Where did your interest in Ice Hockey come from?

Doctor Zaius

This is aimed more at the Irish followers of ice hockey but feel free to share if you're Canadian, American, Russian, Swedish etc.

For me it was the Playstation 1 game NHL2000 that really got me into it. I remember playing a very old hockey game on my friends Commodore64 and I thought I'd give it a try and I loved it. I was nearly always the Bruins. I picked them cos Boston is the Irish town, great logic I know and I've stuck with them since. I did also play as the Dallas Stars every once in awhile, they had a great team then - Brett Hull, Mike Modano.
Lost interest for a few years then I started going out with a Canadian girl and got back into it and even though we broke up, I'm still loving the hockey.

ak27

I went on a student exchange to a university in Newfoundland in 2007 which is where I got my interest in the NHL from. I ended up supporting the Montreal Canadiens since they're one of the biggest supported NHL teams in the province and a newfie (Michael Ryder) was playing with them at the time.

cena

the mighty ducks flim when it first came out and i'v been supporting the ducks since

Doctor Zaius

AK27 - Where you at MUN by any chance? The ex is actually from St.John's, used hang around the campus during my visits. St.John's is a cool town. Anyway Michael Ryder is actually a Bruin these days. Not too many Newfies in NHL, Cleary at Detroit and Ryan Clowe at the Sharks are the only others I can think of off hand.

watching Bruins Hurricanes at the moment. Bruins all over them 3-0 after the 1st period.

Shanannigan

I went out with a girl from Quebec City, she got me hooked on it a few years back, been following it since, if the franchise hadn't moved to colorado i'd be a Québec Nordiques fan, but nowadays the nearest hockey team to Quebec city is habs, so i got into the canadiens (bring on number 25), though i still check on avs now and then.

forzacalcio

Was in the US (Philly) during the 1994 World Cup, the season was over but with the World Cup on I was trading football stories with people and their hockey stories. Eric Lindros was the king of the Flyers back then but I never really clicked with them. Used to love the LA Kings/ Canadiens and the Avalanche. I suppose I dont really have a favourite its Montreal and Colorado for me. Lost interest over the years but with ESPN showing 1,000 games a season I have no excuse

By the way played NHL 09 last night, not a patch on NHL 94! That was one of the greatest games of all time!

allonboard

NHL 2004 by EA for the PC is what got me interested. And all ice hockey games I've played since have been excellent. Probably one of the best ganes I played is NHL 2K8. I follow new jersey now!

ak27

Doctor Zaius wrote: »

AK27 - Where you at MUN by any chance? The ex is actually from St.John's, used hang around the campus during my visits. St.John's is a cool town. Anyway Michael Ryder is actually a Bruin these days. Not too many Newfies in NHL, Cleary at Detroit and Ryan Clowe at the Sharks are the only others I can think of off hand.

watching Bruins Hurricanes at the moment. Bruins all over them 3-0 after the 1st period.

Yeah, I was at MUN for the semester. The Sabres have a newfie as well, Luke Adam is his name. The Sabres drafted him in '08 and he's played a few games for them this season.

Ping Chow Chi

mate dragged us to a Nottingham Panthers match after a Forest game a few years back.

I seem to have drifted over to Ice Hockey from there. Me and the girlfriend have brought season tickets for next year and have playoff tickets for this weekend

Been to see the panthers play in Scotland and Belfast, and hope to get to see a NHL match sometime!

....Lets go Panthers!

Uriel.

I have been into ice hockey for as long as I can remember. I remember having one of the NHL games for the Mega Drive. Think it was NHL 95 or something. I was around 12 at the time. Was big into it back then.

I drifted for a few years though and it is only in the last 5 years that I have really rediscovered the magic so to speak. My team is the San Jose Sharks. And ESPN America has been a God send since I got it last August. I watch a lot of games (Mostly recorded or the weekend games). I am huge baseball fan also so get to watch a lot of that too.

Went to my first NHL game about 6 weeks ago. Columbus Blue Jackets @ Dallas Stars. Thoroughly enjoyed it. The game wasn't one of the better ones but the experience of an NHL game was amazing. Pity the home team lost (Stars) cos it sucked a lot of atmosphere out of the game.

I got it from watching Hockey on TV , the closest thing i could find here at the time was hurling . I was pretty successful at it and won a couple of medals but the managers didnt like me because i played the sliotar on the ground just like hockey, but they still played me because i scored alot of goals. Still love the game though and contemplated playing , but i cannot skate for the life of me .

Dunnzer

I got my interest from nhl 2002 and nhl 2003 on ps2. I loved those games. Great commentary(well funny anyway). I used to always play as the Dallas Stars. I lost interest for a couple of years before picking it up again when my brother moved to Boston. Got NHL 10 and then NHL 11 and became a follower of the Bruins. I love coming home from school and watching the highlights of their games! I just hope they get payback on the Flyers for last years playoffs

forzacalcio

Seems the Megadrive and Playstation is the reason for many of us getting the Hockey fever. Had a few people over on Saturday night for some beers and the NHL was on, they definately enjoyed it. The sport could really take off in this country if given half the chance! Why we dont have an ice rink south of Belfast Ill never know.

Dunnzer

Ya I really can't understand why there isn't more of an interest or appeal for a permanent ice rink south of Belfast. I mean every year at Christmas the ice rinks that are made sell tickets crazy quick. I've even made a couple of my friends get into ice hockey by making them download the demos for the games when they come on the playstation store and microsoft store

MrJoeSoap

A holiday to Calgary and Edmonton in 1998 did it for me. There was a sports store in the local shopping "mall" that sold hockey cards for next to nothing, and by the time I got back to Ireland I had hundreds, and a Pat LaFontaine Buffalo Sabres jersey from the trip also. Still have them all.

Pisco Sour

When I was a kid I had NHLPA Hockey 93 for the SNES. Adored the game and played a lot with the San Jose Sharks. It was always a sport I meant to get into but never made the effort. Then in 2006 before going on my J1 to Hawaii I decided to make a proper effort of getting into it (as it appealed to me much more than NFL, NBA and MLB). I followed San Jose, for no real reason, but for the fact I played with them a bit in the video game as a kid.

I have been passionate about the sport ever since, and this is my 6th year watching the Stanley Cup. Over time I have got to know my many cousins in Buffalo, and been to the city 3 times now, and know so many people there, so naturally I couldn't help drifting towards the Sabres. I didn't mean to abandon the Sharks (who I got really into from 2006-2008) but I just felt that I had a legitimate reason for supporting Buffalo and I love the city and the people there.

On one of my trips to Buffalo, my uncle took me to see a friend of his. Who was this friend? The legendary SCOTTY BOWMAN, the greatest NHL coach of all time, winner of 9 Stanley Cups, with Montreal, Pittsburgh and Detroit. Scotty showed me around the downstairs of his house where he had an astonishing amount of hockey memorabilia (Gretzky jersey, Yzerman jersey's etc etc etc), and he gave me complimentary passes to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Even now, a few years later, my uncle says that he still goes on about that Irish guy who knows so much about hockey He seemed genuinely surprised that I knew so much about the history of the game.

I am in Melbourne at the moment which isn't ideal for watching the cup and I usually only see games live at the weekend, so I haven't followed it as closely as I have when at home. Most games I've had to watch online. ESPN America doesn't exist down here, so Fox Sports show the cup and they only show limited amount of games (though all the conference final and stanley cup final games). I have missed all 4 stanley cup final games so far (due to work), but I am very excited about seeing Game 5 at 10am saturday morning. Game 6 will be another missed game as again I'll be in work, but IF it goes to 7, then I am taking the day off for it. No way can I miss it.

All the games shown down here are Versus and NBC coverage. I miss CBC Hockey Night in Canada and Don Cherry. Watched it religiously every night back in Ireland on ESPN America. Best coverage by far.

Sea Devils

I was never much of a fan up until this years Stanley Cup which I think has made me appreciate the Sport even more. The speed and skill of the players has just made me become fascinated by it.

Have some friends in San Jose so may just have to follow the Sharks from now on:pac:

Dermo

Spent a couple of summers in Montreal, still have loads of friends there. Fell in love with the city, supported the Habs ever since

killwill

My missus is Canadian. Her Dad is a huge hockey fan and was a great player back in his day, 78 now, but could still kick my ass!!!
Anyway I started to watch it so I would have something in common to break the ice whenever we head over to visit.
Hooked ever since. Even have my Vancouver Canucks App on my phone!!!!!

Sundy

Cousins live in Vancouver. Im lucky enough to have been to a good few Canucks games. Sadly none this season.

decies

Am a red sox and patriots fan, I might just start follow the bruins now , just one thing are many of the regular season games on at around 6 or 9 pm?? Irish time

KaiserGunner

My interest in ice hockey probably stemmed from playing NHL 97 on the sega megadrive. I always picked the Philadelphia Flyers so I see them as my team. Incidentally being a fan of the Flyers made me become an Eagles and a 76ers fan in the other two sports. I have the NHL 11 game now on the XBOX and its quality. ESPN america is great and allows me to follow the sport now in more detail than I have ever been able to before.

Hail 2 Da Thief

Lived in Vancouver recently, got into hockey & naturally became a Canucks fan.

forzacalcio

Games are usually 12am/1am Irish time except weekends or US Holidays. Not sure whats going to happen now as the ESPN America contract is up for NHL and I cant see a renewel anywhere. the tender for thsi went out 3 weeks ago!

Pisco Sour

forzacalcio wrote: »

Games are usually 12am/1am Irish time except weekends or US Holidays. Not sure whats going to happen now as the ESPN America contract is up for NHL and I cant see a renewel anywhere. the tender for thsi went out 3 weeks ago!

WHATTTTTT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Weepsie

Combination of things. NBC Europe used to show highlights of it way back when in the early to mid 90s. Around the time Gretzky moved to the Rangers I think. Mighty Ducks films probably added to that and my liking of Paul Kariya. Canadian relatives are surely enough hockey fans. I was over there when Patrick Roy broke the record for wins and was being told by the Cousin (A big Avs fan) how big a deal it was.

Then NASN started showing it and the many incarnations of the games I've had. No idea why it ever came about, but like the Devils. Could be because of David Putty in Seinfeld, but moreso as I like Brodeur. Have a soft sport for the Maple Leafs too though

rismak7

I started playing an ice hockey game called Brett Hull Hockey on the SNES when I was younger. I loved paying that game and the Chicago Black Hawks were my team on it. I also spent time in Canada which increased my interest in the sport.

I haven't picked a team to support just yet but it'll probably be the Black Hawks since I liked playing as them on the SNES and they seem to have some good players in the likes of Kane, Toews and Hossa.

Mactastico

My girlfriend's dad is from Vancouver and he got me into it about a year, so naturally i started supporting the Canucks. I'm still a bit new to the game, like i understand the rules etc, and know the Canucks reasonably well, but i'm hoping to get into it a bit more seriously next season. It really is an awesome sport, i never thought i'd enjoy it so much.

Well, everything except for game 7 that is. Sigh...

Chris Hansen

Mighty ducks!


quack quack quack!

Rented Mule

Chris Hansen wrote: »

Mighty ducks!


quack quack quack!

They haven't been the 'Mighty Ducks' in quite a while.

MrJoeSoap

Rented Mule wrote: »

They haven't been the 'Mighty Ducks' in quite a while.

I take it he meant the Mighty Ducks films got him into hockey...