Non-Michigan fans: How did you become a Wings fan?

[DVDplayer 0]

I was born, raised and lived the first 25 years of my life in the Detroit area before moving to California. Being a Wings fan is in my blood. My mom and a group of her friends had season tickets when they played at Olympia in the early 1970's (back when the team was pretty sucky).

My mom also has told me of how she and my grandpa (who died when I was about 2 years old) use to watch HNIC on CBC back when my mom was a young child in the 1950's. Watching Stevie lift the Cup and especially watching that moment on CBC with my mom is one of my favorite memories, I only wish my grandpa had been alive to see it, too.

Pretty much everyone here in the central valley is a football fan (and not just football - college football - ugh). Unfortunately, most of the people around here couldn't even name the 3 NHL teams which play in this state if their life depended on it. I am always surprised though because when I see a stranger around here with a NHL t-shirt or a hat or a bumper sticker, 8 out of 10 times it's a Wings shirt/hat/bumper sticker.

[Seraph 240]

Moved to Michigan as a kindergartener. I was randomly flipping through channels when I saw someone lifting an octopus off the ice with their stick. I had no freaking clue what was going on so I asked my dad and he explained. As I got older, I started watching the games. By 5th grade we'd won the first cup. Then we moved away but I kept watching whenever I could.

[DyingAlive 27]

Well, I grew up a hockey addict. I have lived in CT all my life and as a young kid 4,5,6 I didn't really have a favorite team. (Except for the Whalers)

Then I heard of Brendan Shanahan, we shared the name and being the young kid I was I liked this a lot. He had just came to the Wings and that was the team I fell in love with. Then they won back to back in '97 and '98 and I never stopped loving them

[ProfessorLidstrom5 0]

Well, it all started back when I was in 7th grade.....

I went to my first hockey game between the Capitals and the Red Wings at the tender age of 12. I believe back then they called it "NHL Night" at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, because living here in Wisconsin, we don't have an NHL team. I'm not sure if it was just an exhibition game or an actual regular season game at the time and they don't have them anymore which is a shame.

Anyways, as I sat in awe in the fantastic display of the newly learned sport, there was one player that instantly caught my devoted attention. That player was none other than Steve Yzerman. The moves, the leadership, the flat out awesomeness of #19 was one of the greatest sports memories I hold dear to this day.

And ever since then I have had a strong passion for hockey and became a lifetime fan of the Detroit Red Wings.

NOW LETS GO GET THIS CUP!!!!

[uzbeck 0]

Well, I grew up a hockey addict. I have lived in CT all my life and as a young kid 4,5,6 I didn't really have a favorite team. (Except for the Whalers)

Then I heard of Brendan Shanahan, we shared the name and being the young kid I was I liked this a lot. He had just came to the Wings and that was the team I fell in love with. Then they won back to back in '97 and '98 and I never stopped loving them

I grew up in what was known as USSR watching Larionov, Fetisov play. Moving to US and watching hockey here, it was quite natural to root for the "Russian Five". After that you become so enamored by the tradition, the class of the organization, the coaching and the Captain- so many things to love and respect about the Red Wings. I live in St. Louis, and I keep all sorts of the Red Wings memorabilia in my office that naturally pisses off a lot of the Blues fans! Even my kids and my wife are the Red Wings fans! And besides, I think that the Red Wings logo is the most elegant hockey logo ever.

[OpenLane 10]

I live in Mississippi, so hockey anything is sort of back burner stuff here. At the time (in 2000) i was heavy into gambling on sports related anything. The New Jersey Devils were in the Stanley Cup finals and were up like 3 games to none. I figured that i'd put a butt-load on the devils since noone really comes back from that sort of a deficit (my thinking anyway). So i actually watched some of my first hockey that night. Of course the devils lost and i doubled up on the next game and won. But i had a blast watching the game and getting so nervous about the amount of money i was throwing out there. But that was it...i couldn't follow up on that urge to watch more hockey. I mean, i watched it...yet i had no clue about why offsides was being called, icing, 2-line passing, etc.

Luckily my girlfriend's sister had her boyfriend over (from grand rapids). He explained some stuff to me and the next year we followed any Redwing action we could get ahold of (not much televised hockey here at the time). I became familiar w/the players and the rules of the game. The two of us were constantly hitting various sports bars to get the games (via sattelite, etc.) After that season (we lost to L.A. in the playoffs), we ordered center ice and have ever since. Of course we won the cup in 2002 and that pretty much sealed the deal with me. I've been an avid fan. He eventually became my bro-in-law (we married sisters) and we've since been to an actual game (we traveled to Nashville 1/6/06). That game was so surreal. We bought the tickets on stubhub and paid an ungodly amount, but we were right beside the bench (like five feet away). I got to talk to osgood while he scratched on his little sheet of paper and i attempted to give the players 'high-fives' as they entered and exited the tunnel in between periods. Never knew how much they referred to themselves as boys, lol. "let's go boys...here we go boys...alright boys"

It gets better now. Starting the last few years, i've actually followed the trade deadlines and off-season acquisitions...the farm, hearing about grigs for the past 2+years, checking on the griffins, etc. Just basically following the entire organization. Its consuming. The obsession grows, including the disappointment when our season ends abruptly.

but that's about it for me. I don't suppose there are many southern mississippi redwing fans that have actually been raised here their whole life, yet here i am. What a glorious game this is and what a legendary team. good luck boys.

Edited April 13, 2007 by OpenLane

[Yzerfan1999 81]

i lived in Boston Mass. till i was six. Then i moved up here to Edmonton and got my first hockey stick - it was a Louisville Yzerman Pro-Glo (Straight Blade i may add). I asked my dad who this Yzerman guy was, and he told me how he was the captian of the Red Wings and that he was pretty darn good. That was in 1991 and ive been die hard ever since. Even went to Game 6 here in edmonton last year and saw Yzermans last game, and then he retired on my 21st birthday July 3, 2007. Pretty crazy huh? Weird how stuff like that works out.

Just for the record i WAS born in Edmonton, but lived in Boston from the time i was 3 months till i was 6 - my dad went to school there. So being canadian and having my dad as a hockey fan helped, but he was an Oilers/Habs fan.

I must add ive been through alot as a wings fan. The 1st round defeat in 94 to San Jose.. I remember sitting in the bathtub when i was 10 after detroit had lost game 3 to New Jersey in the finals and crying my face off... then the loss to the avs, followed by the 2 cups etc. I was known all through my school years as the kid who was in LOVE with the Wings. My teachers would bug me when the Oilers stole a game from the Wings from time to time.. In high school people would try to scare me in the mornings by trying to convince me the Red Wings plane had crashed haha, never bought into that stuff, and all of my friends are reminded of me when they see the Wings on TV, or hear something new about Steve Yzerman. I was even in the Edmonton Journal last year (in large part thanks to Matt) for being a Wings fan in Edmonton during the playoffs. I could scrounge up the article link if anyone wants to see... Anyways...thats my story.

Edited May 20, 2007 by Yzerfan1999

[barabbas16 499]

Yeah - when Columbus got a team, I went to watch the Wings play in Columbus.

[wingsfan40 0]

For me it was all Steve then came the love for Feds and so on ...

[Sully75 0]

Living in Kansas City, there hasn't been much during my lifetime in the way of hockey. We had a decent minor league team through the 90s, and that was great... but otherwise there wasn't the youth leagues, etc.

So in the mid 90s, when I decided to give hockey a chance, and watch some of those late night replays on ESPN on Friday nights, it seemed like the Wings were on quite a bit. It was as they were building toward their Cups. I was interested in the all-Russian line, I liked Fedorov, I really liked some of the grinders... and I just sorta started liking them because I ended up seeing them more that most teams.

I catch crap because we are in the same state as the Blues, but they are 3 hours away... I don't owe them any loyalty.

Besides, over the past 13 years, I think my fondness for the Wings has helped me through years of loving the Royals and Chiefs...

[Pepist 3]

This is my first post, so Hello! (This red background when you're writing is kind of annoying..)

Anyway, I'm surprised no Swedes have replied to this. There are always a few lurking about, for the same reason I am, I suspect. Why am I a fan? Because of all the Swedes you have; and the general quality of them Basically some of my favourite players are Red Wings, including that unlikely hero, Lidström, one of my favourite all time players, and of course Z. That was my initial reason, and I also followed a couple of other teams much for the same reason (you keep stealing our best players!). But the Wings came out as easily the classiest team with simply beautiful hockey and I got stuck. They send a few games every now and then on Canal Plus in Sweden and it's always a treat.

I live in England now, and here it is actually easier to follow the NHL than the Swedish Elitserien (where my team is Frölunda, being from Gothenburg), mostly because of NHL radio and the various forums. Btw, does anyone know how to watch games on Sopcast with a mac? I can't figure it out.

From Sweden with love.

[Dabura 12,207]

Saw a Wings game on TV when I was but a wee lad. Liked what I saw, started following 'em.

(Pennsylvania)

[WoD 0]

I live in Australia, and I watched the Stanley cup Final series highlights between Detroit and Philadelphia and then startyed playin NHL 98 heaps, and I used to always go the Wings, and thats why I follow them!

[NorthDakotaWingsFan 0]

Born and raised in Bismarck, North Dakota (anyone ever been to or heard of it). When I was a kid the Jets were on thier way out and the Stars were in Dallas so there was no real home team. I started watching NHL hockey during the 97 season. The game in March was the clincher for me. I have absolutly loved the Wings and hated the Av's since.

[TRD604 8]

Im from vancouver. Ive been a wings fan since i was in elementary school. I always get people asking why im not a canucks fan, and a red wings fan.

ive always been a fan of stevie, and from there i grew to love the entire redwings team. and i will always be a wings fan.

[TheLegend19 1]

Well i live in south florida now, and DC for college, but i guess its half cheating i lived in brighton michigan till i was 7 and have been a wings fan ever since....i consider myself a non-michigan person, as i dont know anything about the state really

I lived in Brighton until I was 7, too. My dad spent his entire life in Michigan until we moved to Chicago, so I was born and raised on Red Wing hockey.

[ehorn3 2]

I have lived in St. Louis all my life. My dad use to park cars at the old Arena. I would go with him sometimes as a little kid and watch the Blues play. One night the Blues had a promotion of the kids 18 and under got a replica jersey. My dad knew I wanted one so I went with him to the game and was able to get in for free after the 2nd period started. There was almost no one there and they had boxes of jersey still to give out, but they would not give me a jersey because I did not pay admission. I finally had to get my first hockey jersey from one of my friends. I traded him a Matt Leblanc rookie card, a Shanahan card, and an Adam Oats card for a hockey jersey. So for about three months I wore the jersey having no idea what the team was. Finally while watching one of the Blues games I saw my jersey, ran put it on during the game and have loved the Wings since. I thank God my first hockey jersey was not a Blues. My life would be much worse right now. I have 2 Yzerman, Lidstrom, Shanahan, Fedorov, and two blank jersey's now. I am planning on getting a Dats and Zetts jerseys. Anyway that is how I became a Red Wings fan.

[OkThatSmells 0]

I live in Australia and watched a game between Detroit and Colorado on March 26th 1997. Perhaps some of you remember it. That sparked my love for the game which became a passion.

Not much of a story I know but that's pretty much why I'm a Wing.

[Wildwings44 5]

I was born in Detroit a short drive from old Olympia. Now I am a season ticket holder living in Illinois.

[cupcrazy 13]

I live in Arkansas,and my wife is from Flint Michigan. I never watched hockey,knew nothing about the game. Of course I heard of Wayne Gretzky,but other then him I knew nothing about the sport. If someone would have said the Detroit Red Wings to me,before I meet her I would have been who?

We started dating at the beginning of the 98 run,like a couple weeks before. She had just moved her like 3 months before. She moved here with her mom,after she got divorced. She wouldn't miss a wings game. At first I just did my own thing while she watched. About the time the finals came around we got a lot closer. I watched every single game of the finals against the Caps Just so I could be with her.

I remember Yzerman placing the cup in Konstantinovs lap,I looked over at my wife "girl friend then" to ask who this guy was again. Both there eyes where filled with tears. I remember thinking that was a lot of passion over someone you never knew. I asked her about it after she pulled her self togather. She told me I can't explain it,you would have just had to follow this team the last couple years and know what they went through. I've been a fan of sports before,and remember when my college team finally won the big dance in 94, the Arkansas Razorbacks. It felt so awesome,but I never remember crying,or having a sence of the passion I seen from her and her mother that night.

We got married later the next year,and I just got hooked! By the end of the 99 season I was hooked.it's kinda funny,I might be a bigger Wings fan now then her. I had a few tears after the 2002 run. That was the first cup for me as a Wings fan.

If not for the wife,I would have never known the passion of being a Red Wings fan. Like I said,10 years ago I would have been who are the Detroit red Wings again? LOL

[CrossoverThrash 0]

I dont knwo if it counts, but i grew up in troy for 2 stanley cups then moved to wisconsin, there for im a non michigan (currently) wings fan. In wisconsin people pretty much either vote hawks in the southeast or wings north but usually wings. and maybe a few wild in the west and also because they get tv coverage on fsn north.

[Elshupacabra 0]

...I remember Yzerman placing the cup in Konstantinovs lap,I looked over at my wife "girl friend then" to ask who this guy was again. Both there eyes where filled with tears. I remember thinking that was a lot of passion over someone you never knew. I asked her about it after she pulled her self togather. She told me I can't explain it,you would have just had to follow this team the last couple years and know what they went through. I've been a fan of sports before,and remember when my college team finally won the big dance in 94, the Arkansas Razorbacks. It felt so awesome,but I never remember crying,or having a sence of the passion I seen from her and her mother that night...

It was crazy when Konstantinov got in that crash, almost everyone was upset about it, I remember the day after it happend it seemed like everyone I ran into was just crushed...it was nuts, and then they came back and won the cup the next year, very emotional

[betterREDthandead 58]

Wow! Reading through this thread there are a LOT of really interesting stories from all over the world. Speaking as a Michigan native, it really gives me a ton of pride in my city and team that there are so many out there who adopted the Red Wings for so many good reasons.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I started watching hockey a little bit more than "casual" starting around 1995. Part of what got me into the sport a little more was hockey video games as well.

Detroit Red Wings eventually grew on me.

Yep, I'm a guilty bandwagoner that jumped on when they started to become good again.

[Chaldean 0]

I am having so much fun reading this thread lol