Hockey Players Are The Best

[Eddie_Shack]

Don't know why I felt like telling this story or starting this thread, but let's do it. How cool are hockey players?


In the summer of '08, I was working on a job in Lansing and we hired a guy who was originally from Pittsburgh. I always like to know who among us is a die hard hockey fan, so I cordially asked him, as only a respectful Detroit Red Wings fan can, "So how about them Red Wings?".

He got all mad and cussed me out, but then we got to talking hockey and he was very knowledgeable. He admitted that the better team won, that the Wings experience put them over the edge. He was amazed at how they shut down passing lanes, how well Osgood had played, and how good Datsyuk and Zetterberg were.

Eventually he got talking about Pittsburgh, and told me that when he was living there he was working as a boilermaker downtown on a job right next to the Igloo. He said one day after work he was walking back to his car, and coming his way was Ronnie Fucking Franchise. He stopped Ronnie, hoping to give him some quick kudos and maybe an autograph for his kids. They ended up talking for over a half an hour, talking about the Pens' season, the other guys on the team, each others families, etc. Basically like Ronnie was Joe Fuckstick who just happened to run into an old buddy from way back, and wanted to catch up on things. Matt (my buddy from work) said that Ronnie went way above and beyond what any future HOFer could be expected to do, and was extremely impressed. Had that been Matt's only run-in with Ron Francis, he would have considered him to be one of the game's true good guys.

But... a few weeks later, Matt was walking down the street and he heard someone call out "Hey Matt!!". It was Ron Francis... he had seen Matt, recognized him, and flagged him down to talk. They spent another half hour catching up, talking hockey, families, etc.

Now it's one thing for one of the game's all time greats to actually stop and give you the time of day, much less a half hour to shoot the shit and give autographs.

But for him to remember weeks later, and actually want to take the time to chat with a guy who he really didn't know? Just incredible. Ron Francis was always one of my favorite hockey players, but that story put him over the top.


Come on guys, share the good. I want positive run-ins with NHL players.

 

[puckhead]

I once shared a stripper with Sergei Fedorov.
well, not a the same time, but we were 'dating' her during the same summer.
which come to think of it, puts me 3 degrees of separation from Anna Kournikova! *high five*

also, Tiger Williams once spit his chaw into my coffee cup during a business meeting.
He did ask if it was empty first, which was nice.

 

[pixburgher66]

Another Ronnie Franchise tie in. Obviously being younger my run ins with Ronnie while he was in Pittsburgh would mean I was quite young. Well, he and his family must've been living in the North Hills (it wouldn't be shocking if he lived in my township then...lotsa rich folk) because I went to Pre-K with his daughter. Sadly I was too young to understand the epicness of this, although I did watch Pens games and ironically Ron Francis became my favorite...but the positive to being younger is that I wasn't afraid or intimidated or anything to become her friend. Of course he then left the Burgh and took my friend with him, but I did get an autograph and I do remember seeing him pick her up once or twice. Pretty legit. That's my lame attempt at a cool NHLer connection

 

[Bizzle McDizzle]

Have met Ron Francis around town several times.
One of the nicest dudes ever.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

When I was younger I worked at a car dealership and drove Rick Martins Pontiac Trans Am. It was cool it had a 455 ci engine with a four speed. I got his autograph along with Rene Robert when he came to pick it up (it was in for servicing) also met him at Rick's Tally Ho strip club a few times and had a couple of beers with him. He seems to like that place.

Also, a guy that worked for me was neighbors with Jim Schoenfeld and I got to meet him a few times. My buddy brought his son to our company picnic. His son looks a lot like his dad and ate like a horse! He did stay away from the doughnuts though.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

I'm going to need the jury's opinion on this one.

I was at a guy's house once, and as I was walking past a room something caught my eye. I looked, and sure enough it was a picture of a woman with Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty. I asked the guy if that's who it was, and he told me yes...

He told me his wife and a friend were up in Traverse City in the summer of '02, and had run into Maltby, Draper, and McCarty at a bar. They were partying, celebrating their Cup win, and ended up partying with the two women for the whole weekend. The guys says they were nice as hell, bought all the drinks, and were exceptionally down to earth guys.

So, my question is this...

Are Darren McCarty, Kirk Maltby, and Kris Draper three of the nicest, most down to earth guys on the planet?

Or did this guy's wife get gangbanged by the Grind Line?

 

[puckhead]

Or did this guy's wife get gangbanged by the Grind Line?

lol.... I think that even the guy, deep down in his heart, knows the answer.

 

[trev0914]

a friend of a friend of mine was roomates with abdelkater when he went to michigan state, we were at a party and he called up abby as a joke to see if he would come by and about an hour later in came darren helm, brett lebda and abdelkater.

and i work in the same building as jimmy carson. former redwing.

 

[dash]

Are Darren McCarty, Kirk Maltby, and Kris Draper three of the nicest, most down to earth guys on the planet?

Or did this guy's wife get gangbanged by the Grind Line?

I'm betting a dollar that Draper got his money's worth...

 

[mbhhofr]

I guess that I look at it from a different perspective. Respect begets respect. I have known administrators, coaches, players, referees in hockey and football and umpires in baseball. Some at that time and some since then that are in the Hall of Fame of their respective sports. I come from an era when the hockey player didn't wear a helmet. It was much easier for the fan to recognize them off the ice. I've been to reunions where there were some former players that I haven't seen in fifty years and the respect we had for each other was fantastic. Just regular guys talking over old times.

The part time job that I have today allows me to come in contact with people from all over the world. When I see someone wearing a tee shirt or cap with their favorite team's logo, I strike up a hockey conversation with them. I love to talk hockey. There was one elderly couple I saw and the husband was wearing a hat with the Bruins logo. I did my thing and they turned out to be Bruin season ticket holders from way back. I brought up Ted Green, Milt Schmidt and Eddie Shore in our conversation. The next day I saw his wife and she told me that her husband said that I brought back so many memories for him and that's all he could talk about that night.

You're never bigger than the sport, but you do contribute to it in different ways. One of them is by respecting the fans contribution.

 

[KindaChang]

lol.... I think that even the guy, deep down in his heart, knows the answer.

There's worse groups of guys to be Eskimo Brothers with.

 

[filosofy29]

Whenever Felix Potvin came to San Jose/Cow Palace for the Maple Leafs, Canucks, or Kings I would go wait outside for his autograph (no NYI or Boston games were ever scheduled at the Tank when he played.....iirc). Sometimes I missed him (when he was a member of the Leafs) as apparently he got to the games 4 hours in advance and it's hard to convince a parent to leave early from work to go get an autograph, lol. But, when he was a member of the Canucks, I was able to drive so I showed up way early to HP Pavilion with my Maple Leafs Potvin jersey. He signed a card I had of him and was very nice. Said it's good to see people still like him in Toronto (I didn't tell him I was from San Mateo, Cali, lol). Anyway, a year and a half later, I show up again to get his autograph in my Potvin Canucks jersey.....he's now a member of the Kings . He signs my autograph again (this time on a puck) and he seemed to recognize me a little so I said "you signed my autograph here last time when I was wearing your Maple Leaf jersey". He then says "sorry about that kid, I guess I better stop getting traded eh?" and then walked off.

 

[filosofy29]

Oh yeah, I think it was either Brooks Laich or Mike Knuble.....pretty sure it was Laichs who went and changed a lady's tire on the side of the road.....AFTER a Game 7 loss to the Habs.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

my brother has stories about canucks and none of them are positive lol

Ill quickly relay one about a Canuck who, while drunk (off course) and with his pregnant wife at home, bottled a female hostess/server in the notorious VIP Roxy basement

Roxy management covers it all up ... the PRIME reason nhl players around the league love that place

 

[SLY]

my brother has stories about canucks and none of them are positive lol

Ill quickly relay one about a Canuck who, while drunk (off course) and with his pregnant wife at home, bottled a female hostess/server in the notorious VIP Roxy basement

Roxy management covers it all up ... the PRIME reason nhl players around the league love that place

Must be nice to be a star... Damnit, I should have become a professional hockey player.