited to play one year so I had the opportunity to meet and talk to several old time players (all were very nice, but might have had to do with the fact they were having a few drinks and fun on the links). Included that day: from canucks Harold Snepts - loud, funny, good guy Ron Delorme - quiet enforcer vibe Dennis Vervegard There was more, just can't remember (I think Kirk Mclean was there?) others Eddy Shack - hilarious guy, very loud and boisterous Henri (the pocket rocket) Richard - quiet, polite, reserved Bobby Hull - playing on fairway next to mine. Rolls up in golf cart, big stogie in his mouth. Says " son, is that my ball you're playin". I say "Mr. Hull, if you want that to be your ball, than it is". He laughs, then proceeds to play my ball. I took a drop. Good guy tho, talked to him a bit later too in the clubhouse. there were many others there, but once again, I can't recall all of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nessnuck27 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Met Ryan Getzlaf.. Super nice guy, didn't talk much but still awesome. Met Eric Gryba.. Very nice guy, down to earth. Actually took 15 min out of his day to have a conversation. This was right after the trade from ottawa to edmonton. said he was super excited. Met Mike Babcock.. very nice guy, talked to him and his wife for 10 min. Also met Brendan Morrow.. decent guy, didn't talk much fairly quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Mac Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Aside from autograph signings as a kid I have never even seen a hockey player in public let alone talk to one. I can see a hockey player trying to enjoy a dinner with his family before getting interrupted to sign an autograph and consequently coming off as a dick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 I met Rick Rypien(RIP) at a signing after a Canucks game. Super nice guy, loved to laugh, took a picture with us, you couldn't tell he would commit suicide in a few months. I met Ryan Kesler(ugh) at the boat show a few years ago for a signing. He wouldn't take anyone's picture but autographed the boat show pamphlets we got. I met Mike Richards in Kenora for a wedding. Turns out he was boyfriend of my fathers cousins,(her marriage) bridesmaid. Super fun guy, happy, you couldn't tell he was going to attempt to smuggle drugs. My grandparents had a vacation home in the Okanagon, right next to Andy Moog. Never got the chance to meet him though before he moved. I seem to be a bad ouch charm for hockey players. Mike Richards arrested, Rypien died, and Kesler became an ahole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Only one I've met is Tiger Williams. Super huge into charity, down to earth, great guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Marchand Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Got the chance to talk to Theo Fleury at a charity ball hockey tournament in 2011 that he agreed to appear at to promote his autobiography. Earlier that year, he said that the Canucks wouldn't make it out of the first round (you can read some more of his comments here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/luongo-dismisses-fleury-of-criticism-118700784.html). Of course, the Canucks beat the Hawks so my friend really wanted to remind Fleury about his comments. To his credit, he laughed it off and said he hoped the Canucks would win the Cup that year (they were up 3-1 on Nashville at the time). Can't say too much about how he was during his playing career, but he was nice to everyone I saw interact with him that day. He also gave a talk to the crowd later in the day about some of the stuff in his autobiography, from Graham James to the substance abuse problems to spending a good few hours pointing a loaded gun to his head. Pretty harrowing stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-DLC- Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 All good experiences (no lie): Trevor Ronning Gino (best) Bertuzzi Cooke Raymond Samuelsson Pat Quinn ♥ Bure Cloutier Babych Lumme (he is so awesome...so devoted to this team, even after all these years..very active in the community) May Jovo Snepts Captain Kirk Gilbert Brule to be cont'd... (at work, off the top of my head) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Am.Ironman Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 3 hours ago, IbanezRG said: Wel no offense man but thats bad bad gym etiquette 101, you don't try and talk to someone while they're training unless it's related to training. (Asking for a timeline on reps sets remaining etc) id of ignored you let alone a pro hockey player trying to train. No offense taken because it wasn't really poor etiquette at all. We happened to be on the same bikes warming up both going at a very casual pace. I think the Euro Cup or World Cup was going on at the time and I actually tried to talk about soccer now that I think about it. Maybe that was the problem.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer8717 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Brendan Morrison at an outdoor show a few years ago. He signed my brother's Canuck t-shirt and stayed to talk to us about fishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillipBlunt Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Met Kirk McLean at a café in Kerrisdale. As down to earth a person as I've ever met. I told him that I was upset when he was traded and that his play during the 94 cup run was the stuff of legend, and he got a bit choked up saying that he never wanted to leave. Spent half an hour with the guy. An absolute gentleman and great all around human. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm238 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 5 hours ago, smithers joe said: when i first moved to smithers in 1974, i went into a restaurant. the waitress came over and yelled at me, she said, what are you doing here? i said i wanted some food. she took my order and left. when she came back with my order, she appologized. she said, i'm mary watson, the mother of jim and joe watson who play for pjiladelphia flyers. she said, she thought i was bernie parent and since it was hockey season, couldn't figure out why i'ld be there. mary became the mother of hockey in smithers. passed on now but fondly remembered by all smitherites. fred watson, brother of jim and joe had a son that i coached in hockey. i met a couple of cfl players too. Mary was the best, such a cool lady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schneider.Man604 Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Sakku Koivu- Met him at the Pan Pacific, nice guy took a pic with me as I've always been a fan of his. Jason Garrison met him walking down Hornby, had the biggest smile when i said his name and put his hand out to shake mine, super nice guy(This was after he was traded to Tampa) Evander Kane- Douche bag, I was actually a fan of his from his days with the Giants and always wanted him to play for the Nucks and I even mentioned it to him, dude just shrugged me off said thanks in a douchey tone and walked by. Chris Tanev- Totally not a people person, I saw him at a bar and told him im a huge fan and think hes a stud of a d- man, he just rolled his eyes and didnt say anything. Trevor Linden- Saw him at Pacific Centre and looked like he was having an important conversatoin so I just went to him and said "hey man you were my hero growing up, I dont want to intrude on your conversation, its a pleasure to meet you" He was nice enough to shake my hand Tryamkin- Also met him at PC, of course he cant speak english so he didnt say much. Jared Mccan- Again also at PC, shook my hand, seemed like a decent dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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