How could I have NOT known??? Sigh…and I can’t even attend. If you know anything about me, you would know that I’m a huge Boston Bruins fan, and probably an even bigger (yes, an even bigger) Ray Bourque fan!! This is a huuuge deal to get to see my hockey idol doing what he does best again, playing hockey! But…I all ready committed to a team poker event on that day. Oh Team Bourque, how I wish I could be there, cheering you on just like the olden days. Well, maybe not with as much conviction and will, that I actually almost believed that my silly hockey rituals had some kind of effect on the outcome of the game. Ah yes, what a hockey geek I was. (I won’t date myself, but you can look it up on the internet and find the dates if you really want to make fun of me.) I would sport my Boston Bruins Jersey, still got it by the way, a la 77 Ray Bourque, my Boston Bruins gloves, my Boston Bruins hat, my Boston Bruins jacket would be hanging off my chair (Rest it’s soul), all the while with my black and white tv (ok, not dating myself here, it was just what I had at the time in my bedroom, my brother’s old black and white TV with antenna!) and watch the Boston games when I can. I was married to the TV come playoff times, and when Boston made it to the cup finals against the Edmonton Oilers twice in three years, I locked myself in my room (literally) and watched those games as though my attention could will the Bruins to win. If we were up, my hat faced forward, if we were down, my hat faced backwards, and yes, you guessed it, if we were tied, my hat was sideways.
I endured painful moments: at the hands of the referees, game 3 power outages (I know we were going to win that game), almost-power-outages the next year again, benched Peter Klima coming off the bench in the 3rd overtime period to score the game winning goal! (Curse you John Muckler you looked like a genius!), Grant Fuhr, Bill Ranford…
I had joyous moments: breaking the 45 year playoff curse against the Montreal Canadians! (That in itself was like winning the cup!!) I think that sums up the joyous moments right there…
But really, I was fixated on the #77, needed to know his stats, doodled his number at school continuously, wrote his name everywhere, went to every signing he was at, even brought him what started out to be a cold coke at one signing (which turned warm in my hands, by the time I got to the front of the line) cause I thought he would be thirsty, only to get to the front, and see a million and one cases of diet coke behind him waiting for him to drink! (True story my brother was there to witness, we still laugh about it to this day!)
Anyways, a tribute to my hockey hero, I may not physically be able to attend Team Bourque vs Team Salming, but I will be there in hockey spirit, willing your (our) team to win, just like the old days!
My “vintage” Bourque jersey…
PS: You know, the fan 590 is having a contest: Nominate yourself or someone to be an honorary coach at the game…Ah yes, me and Bourque behind the bench together. The stuff dreams are made of. “I would like to accept this nomination on behalf of all of the other crazed fans out there”. A girl can dream can’t she???