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Had given up my season tickets the year before. This was a time when you knew most of the people around you because maybe they split there seats with another person or came to all the games themselves. I missed 1 game from 86 to 94, the day my mom died.
Waited out for tickets and wound up with loges right to the right of the goal. Went up to my old seats before the game and it was still all the same people as before.
Game was irrelevant, between periods was the only time I saw Maurice Richard live. On the way in my greeters were Don Cherry, Stan Jonathan, Gord Kluzak, Brad Park and God himself Orr. As fond as I am of a certain style of play couldn't have asked for a better group.
Cherry's ovation during the ceremony was great but of all the folks that came out before they brought the numbers down nothing was as emotional as Normand Leveille skating onto the ice with Bourques and Sweeney's help. O'Reilly skating around with his son was also amazing. Seeing the numbers brought down and the hand Orr got was something I will never forget.
I miss that uncomfortable, sweaty, too small building more than I ever thought I would.
Not a fan of this getting old stuff but I got to see real hockey played in real buildings like the Forum, Mapke Leaf Gardens. The Chicago Stadium and the Garden. It's a pretty good trade off.
Loved the sightlines in the place except the obstructed view seats...lol.
Can still picture the smoke hanging over the ice.
Still can hear the lunatic who use to scream at the top of his lungs when there was a lul in play.
Got to see my nephew play 7 times in The Garden for Burlington HS, between March '77 and March '79. Including his '78 3OT win over Matignon , he was on the ice when they scored in OT, it remains one of the top State Tourney games in history. Then they lost the State Championship Game in OT to Hudson, who had Matt Felipe's Dad as Captain of Hudson. I think its the last time 2 public schools played for the
D1 or Super 8 title.
Another nephew of mine's best friend at Belmont HS, scored the last Beanpot goal and last NCAA goal in the old Garden...BU's Matt Wright.
Milbury wanted to sign him and make him a goon. Wright said no thanks.
Also saw my Best Man play in the 1971 Tech Tourney at The Garden, when Watertown upset Hyde Park HS.
Remember bumping into Mil Schmidt, when Boston tied St. Louis in the last minute
in a February 1968 game when I was in 7th grade. I was walking down the steps from the balcony and he came down another set of merging steps and we were the only ones on them. I said something about being lucky to tie it and he smiled and said yeah sure were. Seemed like such a nice guy.
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