Who was your first?

[FischersChick2 1]

Between twitter and here the past two weeks it seems like everyone's been meeting the Wings around town so I was wondering:

• Who was the first hockey player you met?
  
• Were you nervious?
  
• And who do you want to meet?
  

The first hockey player I met was Chris Chelios. I met him outside of Cheli's and he was very nice... until I put my foot in my mouth.

Me: Hi Chris, Would you mind taking a picture with me and my friend?

Chris: Sure. No problem.

Me: WOW! You're more in shape than I thought

Chris: You thought I was FAT?!?

Me: Nooooo... I didn't! It's just you're old

(Angry face by Cheli)

Me: errr... oldER.. than me because I'm young... er... younger than you...

I was soo embarassed that I practically RAN away.

And I want to meet The Perfect Human Nicklas Lidstrom

[Finnish Wing 110]

This guy. Don't remember much about it, though.

[stevkrause 1,247]

Mr. Hockey himself when I was 4 years old at a hardware store, he signed a puck for me, rubbed me on the head and told me to skate hard and stay with it... he then crouched down, put his arm around me and took a picture with me... I lost that picture and it bums me out to this day that I don't have it anymore...

fast forward to modern day and I don't get awed by celebrities/athletes anymore and never ask for autographs, I just talk to them like regular people and shoot the s***, saying good game or good show tonight(musicians) and go about my business...

The day I met Gordie though... I was in awe...

[Travis 576]

I've got nothin'..

Edited May 27, 2010 by Travis

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

I have met alot Wings threw the years, but probably the best was Dino

It wa at the Joe during the lockout in the 90s, his team the Sarnia Sting were playing the Jr Red Wings , I had been picked to do the score-o, anyways I was wearing Dino's jersey. They took me to ice level shot the puck and mad a fool of myself my daughter got to ride the zamboni with Al. Dino saw I was wearing his jersey and wanted to meet me, so they took me to his section and sat me and my daughter down,. We waited about 12 mins and he finaly showed up and signed my jersey, hats, and pucks the biggest thrill was the look on my daughters face when she shook Dinos hand.

[Echolalia 2,961]

My old hockey coach was a financial adviser for many of the Red Wings, and one day during practice Sean Burr shows up with his hockey s*** and laces them up. It was an especially awesome day because one of my linemates didn't show for practice, so Coach put Burr on a line with me. So when we got to practice break-out plays and 3-on-2s, I was getting set up by Sean Burr and vice versa.

Same season, at the end-of-year hockey party at my Coach's house, we're all in the basement playing pool and arcade games that he has stocked up down there, and all of a sudden Stevey-Y comes down the stairs and is like "Hi guys, I'm Steve." We all shook his hand and told him how awesome he was and we each got something autographed. He seemed really shy, actually. Most of the day he spent just hanging out with my Coach, shooting the breeze like they're best friends. It was surreal.

[kook_10 1,705]

the only Wings I have met were at a Wings Old Timers vs U of M Dearborn game when I was like 6 or 7 in the early 80s. I couldnt tell you who was there for the life of me. After I moved to LA, the old purple and gold Kings used to come out to the few local rinks regularly and have charity events and the like. I met Marcel Dionne, Luc Robitaille, Steve Duchesne, Bernie Nicholls, Jimmy Fox, Tiger Williams, Mark Hardy, Anders Hakansson, Dave Taylor etc. They were all really nice and apparently understood that playing in LA before Gretzky meant they would be required to be local hockey ambassadors.

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

My old hockey coach was a financial adviser for many of the Red Wings, and one day during practice Sean Burr shows up with his hockey s*** and laces them up. It was an especially awesome day because one of my linemates didn't show for practice, so Coach put Burr on a line with me. So when we got to practice break-out plays and 3-on-2s, I was getting set up by Sean Burr and vice versa.

Same season, at the end-of-year hockey party at my Coach's house, we're all in the basement playing pool and arcade games that he has stocked up down there, and all of a sudden Stevey-Y comes down the stairs and is like "Hi guys, I'm Steve." We all shook his hand and told him how awesome he was and we each got something autographed. He seemed really shy, actually. Most of the day he spent just hanging out with my Coach, shooting the breeze like they're best friends. It was surreal.

wow .....

[digitaljohn88 4]

I met Chris Osgood at a signing event when I was 6 or 7. Don't remember much except that he was joking around the whole time.

My friend and I walked past Chris Chelios at Troy Sports Center. I didn't really notice it was him until I turned and looked, but my friend was just walking in and said "Hey." to him. Chris responded "Hey."

And that was it.

Edited May 27, 2010 by digitaljohn88

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

Growing up in Arizona doesn't allow for a lot of hockey encounters I suppose, but I did run into Brad May and Roenick when they each played for the Coyotes. Both were really nice dudes.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Not many hockey players here in jerkwater.

BTW, when I saw the title for this thread, I got the wrong idea. Figured it belongs in the water cooler section.

[Hockey God 9]

Joey mcdonald he wasn't a wing very long tho after that it was Chris Chelios the Cleary and D Mac

[Hockey13Playa 240]

My old hockey coach was a financial adviser for many of the Red Wings, and one day during practice Sean Burr shows up with his hockey s*** and laces them up. It was an especially awesome day because one of my linemates didn't show for practice, so Coach put Burr on a line with me. So when we got to practice break-out plays and 3-on-2s, I was getting set up by Sean Burr and vice versa.

Same season, at the end-of-year hockey party at my Coach's house, we're all in the basement playing pool and arcade games that he has stocked up down there, and all of a sudden Stevey-Y comes down the stairs and is like "Hi guys, I'm Steve." We all shook his hand and told him how awesome he was and we each got something autographed. He seemed really shy, actually. Most of the day he spent just hanging out with my Coach, shooting the breeze like they're best friends. It was surreal.

Sean Burr does financial work for my previous employer as well as my current one, so I've met him twice.

Other than that I met Gordie Howe, and I met Darren McCarty. I don't think I've personally met any other wings. I did see Zetterberg at Sommerset Mall in Troy Michigan with his beautiful girlfriend (The reason I didn't say hi they were flirting hardcore. Can't knock the man off his game. I also saw Todd Bertuzzi at Sommerset mall recently eating at P.F. Chang's Chinese Bistro. The reason I didnt meet him, he was with his family. Didn't want to be rude!)

Edited May 27, 2010 by Hockey13Playa

[Echolalia 2,961]

Sean Burr does financial work for my previous employer as well as my current one, so I've met him twice.

Other than that I met Gordie Howe, and I met Darren McCarty. I don't think I've personally met any other wings. I did see Zetterberg at Sommerset Mall in Troy Michigan with his beautiful girlfriend (The reason I didn't say hi they were flirting hardcore. Can't knock the man off his game. I also saw Todd Bertuzzi at Sommerset mall recently eating at P.F. Chang's Chinese Bistro. The reason I didnt meet him, he was with his family. Didn't want to be rude!)

Do you happen to work at Smith-Barney?

Also, you should have hit on Zetterberg's girlfriend.

[puffy 97]

I met Bobby Hull at a bar a few years ago, but I was so wasted I didn't even realize it was him. We talked about nonsense for about an hour and then he gave me an autograph right before he left.

I thought to myself "Why the hell did this old man just give me his autograph?".

[WizardOfOz30 1,886]

I think the first Wing I met was Adam Oates. When I was in high school my uncle would take my cousin and I to the softball games the team had and some of the baseball card shows. I know I met him twice, once with Rick Zombo. We ran into Kocur at Livonia Mall, he was actually going to to a signing we didn't know about, was nice when we said hi to him. I also remember meeting Federov, it was back when he first got here and his handler told us we weren't allowed to talk to him because he couldn't speak English. Since then I've been to a couple of the Toasts and it's fun to meet the guys, I definitely don't get star struck when I meet them, but I am on the shy side and worry about finding something to say to them.

Wow, I just realized I've had more run ins with the guys than I thought. I've never met anyone of them that was rude either.

Edited May 27, 2010 by WizardOfOz30

[redwngsfan019 4]

Haven't met anyone yet =(. A few of my friends have met ovechkin and got pictures with him and all. I'm hoping to go to one of their practices and meet him.

[Jedi 1,865]

Brendan Shanahan was at a restaurant that a friend and I went to after a game, but he was with his family and we didn't want to disturb them. I also got pretty close to Igor Larionov at the premier of his "Farewell from Moscow" DVD at the Royal Oak Music Theater, but I don't really consider that as "meeting" him.

The first (and thus far, only) players I got to actually meet were Hasek and Datsyuk in 07.  I went to the games in LA and Anaheim with the RWNW crew, and both Hasek and Datsyuk were injured for the game in LA.

VIB16, rossco and I managed to get to the area where some of the players were meeting after the LA game.  Apparently Babs was pretty mad since they lost the game, so only Pavel and Dom were up there.  But we got to have pictures taken with the guys.  It was awesome.

I asked Pavel for a picture, and he said "Sure.  5 Bucks" (especially funny when a few months later he signed his current contract).  The guy's a total ham, limited English skills and all.

[Guest mindfly]

Hmm my first was probably Ulf Dahlen when he played for Dallas or something and then met Samuel Pahlsson and the Sedin twins at a "hockey school" during the summer, i recieved daniel and henrik's wooden sticks which they used back then and had a brief 'childish' conversation i wasn't that old...

I wanna meet Datsyuk and Lidstrom really bad

Edited May 27, 2010 by mindfly

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Hmm my first was probably Ulf Dahlen when he played for Dallas or something and then met Samuel Pahlsson and the Sedin twins at a "hockey school" during the summer, i recieved daniel and henrik's wooden sticks which they used back then and had a brief 'childish' conversation i wasn't that old...

I wanna meet Datsyuk and Lidstrom really bad

I thought you used to date Peter Forsberg?

[HkyTwn 5]

Mr. Hockey! His grandson and I went to school together and I always saw him at our choir events and talked to him several times.

[Puckpossession 3]

Dan cleary at windsor airport, he was going to the canadian camp to try and make the olympic roster. I got his autograph.

First i saw a limo come out, then a guy with two hockey sticks came out, at first i didnt know who it was because he was in the distance, than when i saw his detroit redwing bag, and saw his face, i was so excited.

[Puckpossession 3]

Did he give you the complimentary elbow?

I bet you run into Homer Simpson all the time - right?

And im jesus

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Met Terrible Ted at an autograph signing back when I was 12. Didn't know much about him just knew his # was in the rafters and what my pops had told me about him. Got up to meet him and he was gracious as could be and had the most scars on a human's face than I had ever seen. I will never forget that

[RedFX 48]

I was in 4th grade when the Preds first formed. Before the season started, Greg Johnson and Blair Atcheynum (blast from the past I know) were putting on a kid's hockey clinic at the YMCA. I, of course, was a shy little lad and just played hockey and that was that. My die-hard Wings fan mom, on the other hand, recognized Johnson in the parking lot. And in the most embarrassing way possible, screamed WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GGRREEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGG JJJJJOOOHHHHHHHNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud enough so the entire city of Franklin could hear...

Good Times