Jeremy Laura: Growing the game - I was a spoiled Red Wings fan. Who “gave” you hockey?

There are going to be some good stories here, cannot wait to read them. GREAT idea, Jeremy.

The Port Huron Flags. Silver sticks tournament (we were billets for a couple of years). Hall Maas (sports broadcaster in Port Huron). Bruce Martin. Sid Able. Channel 50 WKBD. Steve Sutherland. Gordie. Doc FREAKIN' Emrick on WHLS.

I grew up around hockey. We billeted kids coming in for Silver Sticks in Port Huron. Mom was a huge hockey fan. Went to PH Flags games as a kid at McMoran Place arena in downtown Port Huron. The IHL was just a slug-fest....literally. I loved it. We always watch the Wings on WKBD, "Bruuuce Martin along with Sid Able...." I skated in the fields around our house - we lived outside of PH on acres of farm land and there was a pond in the woods behind our house so pond hockeywas a big thing.

My wife and I were fans in college, both worked for the Huntington Blizard in WV, I did camera work and she sang the National Anthem. Always watched the Wings. My kids grew up knowing I would have the Wings games on no matter what. They're Wings fans by birth....like me. Saw many Wings games growing up. Finally took my brood to a 'Canes v Wings game in Raleigh. I'd veen in and out of hospital for a while so I think my healing really took hold when we beat the 'Canes.

So, who got me into hockey? Everyone in my life, and on the radio. And my life would be dull and boring without the Wings, Goride, Doc, Bruce, and Sid having raised me. And, this blog always brings those amazing memories crashing home....and I couldn't be more thankful for it nor for all the guys who post here.

There are going to be some good stories here, cannot wait to read them. GREAT idea, Jeremy.

The Port Huron Flags. Silver sticks tournament (we were billets for a couple of years). Hall Maas (sports broadcaster in Port Huron). Bruce Martin. Sid Able. Channel 50 WKBD. Steve Sutherland. Gordie. Doc FREAKIN' Emrick on WHLS.

I grew up around hockey. We billeted kids coming in for Silver Sticks in Port Huron. Mom was a huge hockey fan. Went to PH Flags games as a kid at McMoran Place arena in downtown Port Huron. The IHL was just a slug-fest....literally. I loved it. We always watch the Wings on WKBD, "Bruuuce Martin along with Sid Able...." I skated in the fields around our house - we lived outside of PH on acres of farm land and there was a pond in the woods behind our house so pond hockeywas a big thing.

My wife and I were fans in college, both worked for the Huntington Blizard in WV, I did camera work and she sang the National Anthem. Always watched the Wings. My kids grew up knowing I would have the Wings games on no matter what. They're Wings fans by birth....like me. Saw many Wings games growing up. Finally took my brood to a 'Canes v Wings game in Raleigh. I'd veen in and out of hospital for a while so I think my healing really took hold when we beat the 'Canes.

So, who got me into hockey? Everyone in my life, and on the radio. And my life would be dull and boring without the Wings, Goride, Doc, Bruce, and Sid having raised me. And, this blog always brings those amazing memories crashing home....and I couldn't be more thankful for it nor for all the guys who post here.
- mcmastermike1968

Ok, I love that. All of it. Your entire life intertwined and a chance to share it with your kids. Those are great memories! Thank you for dropping that in!

Miracle on Ice. Watched it "live".

As a Grand Rapidian born in the mid-to-late 80s I was pretty much in the perfect time and place to become a hockey fan.

By the time I started paying attention to the Red Wings, probably 1993 or so, they were already great. Then Grand Rapids got the Griffins in 1996 and I got to see AHL games in person. Then the Wings win back-to-back Cups in 97 and 98. Honestly, who wouldn't be hooked for life after that run?

I was 4 years old, and my parents had just gotten a divorce. My sisters and I moved to a townhouse with mom, and a teen in the building across from us played travel hockey. There was a pond in a farm field behind the apartment complex, and Cam had a bunch of old skates from his younger days. He didn't quite have a pair small enough for me, but I wore extra socks and made it work. He just wanted someone to play with even though I was much younger. From that point on, it was every day that the pond was frozen (it was in the 70s, we didn't have parental supervision), and street hockey when we couldn't skate. I even practiced with roller skates before roller blades became a thing. I'd spend hours per day stick handling and shooting at a homemade net in the basement. I had a circle on the wall in the basement, and I'd play this game with myself that I had to hit the circle 100 times in a row. If I missed, I'd start over.

I played mite the next year. Back in those days, you would sign up, go to the lobby in the old IMA Arena (now Dort Federal Arena) and you'd exchange any gear that didn't fit for someone else's old year, and then we'd rent skates from Perani's. If you played house, it was very affordable, and each age group had dozens of teams in the Flint area. Hockey was so popular in those days that the two indoor rinks (5 total sheets of ice) were constantly booked, so we'd supplement ice time at one of four city owned outdoor rinks. My mom couldn't afford it, but a family friend helped her financially so I could play travel up until I moved in with my dad at 11, at which point he took over. The main reason I wanted to play AAA was because they'd get about 20-25 more games per year and more practices. I just wanted to be on the ice. I remember watching the 1980 Miracle on Ice live on TV and the only thing I wanted to do in life was to be like Reed Larson, my favorite Wings player.

I couldn't get enough hockey from the time I was introduced to it at 4, up until I was forced to become an adult with adult responsibilities. I still love game, but now that my sons are adults, I'm not around it as much. I still have season tix to Michigan, more recently I added season tix to MSU because my daughter goes there, and I still catch as many Wings games as I can. Last weekend, I went to the UM/MSU game at Munn, the Wings game, and Duel in the D. Going to three games in one weekend = perfect weekend.

My DAD...!!!

Sitting on the couch as a 5 year old with my dad in 1972 rooting for the Rangers to beat the Bruins in the Cup final (as a five year old, I thought at least the right colours would win if our beloved Habs couldn’t). My team would win the Cup soon enough (the following year vs Chicago).

While the Habs have always been my favourite team, as I got older I learned to appreciate good players on other teams and among the Red Wings I most liked was Lidstrom (how I envied Detroit fans who got to watch him regularly).