WpgMikos 17 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 Was reading this thread on another forum and thought it would be cool here. Does anyone have first and second hand experiences with the pros. Wasn't sure if we should keep this solely to the Wings or NHL wide. Feel free to post either. Mine: Eddie 'the Eagle' Belfour - my uncle was a teacher out past Carman, MB. He knew Belfour's parents, and he drew (he's a great artist) a few 8 x 10's of the Eagle. He personalized them for us. Pete Langelle - many moons ago I worked at a bank and he used to bring in his nhl retirement cheque and we'd chat about hockey from his time (40's) in the NHL. Really nice gentleman. A few weeks after we began chatting he brought me an 8 x 10 of him and signed it. (he scored the Stanley Cup winning goal against the Wings for the Leafs in 1942). Bill Lesuk - He also used to come into the bank with money from all over the place as he was Director of Scouting (I think) for the Coyotes. Nice guy. Would chat about hockey and traveling all over Europe to scout. Wayne Gretzky - Knowing the 'Great One' received tons of fan mail, and wanting to stand out, I had the same uncle draw on an envelope which contained an 8 x 10 overhead shot of him from the game when he scored his 50th in 39. Wrote a letter and sent it off to the Rangers. Forgot about it and then a few months later I received something in the mail from WDG. I thought "who do I know in L.A. with those initials". Quickly dawned on me. Also have an Oilers jersey that he personalized for me. Love that guy. Tyler Arnason - Buddy of a buddy. Nice enough guy. Head is in the clouds. Ken King - During Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals he came up to the nosebleeds for those of us who had rush seating and were there a few hours early and thanked the crowd for supporting the Flames. Kelly Hrudey - Super nice guy. I've never, ever heard a bad story about him. I spoke with him for a few minutes at Game 1 of last year's Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit. Nick Lidstrom - Was in the Wings dressing room during the Flyers exhibition game against the Wings this summer and he was hilarious. Took time to answer questions from everyone. Gordie Howe - Very brief encounter with him in the bowels of Joe Louis Arena. I needed directions, he told me where to go, patted me on the back and cracked a joke. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 Yzerman came to my hockey party and Sean Burr skated on a line with me in some of my practices for districts. That's about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theophany 110 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 I was checking into my hotel in Vancouver as May, Filppula, Lebda, Eaves and Lidstrom were checking out. I said 'hey' to Filppula and May (they were in front of me in line), and totally wussed out of talking to Lidstrom. I told myself at the time that I didn't want to bother him, but yeah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmamolo 287 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 When I was 12 I was standing in line to get Paul Coffey's autograph by his car after a game. I was at the front of the line and a bunch of ppl were shoving to get ahead. Coffey singled me out and acused me of pushing and budding in line. I was a tiny little kid. So I told him I wasnt and then he told em to get to the back of the line and that he wouldnt sign anythign I had. I threw my card in his face and called him a f***in *******. Then I walked off. That made the 1997 Stanley Cup win over Philly, where Coffey looked like a joke in games 1 and 2 all the sweeter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dat's sick 1,002 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 Met some of the Wings players before the 2nd game against the Blues in Stockholm. Jiri Fischer and Lidstrom stood out as being super nice. Btw, did anyone see this Shanahan story? It's hilarious, and pretty fitting for this thread: http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/12...calls_some.html Brendan Shanahan tells a story, which he repeated Thursday on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s satellite radio show, about growing up as a Maple Leafs fan and meeting former Toronto captain Rick Vaive during the summer of 1983. “When I was 14 years old I was skating in the summertime at a rink in Toronto,†Shahanan recalled. “Rick Vaive happened to be skating at an adjoining rink and we were actually in dressing rooms that were right next to each other. “I went in when he was sort of settled and asked him for an autograph. I didn’t get the best response from Rick Vaive at that time.†It was not a moment Shanahan would forget. The Devils made him their first selection and the second overall pick in the 1987 entry draft and he went straight to the NHL as a rookie with the team in 1987-88. “Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo,†Shanahan said. “He’s now playing for the Sabres. He’s lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive. “It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn’t believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box.†Vaive was dumbfounded. “He said to one of my teammates at the time, Jim Korn, ‘By the way, what’s wrong with that kid and why was he coming after me?’ †Shanahan recounted. “Jim Korn said, ‘Apparently he asked you for an autograph when he was a little kid and you weren’t that friendly to him. So he’s harbored those feelings since then.’ †Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kook_10 1,705 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 When I was a kid, a few members of the '86 LA Kings came out to our practice - Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Anders Hakansson, and a couple rookies - Steve Duchesne and Luc Robitaille. They all signed our sticks and were really cool. Before Gretzky came the hockey community in LA was so small that wasn't so uncommon. In 2008, before game 2 of the SCF I rode down in the elevator at the MGM Grand with Hal Gill and Kris Letang (I think it was him). I asked them how they slept. Earlier that morning around 2 AM someone had pulled the fire alarm and the building was cleared. They just grumbled "fine". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cupforwings 138 Report post Posted December 7, 2009 I worked at a restaurant/ice cream parlor during the playoffs last year. It was the day the team was leaving for the first game in Chicago. When I pulled into work, I noticed two good looking girls walking across the parking lot into the restaurant. As I was walking in, I saw two guys walking in, one was wearing CAPRIS pants! I laughed and thought "wow". After I clocked in, I went to scoop some lady's ice cream. I looked up behind this customer and saw the two girls with the two guys. I looked at them, made eye contact with the shorter one, looked back at the customer, then did a double take and thought to myself, "gee, that tall guy sure looks a lot like Ericsson and that other guy looks a lot like Krownwall"... sure enough thats who it was. I couldn't say anything because I was stunned. Then Franzen came in too, no joke... it was pretty nuts Also, Holmstrom lives down the street from me, and him and Lidstrom are always outside with their kids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
