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Post by BrianV on Mar 15, 2009 20:17:30 GMT -4
Everything is very quiet Everyone has gone to sleep I'm wide awake on memories These memories can't wait
Continuing what we briefly started on whatever that other thread was, here is a thread devoted to memories. Primarily Johnstown hockey memories, but whatever. (As with all threads, random Talking Heads quotes are also acceptable.)
So share some memories and maybe rekindle ones the rest of us have forgotten.
<insert "Wayne's World" dream sequence introduction here>
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Post by BrianV on Mar 15, 2009 20:31:32 GMT -4
I remember . . .
. . . the night I knew we finally had a competitive team again. January 2nd, 1999. After defeating the Chesapeake IceBreakers 3-0 on NYE with the Hanson Bros in town, the Chiefs traveled to the Sports Arena in Toledo. I remember listening to the game on the radio in our kitchen (without the lights on, for some reason) with my sister Stacy. Trailing 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, the Chiefs started a big comeback in the small arena. It ended with a coast-to-coast rush with 10 seconds left and the Chiefs tying the game with 3 seconds left. (We went nuts!) The only name I can remember is EJ Bradley. We went on to win the game in a shootout. Sure, it only improved our record to 11-13-4, and we still missed the playoffs, but that night sticks out in my mind as the night I said "we've got a team again".
. . . my first playoff goal. Having missed the early-90s game, my first playoff game came after many years of drought. The Chiefs won the first game of the series in 2000 in Roanoke 3-0, Freddie had the shutout. Due to weird scheduling, Games 2 and 3 were in Johnstown. I had to miss Game 2, I think because of school. But I listened to the Chiefs rally back from a 3-1 deficit in the third to tie it. But the Express stole the lead back on a power play late and tied the series.
So Game 3 rolls around, and no comeback was needed this time. Dmitri Tarabrin started the scoring early in the first with a goal from the low slot. I remember watching him twirling around in celebration from my view at the top of Section 2. Chiefs went on to win the game 4-0 and take the series 3-1.
. . . two season later, after losing both games in Peoria, the Chiefs stormed back with a 5-1 lead in the third period of Game 3 on the strength of a Phil Roy hat trick. Then on a Peoria power play, big old Blair Stayzer intercepts a pass at the blue line and takes off down the ice. I say to myself "gosh darn, why does it have to be Stayzer? We could've had a breakaway if Schneider or Gove had the puck. They'll catch Blair by the redline". As he passed the red line, I said "they'll catch him at the blue line." As he steamrolled into the offensive zone with the puck, I asked "how the hell can't they catch him?! It's Blair Stayzer!" and then I jumped to my feet as he finished off his 120-foot long breakaway with a short-handed goal to make it 6-1.
That's all for now.
Brian_V Let's Go Chiefs!
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AmyV
Senior Member
Let's Go Bucs!
Posts: 199
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Post by AmyV on Mar 15, 2009 20:44:25 GMT -4
Brian, you have too many memories. Let's see. I remember when we honored Jeff Sullivan and Brett Bilodeau. That was from what, 2002? 2003? Maybe even later than that. I do not remember the date. It was a nice presentation. Other than that I am recalling absolutely nothing.
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Post by eninohio on Mar 16, 2009 17:26:38 GMT -4
A playoff series circa 1990 between the Chiefs and old Erie Panthers. I was living in Erie at the time and the games at the Tullio Arena were SRO with people literally sitting on the steps. The emotion and electricity was like nothing else. Chippy, hard-nose, but well-played games. I believe Erie took the series, but fantastic games nonetheless.
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Post by BrianV on Mar 16, 2009 20:03:01 GMT -4
I remember . . .
. . . our attempt at being "old school" hockey fans. It was the Jeff Sullivan Bobblehead game. We convinced our parents drop us off at our grandma's house after church (she's up on the hill above Cambria City, towards Brownstown) so that we could do what my mother and uncles used to do. Since they only had 1 car growing up (and my pap took it to work), they had to walk down the hill to the arena for every game, plus then walk back home afterwards.
We chose this expedition in early April at the end of the season, but they had to do it all season long, including those freezing January and February nights. (Imagine walking home for 30-40 minutes in a driving wind storm after a loss?)
So we headed down the hill, and it took us about 30 minutes to hike down 56, past the Point, through downtown. We're heading down by Holiday Inn, turn the corner onto Market and see the arena . . . and about 1,000 people lined up outside! Our reaction was something along the lines of "Cheese and crackers, where did all these people come from!?"
That was hands down the biggest crowd I've ever seen outside a Chiefs' game. Unreal. Down both sides of the street, around the back. We even had some Dayton players come outside and take pictures. Fortunately, we got our Jeff Sullivan Bobbleheads and I think we won that game, too. But the coolest part was getting to walk to the game instead of driving in from the suburbs. Maybe someday I'll try it again in February . . . or maybe not ;D
Brian_V Let's Go Chiefs!
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Post by section13fan on Mar 16, 2009 20:05:34 GMT -4
I remember the day my dad called me at work and asked me if I was going to the game that night. I didn't have a clue what he was talking about then, but 9 hours later I was sitting in a packed War Memorial watching the Johnstown Chiefs playing the Carolina (Thunderbirds, I think??) Many, many fights, and not real good hockey, but it was hockey and people were really happy. We won the game too. The rest is history.......
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Post by pearsennui on Mar 16, 2009 20:44:23 GMT -4
My first Chiefs game... sitting in the second row I think it was section 16 and seeing a Wheeling Thunderbird go head over heels and being in the newspaper the next day behind the play. I was too young to worry about players names...
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Post by CunningStunts on Mar 16, 2009 22:17:55 GMT -4
While I'm hindered by memory loss I vaguely remeber my first hockey game at the arena in 1969 or maybe it was 1970. See..lapsing already but what I never forgot was I had never even seen this game before. I dont think it was even on TV in those days, heck cable itself was still new to the area. So I stood along the boards during the pre-game skate. In those days the glass was much lower and in some places along the sides there was none at all. What I remember most was I had no idea how fast a human could go under his own power on skates. The players seemed to fly by me and I was hooked right then and there. Been there ever since.
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kek
Senior Member
Posts: 180
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Post by kek on Mar 16, 2009 23:39:45 GMT -4
It's sad that I think of the Living Colour cover of that song first huh?
You remember them don't you? "I ain't no glamour boy....I'M FIERCE!"
I digress...
In no particular order and by no means an all-inclusive list:
Being at the first Chiefs game and seeing Rob Hrytsak score the first goal in team history.
That first season in the AAHL, old-time hockey for sure. Jackson All-Americans anybody?
Sheetz hot dogs after 7 goals....and trying to convince them that we should get 2 freebies after dropping 14 on one of those sad squads.
Game 7 of the Championship Series with the Thunderbirds. Yeah we lost, but great game and great atmosphere. I remember my Mom having to stand in line during her lunch to get our normal seats in Section 7.
The rivalry with Erie. God how I hated Ottenbright!
New Year's Eve hockey, with Erie and after the Panthers left. Always a great time to be with family and friends for this ritual which was usually in front of a packed house.
Pelting the Cincinnati fan bus after a game one Sunday afternoon and getting chased back through the arena by one scary looking dude!
Seeing Brophy sitting outside the pro shop in between periods when Hampton Roads was in town.
Missing out on winning the party sub one night and then winning it the next night. Maybe the fix was in, I don't know but that was a damn good prize to win. Note to teenage boys, "we've gotta lotta sandwich" isn't the best pickup line in the world when trying to pick up cute girls at the game!
My dislike for Peoria in general and Baker in particular. Not sure why, just did.
Last and definitely not least, my Dad taking me to games early enough to see them warming up. Miss ya Pops.
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Post by uh60autorot8r on Mar 19, 2009 23:47:41 GMT -4
Mark Deazley and the Toledo Cementheads.
Knoxville Cherokees.
Line Brawls.
Greensboro's Head Coach tossing his teams sticks to the ice after a 9-3 drubbing.
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Post by CunningStunts on Mar 19, 2009 23:58:18 GMT -4
I remember Joe Selenski the original Chiefs coach throwing the clipboard and everything else out on the ice. Now he was a character too, when hockey returned to town, the people really got behind them and Joe got caught up in it. I wonder whatever happened to him ?
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Post by joshsec14 on Mar 20, 2009 7:40:04 GMT -4
How about the brawl in game 3 against Peoria in the 01-02 playoffs when we made our comeback. Anthony Belza started it all. The distinct memory I have of that fight was at the end Mike Rodrigues skated away bloddy face and all and threw the towel away on his way to the dressing room. The crowd went nuts.
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Post by slapshoter on Mar 20, 2009 22:52:15 GMT -4
What about the bench fight between Toby and Jason Christy???
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danfrom19
Junior Member
Banger of the Glass
Posts: 71
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Post by danfrom19 on Mar 20, 2009 23:03:15 GMT -4
Speaking of Greensboro Coachs, I remember their Coach Storming the Ice after a contervisial ShootOut goal that was allowed and helped us win the game!
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Post by BrianV on Mar 20, 2009 23:22:46 GMT -4
Great stories everyone! Thanks for sharing. Let's keep it going. scetion13fan - how could you not know about the team? Sure, it was kind of last minute but they had some advertisement. That would be one heck of a phone call though. All of a sudden you have a team again. kek - who? (Also, people didn't like Baker because he looked like a baby girl) josh - totally forgot about that brawl in Game 3. I've got a (lousy) picture of Mike Rodriguez with blood all over the front of his jersey. I also took a picture after just about every goal, and even 7 years later and in 2D, you can still feel the energy. dan - I missed the Greensboro game, but fortunately I got the highlights on tape. That was one of the most electric crowds we've had, partly made possible by a 3-goal comeback in the third, capped off with a deflection goal from Tarabrin. Fans went nuts! The shootout was controversial because Lukas Smital overskated the puck (d'oh!), but the ref said that since it hadn't crossed the blue line, it was still legal. He scored the GWG and the G'boro coach went ballistic. (I seem to recall that being one of AmyV's best memories ) I remember . . . . . . back to that Peoria playoff series. All season long Whiskey Row had been harrassing Phil Roy with a "Ro-oy: Pan-sy" chant. Obviously Phil heard them. When he scored his hat trick in Game 3, it was enough to warrant a revised chant of "Ro-oy: Hat Trick". I have another (lousy) pic of Roy pointing his stick up at Whiskey Row in acknowledgement. Brian_V Let's Go Chiefs!
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