haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 ...alot of folks are gonna say Yzerman just because that is as far back as they remember. For me Yzerman kinda started it, I remember some news reports about him when he was a rookie ( I was 13) but what really drew me in was the year that the Bruise Borthers were hot, coupled along with the emergance of the (then) youngest Captain ever and Petr Klima. The come from behind 3-1 playoff run against Toronto, Klima's penalty shot. Of course the Red hair streak was **** at the time! ...I would say the combo of Yzerman, Klima, Probert and Kocur drew me in... It may be blasphemy to say, but honestly watching that come from behind win as a kid probably ranks higher for me than a couple of Detroit's Stanley cup wins. All those guys from that era hold a special place in my heart. Klima, Gallant, Burr, Probert, Kocur... all the way down to guys like Zombo, Norwood, Delorme, Chabot, O'Connell... and on and on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LeftWinger 5,131 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 It may be blasphemy to say, but honestly watching that come from behind win as a kid probably ranks higher for me than a couple of Detroit's Stanley cup wins. All those guys from that era hold a special place in my heart. Klima, Gallant, Burr, Probert, Kocur... all the way down to guys like Zombo, Norwood, Delorme, Chabot, O'Connell... and on and on... ...Greg Stefan, Glen Hanlon... Good Times (although no Cups, oh well!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I remember the brawl between Wings and Avs. That got me hooked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OsGOD 3 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 (edited) It may be blasphemy to say, but honestly watching that come from behind win as a kid probably ranks higher for me than a couple of Detroit's Stanley cup wins. All those guys from that era hold a special place in my heart. Klima, Gallant, Burr, Probert, Kocur... all the way down to guys like Zombo, Norwood, Delorme, Chabot, O'Connell... and on and on... Yup yup i loved good ol' #4 I always liked Randy Ladouceur Edited August 21, 2008 by OsGOD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LeftWinger 5,131 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I remember the brawl between Wings and Avs. That got me hooked. ...I was there! Yeeeee Hoooooo! I am sure everyone remembers that night and they will always remember it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinkprincess027 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I have always enjoyed hockey and each year have gone to a couple Kwings games in Kalamazoo, but never have watched it very often on tv, and when I did I let people distract me fairly easily. I did ask for Red Wings tickets for Christmas because I thought it would be much more fun to watch live but no one took me seriously. My dad got tickets to the Griffins in Febuary for the night McCarty first played in Grand Rapids, and took me. On the way there he told me a little about McCarty and I thought it was cool that he was trying to make a comeback so I was kind of excited. He got a hat trick during the game, and on the way home my dad told me a lot more about McCarty and his fight with Lemieux, I came home and started trying to find out as much as I could about McCarty, and also the Red Wings. A couple nights later Downey went after Laperriere after his hit on Lidstrom. I am pretty sure that after watching McCarty I was completly hooked because I liked his history of sticking up for his team mates and still being an ok player and was excited he got his hat trick that night. My dad and his friend told me like 10 times that it was the most hats they had ever seen on the ice before. Then I watched the Wings a few nights later on tv and was excited to watch Downey go after Laperriere, and then Babcock start yelling on the bench. Between McCarty, Downey, and my dad telling me more about McCartys past I was completly hooked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nev 1,085 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Summer of '92 my best mate Pez got Sega Hockey on his Megadrive and we spent all summer playing that thing which was when I first started to take an intrest in Hockey. That September I went to America to study at U of Toledo. Wings games were on TV a, winter was dark and cold, so I kinda found myself watching it and being drawn in without realising it. TBH the one player that stands out for me that year was Mario Lemiuex - it was the year of his cancer and I remember when he came back, it seemed like every morning I'd turn on ESPN and see some hightlight of him undressing the opposing D and making the goalie look like a moron. Despite missing 1/3 of the season he still won the scoring title by a country mile. Being in the states to watch him and Jordan in their prime was a treat. As for the Wings, that year they had the core of young players that would carry them to success - Fedorov, Kozlov, McCarty, Konstantinov, Lidstrom etc. That post-season was the year of the choke against Toronto, and *that* game 7. I guess it was best to be introduced to Redwings post-season heartbreak right fromthe start.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
19Hockeytown5 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Steve Yzerman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CAredwingsfan91 28 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I started goin to games in 93 my dads company owned a suite at what used to be the pond i grew up watching the ducks but never grew up a fan my dad was a wings fan and got me into liking the wings we'd always go to the games when they came to Cali. I remember the pond being pretty much just like joe louis arena NOTHING but wings fans i miss those days now nothing but idiots go to games and try and start crap and i have a short temper so i choose to just stay home and watch them i dont feel like getting arrested and plus my girlfriend would kill me if that happened haha. but it was pretty much my dad the russian 5 and Stevie without a doubt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chunkylover 26 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 One of my earliest hockey memories is of a set of Little Caesar's Red Wings collectors glasses: one with Steve Yzerman and Gerard Gallant and the other I think with Bob Probert and Petr Klima. I was the oldest of three brothers so I got to use the Yzerman glass, so yeah, another Yzer-fan. Unfortunately we couldn't always afford PASS so I couldn't always watch the Wings play so in the early nineties I was more of a NASCAR fan. After my favorite driver died in '93 I started getting back into hockey. Still loved Stevie Y. I missed the whole '01-'02 season because of a deployment but got back in time for the playoff round against St. Louis. I decided I wanted to get a jersey and since everyone had a 19, 91, 14, or 5 at that time I decided to support one of the lesser-known guys so I got a Datsyuk jersey. That game he scored a goal and an assist I think, so since then Pav is my boy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Donaldjr2448 43 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 For me it would have to be my Grandfather and my Uncle Doug. I remember watching games with them back in 1986 and 87. The one game I remember the most was when thw wings won the Norris in 1988 ( If i remember correctly) and Jacques Demers jumping around on the ice after we had won the division that night. That was probably my earlist memory of the Wings. I wish I could find old highlights of wings games from back then, the game was so much different back then and i think better for the fans too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
b.shanafan14 733 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Like most people, Yzerman was the first to really get me watching hockey, but at the time I was lightyears more casual of a hockey fan and was more interested in what the Chicago Bulls were doing in basketball. Later on I really became a Wing-nut with Yzerman, Shanahan, Fedorov, Brown (who didn't love Dougie Brown?), and Osgood. Now I hate basketball, especially NBA and here I am chomping at the bit for hockey season to start. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LIDDYGIBBY5 1 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I met Gordie Howe when he was signing autographs in the late 80's (I was probably 7 or 8) in Kalamazoo at a K-wings game on New Years Eve. I went home and asked my old man all about Gordie, hockey, and the Wings for about 3 straight weeks. It was all we talked about. Isn't it crazy how well you can remember some things. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doggy 130 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I'd probably be a Pens fan if it wasn't for Yzerman. Thank God for him!! Whew! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kronwall55 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I went to games as a kid at the Olympia with my grandfather. He moved to Arizona in about 1980 and I didn't have anyone to take me to games. My dad is a baseball fan and wouldn't go to hockey games. When I was around 17-18 I dated a guy who's family had season tickets....very easy to get in those days LOL. The year I started going to hockey games again was the same year we got an up & coming rookie kid...Stevie Y of course. The Jacques Demers years are some of my fondest hockey memories....games were cheap so I went to a lot of them. They guys that played on those teams..those were some good times (it wasn't all bad then) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman54 91 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Canada. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest mindfly Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Me, Myself & I, because I play myself :-) So it came naturally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobbles 252 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 NHL94 I wanted to pick BlackHawks but got stuck with Wings. I hope my Hawks fan friend enjoyed watching NHL as I did. +1 for this reason i didn't really know much about hockey (though we watched some olympic hockey on tv in grade school in 92) but started playin nhl94 on sega. the wings were my favorite team on there. yzerman-federov-ciccarelli was unstoppable when i used them. never looked back from there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GMRwings1983 8,803 Report post Posted August 21, 2008 I honestly don't remember the exact level of thinking. I watched it casually for several years, then I stopped watching it completely and did other things, and then I took it up again to become a fan of the league. As previous posters have stated, a video game had a large part to do with it, the other was that I loved Yzerman and Fedorov. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DogBolter 0 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) Growing up in a small northern Michigan town we didn't have cable (3 channels), no local hockey, and no interest. When I left the state in 1988 to join the Marines I started tracking all Michigan sports team as it was a way to stay close to home. I started watching hockey full time during the playoffs of the 92-93 season. I was pulling for the Kings, but no go. I've been hooked since then. Any game on TV I get, I can watch. The speed, the love of the game the players demonstrate, only one time out, fast action. You can't beat it. I can't wait till the season starts! Edited August 22, 2008 by DogBolter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wings_Dynasty 267 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 I was a Gretzky fan until an All-Star game where Coffey raced Fedorov in the "fastest skater" finals. Then I became a Wings fan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vangvace 12 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 Chevy and Probert Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#19=Legend 29 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 I wouldnt say one player drew me in. My favorite player was always Yzerman ever since I can remember. I was drew in by a family who loved hockey, and since im 18, the Wings were the only great Michigan pro sports franchise while growing up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weGotTheCup89 41 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 this is kind of a different way to have got drawn into hockey, but when i was in first grade ('94-95) my friend gave me a chris osgood hockey card of chris osgood. i then started collecting hockey cards myself, and became a fan of hockey as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernWingsFan 854 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 So you may or may not have heard, but Yaz (Carl Yastrzemski) had triple bypass surgery, in reading articles there were a s***load of comments with people giving Yaz credit for making them a baseball fan. I personally wasn't a fan until I saw Yzerman play, so I can relate to those people. But it made me wonder, what player brought you into the world of hockey? If this is a waste of DB space feel free to delete. Interesting thread... First off, let's hope Carl Yastrzemski can make a good recovery. In terms of who/what drew me into hockey, I didn't watch it at first but started playing NHL 93 or 94 I think on Sega Genesis and I always picked good teams. I was usually either Montreal, Chicago, or Detroit. But I started watching it on TV a bit more than casual starting the 1995-96 season and the Red Wings eventually started to grow on me. Sergei Fedorov was a major factor, because in all the NHL games he was ridiculously fast and I could get at least 10 breakaways a game with him and he scored like 100+ goals a season. Nearly 15 years later I am still in die-hard Red Wings fan and will hope to continue to be so for a long time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
