Why We Love Hockey

At some point in your life, you fell in love with the sport. For most of us this occurred sometime in our youth while a for some of us, we did not discover our love for this sport till much later. Whether you have been a life-long fan, or you are just starting your journey, we all have that moment, or moments even where hockey grabbed us, held on tight, and refused to let go. Our world would never be the same.

For those of you that have been around here a while now, you've undoubtedly heard my tale before, so bear with me as I share it again.

My moment came October 26th, 1991. I was just 10 years old, the North Stars were still almost 2 full seasons from breaking the hearts of Minnesota hockey fans everywhere and 1 off-season removed from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

My mother happened to work at the Met Center in Bloomington, MN, and with that, I was granted a little extra access and of course, free tickets.

These moments made an impression on a much younger version of myself, but the thing that sticks out the most actually had less to do with what was going on on the ice, and more about what was going on a few miles up the road at the Metrodome.

It didn't take long before the Minnesota faithful chopped these would be Braves fans down to size, and the Met Center erupted into a chant of it's own.

"BRAVES SUCK! BRAVES SUCK! BRAVES SUCK!"

Oh my god, it was glorious, and perhaps not the kind of thing a father wishes to hear bellowing out of his 10-year old son (although, given the circumstance I'm sure he understood). The Met Center was so loud that day, and I've never heard a building get that loud since. For me, every aspect of that one game has stuck with me almost 13 years later. It's a moment that will not find an equal until the day the Wild hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.

It was that day, I discovered the passion that all those fans at the Met not only had for hockey, but all the local sports teams. A moment where an entire fanbase banded together, regardless of their opinions on everything else, and in chorus showed an impressionable kid just how great the Minnesota fans can be.

That's my story, now I'll turn it over to some of the other writers here to share their tale, and no better place to start than with the new guy.

Have a memory you want to share? Post it in the comments below!