what is your earliest memory of hockey?

[Westcoasting]

1972 Soviet series, grade 2 and we got to watch the game!

 

[smokes]

Don Cherry's rock em sockem videos. Made me want to watch hockey because of the fights then I realized that there was a sport around it,.

[Russ]

Probably mid-late 90s, I remember watching the Avs vs Detroit in the playoffs one time, when the rivalry was at its peak and got me into hockey from there.  I was always a basketball and soccer guy, still am but hockey has become a second passion now too.

[Time Lord]

In the 2010 Olympics, I watched the end of Canada's game against USA in the preliminary round, and USA won 5-3. That's when I started caring about hockey. 

[Green Building]

1985, I was 5 years old and I remember it like yesterday. My parents brought both my brother and I to the arena and we each stepped onto the ice for the very first time. I remember everything about it, even exactly what corner of the arena I walked onto the ice from. We each played there for about a decade. Playing ice hockey is my first memory of hockey. 

 

Canadian passport confirmed.

 

 

[Brad Marchand]

Unfortunately, my first concrete hockey memory was the Canucks losing 2-0 to the Kings on the final day of the 2002-03 season. No division title and no Art Ross or Rocket Richard trophies for Naslund. 

 

Even my best memory from that time (winning game 7 against Dallas in 2007) involved puking from the flu afterwards. Lots of fun back then.

[Kragar]

Watching: Howie Meeker, Peter Puck, Showdown, and HNIC with the theme song.  It's travesty that they bailed on it and let TSN get their grubby hands on it.  At least it's still in use, but it's still wrong to not have it on CBC .  Also being pissed how little the Canucks were on TV back then.  More often than not games were not televised, regardless of channel.  We're all spoiled now.

 

Playing: I got my first net, and trying to play "street" hockey in my backyard.  Who knew, it's tough to use a hockey stick on grass!  We lived on a hill, so playing on the front side-walk or street was not a great option.

[Rick Blight]

I remember my dad taking me to numerous Vancouver Canucks games at the old Forum in Vancouver starting around 1954/55. First game I saw was the Canucks against the Edmonton Flyers and have hated Edmonton teams since that day. Got to watch Gump Worsley and Johnny Bower play in goal for the Canucks but Andy Bathgate was my favorite player and I became a huge NYR fan when he got called up to the NHL My dad's favorite player on the Canucks at that time was Vic Howe (Gordie's brother) as dad was a huge Gordie Howe/Detroit Red wing fan.

Like most of the older fans on here, I have fond memories of watching Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday night on the old black and white 16" TV. In the early days we did not even get the full broadcast of the game as it was joined in progress after the CBC news was over. We generally joined the games with about 5 minutes left in the 1st period.....always hated that. Still remember to this day the ESSO commercials throughout the broadcasts and Murray Westgate in his ESSO uniform (I think he is still alive and is turning 100 in April). Fond memories......

[Industrious1]

Earliest?

 

Super Series.  Red Army vs the Oilers in '86 or '87, i'm not sure.

 

I was young and didn't understand alot of the rules of the game but I remember the male half of my family (myself included) gathered around the tv in the living room glued to the screen for this one.  

 

I think the Oil lost?  

[iinatcc]

First Canucks game I saw on TV.

 

I think it was during the 91 to 92 season.

 

The game was against Hartford with Vancouver scoring 3 goals (I don't remember what was Hartford's goal). Then, if I recall, the next Vancouver game I saw on TV was not too long after and it was a 2-2 tie over Winnipeg. After that I was pretty hooked to Hockey.

 

[hyper00]

I am fairly young and I was a nerd through elementary school, but I remember my grandpa taking me to my first hockey game in Nanaimo and I was so excited. First NHL experience was watching the Canucks vs Anaheim game 1 2007 I never knew how good the Ducks were but I still wanted the Canucks to win. First NHL game was nosebleed seats in Rexall seats in 2014 and I believe we won, but that building was quiet... 

[YummyCakeFace]

Watching the NHL on Saturday in the mid 70's. Never saw the Canucks on tv back then. Wasn't until '82 that I became a fan. Got to see a lot of games during that run. Been a love affair ever since. 

[2011]

My first hockey memory wasn't even a game.  It was when Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to LA.  My family was in Edmonton visiting family at the time and everybody was crying (Wayne included).  I couldn't figure out what the big deal was?

[189lb enforcers?]

Radio  610 NL was always on my dad’s radio, so those at my first NHL and Canuck memories probably starting around 1980.

 

I played street hockey with my little brother and had those epic games where we would vs the rest of the neighbors and often win even though we were much younger and outmatched. That was all starting at the same time the Canucks were going to the finals in 1982. I recall racing out during the intermissions to continue the game, but I was only 7-8 at the time. 

 

Next, it was the infamous Kamloops junior Oilers and the old Memorial Arena in Kamloops. I recall my dad walking me up to Ron Delorme and introducing ourselves, mostly for my benefit. It was like skating hands with a ball glove. Then came the Blazers and the many great HHOF and champions those dynasties produced.

 

By the time 1985 arrived, we’d moved to the north Okanagan and I started in minor hockey. In my first time on the ice in full gear with the other kids, I was dead last by a mile in the end-to-end backwards skate. I didn’t quit I just kept trying to make my skates do what needed doing. They waited a long while for me. By the end of that first year I was skating backwards faster than most could go forwards and almost as fast as the fastest skaters. I was called up to the rep team and on my first shift at a Center ice face off, I received the puck on right D and went in and through everyone and scored on the backhand. I should have called it a career right there. 

I continued playing rep through minor hockey and there was no future for me afterwards so I quit. 

 

The smell of a rink still gives me an incredible high. 

 

I took my 3-month old son to see the Canucks in Edmonton, but later he wasn’t into playing. Saved me a ton of travel and cash!

[Westcoasting]

6 hours ago, 2011 said:

My first hockey memory wasn't even a game.  It was when Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to LA.  My family was in Edmonton visiting family at the time and everybody was crying (Wayne included).  I couldn't figure out what the big deal was?

One of the most talked about events in hockey history! Even non oiler fans talked about it endlessly, a complete shock to the hockey world!

 

[ruilin96]

In 2006, when I first immigrated here to Canada with my family. At the time, I speak almost 0 english (and also couldn't read or write in English) and I was 9 at the time. I was browsing through the channel one night (I believe the month was February), and a hockey game was on. Watched it from start to finish (I have no idea what the teams were) and all I remember was this sport is so damn exciting. The score ended 1-0 win for the team in dark (could be any of the Canucks, Sharks, Stars etc. team in darker colour, or might even be a televisted Junior game), and it was such an exicting game because both teams traded for chances, there were hits, there were fights etc (at the time I never watched any sport other than boxing that you are allowed to fight in). It was the first time I watched hockey and get my first taste on Canadian culture. I didn't cheer for any of the 2 teams, but I just thought it was so exciting. It's not until the 2010 Olympics when I rewatch hockey (didn't watch much NHL games since that game in February 2006), and by then I start to have a general idea of the rules, players and several NHL teams. But the Olympics was all about Canada needs to win gold (and we did! ) Since that game, I start to catch more NHL games as well. So for the 2010 playoffs I cheered for the Canucks (of course, this is the home team) and remember Samuelsson killing the Kings in that playoff series in 2010. But when we lose to the Hawks in round 2, I was very angry and that's the first time I realize I may be emotionally attached to the Canucks. Followed up with watching the 2010-2011 season, and man that was my first full NHL sesaon as a Canucks fan and couldn't have picked a better time be a fan. I remember the team was so good that year that I even had the illusion of thinking this is the beginning of a Canucks dynasty where we will win multiple cups. And of course, that didn't' happen. And by 2011-2012, I start to do more than simply watching Canucks games. I follow other teams and see who's good and which team. Also followed the League in terms of trades, rumours, signings, drafts, prospects etc. And it's not until the 2012-2013 season I am consider a total fan that follows basically every aspect of the NHL. Became a CDC member in 2014 and now, I can't even go a day without talking about hockey 

 

Right now, one of the things on my checklist as a fan is to find out what game did I watch in that February evenning in 2006, but I likely won't find out because I have no memories except for the final score ended 1-0. 

[-AJ-]

9 hours ago, ruilin96 said:

Right now, one of the things on my checklist as a fan is to find out what game did I watch in that February evenning in 2006, but I likely won't find out because I have no memories except for the final score ended 1-0. 

Closest thing I can find in the Canucks history is a 2-1 win over Calgary on February 28, 2006. If it was a 1-0 game then it wasn't the Canucks in February.

[ruilin96]

2 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

Closest thing I can find in the Canucks history is a 2-1 win over Calgary on February 28, 2006. If it was a 1-0 game then it wasn't the Canucks in February.

Thanks for trying and look it up for me haha. Like I said, it could be any other team, or even junior games happens to be on TV. 

[RWMc1]

Bears vs Mohawks. My parents brought me to a game when I was young. I don't remember the score. I just remember a lot of yelling, then fighting between fans very close to us. Things were way crazier back then.

[chon derry]

YO @Shift-4 over here