Brushes with hockey greatness....

[jL67s]

Got this idea from a couple posts from another thread.

Thought it would be fun to hear stories from anyone who has had a brush with an NHLer (future, past or present) or anyone related to an NHLer along the way at sometime or another.

My example:

I attended a hockey school coached by Jim Peplinsky when I was a kid. No idea who he was at the time, but I still have the photo they took of me \'posing\', signed by him.

I went to school with Sean O\'Donnell between grades 6 and 9.

[ridinryan44]

I met Gary Valk in Kamloops at their training camp. I was standing outside the hotel they were staying at. He was the only one to go in the front doors. I asked him \"Are you a Canuck?\" Haha. Then he signed my Gary Valk card. It is now worth zero dollars. Meanwhile Pavel Bure was sneaking in the back doors, slapping kids in the face. What a douche.

[Crazynuck]

Brashear came into our dressing room at 8 rinks and shook our hands but Bure waited outside... my fav player but a douche.

Elementary supervisor was the mom of Jamie Mclennan.

Went to high school with Kris Chucko (1st rd pick of Cal) and Reid Jorgensen (former captain of the Blazers)

Met Pat Quinn in a box at the Pacific Coliseum.

[GoHabsGo]

Played ice hockey with McCarty.

Here\'s a little story when we played together. He broke his stick about 8 inches down the shaft during practice and I took it and taped it up ( and filed it down) - It was the perfect size for me - being the smalled guy on the team. A few days later, we had a game and Darren broke his stick and when he came by for a stick - no one was ready, so I handed out my stick (his old one) and made him take a double take at the stick. During that shift he took a slap shot and scored. When he back to the bench, he laughed when he handed me the stick. - The coach yelled at me later and told me that I should never put my stick out EVER!

I also went to school with him in grade 9 and 10. Darren left Leamington in grade 11 to play Jr B in Peterborough. Then saw him at summer school after finishing Grade 11. I haven\'t saw him since.

[doulos]

Grant Fuhr came and hung out at my friend\'s house when I was a kid. I don\'t really remember much of it except him sitting at their kitchen table and chatting. I\'ve always been an Oiler fan but I was pretty young so I didn\'t really get the fact that a Hall of Fame goaltender was just sort of hanging out there.

[Nords4ever]

Met Guy Lafleur when I was about 8 years old. He came to my rink when they dedicated a room for him. Took a picture with him, I was wearing a Boston Bruins tuque (they also made me wear a small Canadiens\' button).

Also met Michel Goulet and Dale Hunter at the racetrack in Québec city when I was about 10. Now that was a thrill (as I am a Nords fan).

[WildHendy]

I\'m buddies with Bob Rouses brother and when the Wings won their 2nd of back to back cups i got the invite to the party and got to drink from the cup and a few of us got to hoist it when the guardian turned his back[supposedly they dont let people hoist it normally].........another time we were doing a job on his property and who pops by??Nick Lidstrom.Quite a thrill....I asked Bob who the most skilled guy he played with,thinking maybe Yzerman,Fedorov or Gilmour but no,he says Kent Nilsson [then a Northstar]was unreal.

[Nunezilla]

I went to high school with Shawn Horcoff (he\'s one year younger than me) and used to go to the same gym as Brendan Morrison... only saw him one time though as it was the only time I was at the gym at 10am on a weekday.

[The Good Sir]

Played Hockey growing up on a travel team called \"Sure Grip\" with Brett Sterling,Gabe Gauthier, and Ryan Hollweg. Those were some good times playing with those guys. We won a lot.

Wouldn\'t necessarily call them \"Hockey Greatness\", but its still fun to say I remember when....

[repenttokyo]

I\'ve had the chance to meet several hockey players, and have always been treated well.

When I was a kid I went to a few hockey camps, one with Laurie Boschman, and one with Stu Grimson. Stu was great, and I have many happy memories of that camp.

[Stephane Richer]

Met Gretzky who was with his pal Mark Messier. A few friends of mine and I shook hands with them and had a chat in Gatineau P.Q (after a Team Canada exhibition game in Ottawa for the World Championships)- had a few chats with Guy Lafleur at his Mike\'s restaurant in Berthierville- he took one of my sons in his arms and he was really kind with the kids. I also met and chatted with Maurice Richard\'s former teammate Léo Gravel. Luc Robitaille attended the same college as I in Hull...

[duballstar014]

The Good Sir wrote:

Played Hockey growing up on a travel team called \"Sure Grip\" with Brett Sterling,Gabe Gauthier, and Ryan Hollweg. Those were some good times playing with those guys. We won a lot.

Wouldn\'t necessarily call them \"Hockey Greatness\", but its still fun to say I remember when....

I was captain of the Irvine Stars...do you remember that team? I played against you guys all the time! Where else did you play good sir?

[duballstar014]

I also played on the Westminster Wave back before they had a camera crew follow them around for 6 weeks (cant believe that sh*t). My school started a week later than everyone else and that week Byron Dafoe, Marty McSorely, and Mattias Norstrom were all skating at our rink. My coach invited me to play with them and I didnt realize I went in the wrong locker room...it was just me and these three NHLers. McSorely was kind of a dick, but still funny. Dafoe got a call from \"Bourquey\" and Norstrom was getting harassed and just taking it.

When we went on the ice, I ended up playing on the dark team, but had a white jersey. Norstrom switched me jerseys. That was kinda cool.

[Crazynuck]

Stephane Richer wrote:

Met Gretzky who was with his pal Mark Messier. A few friends of mine and I shook hands with them and had a chat in Gatineau P.Q (after a Team Canada exhibition game in Ottawa for the World Championships)- had a few chats with Guy Lafleur at his Mike\'s restaurant in Berthierville- he took one of my sons in his arms and he was really kind with the kids. I also met and chatted with Maurice Richard\'s former teammate Léo Gravel. Luc Robitaille attended the same college as in Hull...

WOW you win... wish I could have met those guys

[Sin Bin]

One of my best friends in Rick Boyd (I know you don\'t know him but he is the reason I have met a lot of the people I have) who has played mostly with the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL and some in the AHL & IHL with tryouts with Hartford & NYR). Toughest guy I know and has fought some of the toughest players including Link Gaetz. He won an ECHL championship with Kolzig in Hampton Roads. One other funny story is when Phil Esposito, then GM of the NYR, called him to come for a tryout with them and then, like the movie major league, he thought a buddy was messin with him and he he told Espo to F off. The asst. GM then called and asked why he hung up on Espo and Rick told him he thought it was a joke.

I met Dana Heinze through him who was the Equipment manager for the Chiefs and then with the NJD & TB Lighnting (won a ring) and now with the Pens. He is a great guy (his dad was my English teacher in HS) and Johnstown native like me (you may know Jtown as the setting for the movie Slapshot).

Got to meet Nick Fotiu when he was the coach when Rick was playing. Nick had Brad Park in once and got to meet him when he was in town. Peter Skudra used to come over and party at Rick\'s house when he was in Jtown. And an infamous name that used to come over was Billy Tibbetts. He had talent but couldn\'t stay out of trouble. Also met Ian Moran in Wheeling when he was there watching a friend on the team. Peter Skudra also used to come and hang with is when he played in Jtown.

Steve Carlson (one of the Hanson brothers and lives in Jtown) used to play with his son at the rink owned by Rick and I worked at and I got to play on their line in shinny which was a real treat.

Got to meet Jagr, Ovechkin & Kolzig at Caps season ticket holder meetings at the Verizon Center.

That is the extent of the NHL players I have had contact with. I do remember watching Jody Shelley play here and pummel people.