Stadium Series Thread

[forty_three]

There are 8 players in this game who played hockey at the University of Michigan between the two teams.

There are zero from OSU.



And they keep trying to call it a rivalry. In hockey, it ain't even close.

 

[dash]

 

[forty_three]

Great seats eh buddy?

 

[forty_three]

If I had to summarize it in one word:

COLD

Mighta been better up in the crowd more, but we had wind in our faces all night. Still a pretty amazing experience to hear 94,000 people chant "Johnny Hockey". A sensory overload. Crowd, the band, 21 Pilots' performance, was pretty amazing show all around. Just got home and need to defrost my tootsies.

The one story I will share now is Mrs 43 (who you may remember is a kindergarten teacher and relates to little people better than big people) made Jack Johnson laugh when she greeted his son as the players walked into the pep rally and got a fist bump from him (the kid). A few minutes later as the team walked out of the rally toward the stadium he saw her again, pointed her out to the kid and she got a second fist bump. Which started a chain reaction of fist bumps for a bunch of us all lined up there from the players and Dean Evason.

 

[dash]

 

[forty_three]

First picture is the Fan Fest outside. The line to see the Cup was over 2 hours long and they had to close it or else people would have been waiting up til game time.

Second is inside the Pep Rally at St John's arena. Thirty thousand people in there listening to the OSU band and eventually OAR. Every time someone started to get a LGRW chant going, they got drowned out fast with "Let's go Jackets". There was also a spontaneous Johnny Hockey chant. This is where Mrs 43 and I left and caught the Jackets coming in and she fist bumped lil JMFJ.

Third, yours truly taking in a semi peaceful moment right after the doors opened from my seat. Can't thank the NHL enough for giving my club so many great seats. In my section I had three of my goalies, a couple of our JV players and like 7 families with our blind hockey program. We also had a heavy presence in the sections in either side of us. So cool to spend it with so many people I have known for years. A bit funny, I stood up at one point and turned around to apologize because I could feel the kid behind me didn't. It was Tyler (a blind player) and he laughed and said "yeah, we're good. But what do you see?". Spent part of the game taking turns with his dad doing play by play.

Last Great Latvian goalie, two Michigan best friends on opposite sides and the best waiver pickup in history. Yeah, we were close.

 

[forty_three]

I have been in the largest crowd ever at the Indy 500 and the second largest NHL crowd.

I am kinda done with crowds that size, TBH.

Also, don't see myself ever going back to that Stadium. It's really, really outdated and has no room to move and nowhere near enough bathrooms or places to get food. I mean I get it, it's 100 years old, but the stadium is a hole.

And the game is a stupid gimmick, and as long as you don't go in expecting to get to watch and enjoy the game itself it was a lot of fun. The atmosphere was pretty amazing and it felt like a pretty big deal. And it's hopefully gonna dispel all that shit about Columbus not being a hockey town. It was 70% jackets fans. And even though they tried to shove the OSU/Michigan rivalry down our throats, everyone was cool with each other. I think we all bonded over trying not to freeze to death.

A once in a lifetime experience in the sense that once in a lifetime was enough.

 

[forty_three]

Oh, and the delay to start the game because a college basketball game was on ESPN is BS. But they never told us what was happening. All we knew was the zambonis kept coming on and the guys with the water jet packs kept fixing the ice while we waited. Everyone though the delay was due to ice conditions. Which would have been insane given how cold it was.

It was so cold, Elvis' water bottle froze. At one point he had called over the Linesman and shook the bottle. You could see the linesman laugh and skate to the Jackets bench and get another before they dropped the puck.

 

[dash]

Also, don't see myself ever going back to that Stadium. It's really, really outdated and has no room to move and nowhere near enough bathrooms or places to get food. I mean I get it, it's 100 years old, but the stadium is a hole.

Those are exactly the same words that people use to describe McMahon Stadium in Calgary, great sightlines to watch a game, but really outdated and not a good fan experience. I just don't see a new stadium being built anytime soon though.

 

[puckhead]

Everyone though the delay was due to ice conditions. Which would have been insane given how cold it was.

if the ice gets too cold, it can cracks and chip.