OT: Your Board Activity/Introduce Yo'self

[Chukcha]

I am an old fart living in Mongolia. There was no hockey and internet until the late '90s. The history of the national Mongolia team started in 1997, i guess. I have watched hockey earlier in the '70s when i studied in the USSR for several years, i liked it but later i lived over 20 years in a informational vacuum and heard nothing about hockey. In 1998 i became an internet user and discovered the nhl.com accurately when the playoffs started. Since that cindirella run i've been rooting for the caps. My English was at zero level and i started learning it on my own to read hockey news. It isn't still very good and i'm sorry for that, but you know it's pretty hard to learn a foreign language from zero when you are over 60 . At least now i can read news, i understand almost everything watching TV feeds and even dare to post something here on HFB . You guys are cool !

 

[VaCaps Fan]

While being a member here, I have noticed a wide range of viewpoints and experiences from different posters.

Anyway, here is my story as a Caps fan. I have lived in Richmond, Va my whole life and watched the Caps from 2011 onward. But as the son of a Chicago sports family, I rooted for mostly the Cubs and Blackhawks. But the Caps on CSN won me over as a hockey fan. Watching practically every game this year has made me a hardcore fan for life. Plus going to games in DC since my sister lives up there.....

While my family is negative about DC sports, I love every team these days.

 

[animositynow]

growing up near toronto, I had always been a Leafs Fan. When I was 4 or 5 I wanted to legally change my name to Dougie Gilmour Hockey Guy. Parents wouldn't allow it but I thought it was the coolest. This was around 94 / 95 days.

Loved hockey, didn't play it competitively but collected cards and watched it. Still have my favourite set and all cards from it, the holographic McDonalds set from I think 95/96.

As a leaf fan, I watched them mostly starting in 99/2000. The playoff series losses against the flyers and devils always. Then, they magically reached the Conference Final in 2002 and lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. It sucked. I remember that feeling.

Around this time my favourite players were Pavel Bure (who played for the Panthers and scored something like 59 goals and won the rocket back to back) and Alex Mogilny (whom the leafs had signed one offseason coming from New Jersey.). Both of those players being goal scorers (and also Russian) I really like that style of play. The flashy dangler / goal scorer.

Flash forward to after the lockout of 04/05.

I still loved the leafs, but was drawn to the play of Rookie Alex Ovechkin as he was a beast and goal scorer that fit the bill of the type of player I liked. He could also lay the body like another of my favourite players to watch who was Scott Stevens.

Around this time, I had watched the World Juniors where the leafs had goalie prospects Justin Pogge and Tuuka Rask. Both played great in the Juniours, but Rask really stood out to me as a 15 year old Leaf Fan. Stopping something like 55 shots for a shutout or a 1 goal win or 1 goal loss or something. I knew he was a Gem.

Then the leafs traded him.
Then the leafs made a bunch of other dumb moves that I even knew was trash. This put them on the path to mediocrity for the next 8 years or so.

And I started watching Caps games more and more. Especially at the 07/08 season. Ovechkin was on a tear, the caps were the most exciting team to watch and I started getting involved watching every game.

Since 2007/2008 I have watched 70% of all regular season games. And I have endured all of the playoff disappointments in Ovechkins tenure. Starting with that Philadelphia Game 7 OT loss at the hands of Joffrey Lupul.

When the caps played the Leafs last year in the first round, I was all caps. Didn't give one care about the leafs. I now am just a caps fan through and through and have been emotionally invested in them for 10 years now.

So thats my story (from a caps fan in canada). Enjoying the current playoff run as it is the longest I have seen a team I cheered for ever get (conference finals, 2 games won). Lets go Caps.

 

[RandyHolt]

It all started for me with an AM radio and circa 1974 (exact year unknown), and refusing to go to sleep when instructed. We will likely choke away yet another 2-0 series lead to our latest evil dragon and new primary nemisis, but at least we showed progress in our 2nd best run ever.

 

[CapsDC]

I was a DC sports/Caps fan in the 90s while in high school, although not a true diehard. I did watch a decent amount of games and vividly remember staying up into the wee hours one time watching a 3 or 4OT playoff game. Went to college and interest in all DC sports waned a bit as I was too busy doing beer bongs and keg stands to pay much attention. Got back into it after college, especially as the Caps got good again. I used to just casually follow them during the regular season since there's so many games, maybe catch a game or two on tv but then lock in hardcore when the playoffs started. Over the past 3-4 years it seems like each year I pay more and more attention through the whole season though, this year I watched a lot of regular season games. It also helps my 7.5 year old became obsessed with watching sports last fall so it really makes watching every game a ton of fun now that he's doing it with me and I don't have to sneak away from my kids to do it. Although it also makes the tough losses even more frustrating now that there's 7 year old tears shed over them in my house. Please don't make my little man cry tonight guys...

 

[CapsDC]

As a follow-up to my post, I will say this year has really been fun thanks to my son being so into it for the first time, whatever disappointment is looming aside. His youthful optimism is refreshing. Even though he typically cries at the end of losses he never gives up on them. He still thought we were going to win that last game even down 3-0 and was scolding me for being negative.

It is going to be a bummer if(when?) they are eliminated but they have given me and my kid some fantastic moments. I'll never forget the game 6 win against Pittsburgh. I practically trucked my kid we were so excited. That's what sports is all about, the highs have to carry you through the lows. We were so amped for that I can't even imagine celebrating the boys hoisting a Stanley Cup someday with him. If tonight is the end I hope the fans send them off with a great standing O

 

[moon111]

Being a Leaf's fan, interest in the playoffs wanes fairly quickly. Often couldn't tell you who won the Cup, as my interests turn elsewhere. Although recently, the Leafs made the playoffs, both 1st round exits. One of those coming at the hands of the Washington Capitals. You would think that would create animosity, but I'm really rooting for the Capitals this year. I'm impressed with the shots against and the level of championship play. This isn't like the 1993 Montreal Canadians that faced Quebec, then Buffalo without 76 goal-scorer Mogilny, then the over-achieving Islanders, before facing against a beat-up L.A. Kings teams that just finished a war against the Leafs. Oh no, Washington is full-rights earned their keep. There's no dice roll luck here. The Caps will have earned it. And although during the Leafs/Caps series there were probably comments from both sides about what was a dirty play or not, the fact is, Capital fans were mostly a classy bunch. I wish the Capitals, their fans, their city the best of luck... but so far, they haven't needed it.

 

[TRASHCAT]

Im a cat in the trash.

 

[CapsDC]

Being a Leaf's fan, interest in the playoffs wanes fairly quickly. Often couldn't tell you who won the Cup, as my interests turn elsewhere. Although recently, the Leafs made the playoffs, both 1st round exits. One of those coming at the hands of the Washington Capitals. You would think that would create animosity, but I'm really rooting for the Capitals this year. I'm impressed with the shots against and the level of championship play. This isn't like the 1993 Montreal Canadians that faced Quebec, then Buffalo without 76 goal-scorer Mogilny, then the over-achieving Islanders, before facing against a beat-up L.A. Kings teams that just finished a war against the Leafs. Oh no, Washington is full-rights earned their keep. There's no dice roll luck here. The Caps will have earned it. And although during the Leafs/Caps series there were probably comments from both sides about what was a dirty play or not, the fact is, Capital fans were mostly a classy bunch. I wish the Capitals, their fans, their city the best of luck... but so far, they haven't needed it.

I remember that series well. Many thought the Leafs were a year ahead of schedule that year but they were tough. Even though it was a hard fought series I remember at the end many of the Toronto fans wishing the Caps fans well and rooting for Ovi to finally get one. I'll definitely be rooting for Mathews to get one at some point too

 

[Calicaps]

Im a cat in the trash.

You really ain’t right!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

As a follow-up to my post, I will say this year has really been fun thanks to my son being so into it for the first time, whatever disappointment is looming aside. His youthful optimism is refreshing. Even though he typically cries at the end of losses he never gives up on them. He still thought we were going to win that last game even down 3-0 and was scolding me for being negative.

It is going to be a bummer if(when?) they are eliminated but they have given me and my kid some fantastic moments. I'll never forget the game 6 win against Pittsburgh. I practically trucked my kid we were so excited. That's what sports is all about, the highs have to carry you through the lows. We were so amped for that I can't even imagine celebrating the boys hoisting a Stanley Cup someday with him. If tonight is the end I hope the fans send them off with a great standing O

This is cool man. My kids are both under four so I don't get to share this with them yet but I imagine it's going to be even more special when I can.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

I'm Mike Milbury. If you don't like it I gotta shoe with your name on it.

 

[kmart]

i was born in russia but i live in germany now... as a young teenager i followed bure while playing inline hockey all the time until i lost interest for some reason. after a few years i watched a wc with ovy in it... the announcers told me to watch the phonix goal... so i did and decided to follow that guy and here i am.

 

[russianrocket24]

Use this thread to say "Hi" as I am on this boards like forever, but don't post too much. Actually I think my last post here was when I proposed Larionov as a coach when Boudreau was about to be canned. Time is running fast when you have fun, it seems. Born in Soviet Union, moved to a small hockey town one hour south of Munich when I was five, living close to Munich nowadays. Hopped on the Caps bandwagon when my old classmate and buddy Stefan Ustorf was drafted by the Capitals and played there about 50 games around 95-97 (I guess some of you older fans might remember him). It was quite funny when I run into him (together with Ollie Kolzig) in a Starbucks in Salte Lake City during the Olympics 2002, after we haven't seen each other for 15 years.

After I finished my website about the history of Soviet/Russian hockey in 2001 and got to know a few hockey people in Moscow then, I was introduced in 2003 to a young, potential future star at a home game of Dynamo Moscow. So, I was quite happy that he was drafted by the Caps a year later. On top of that I still own a gameworn Ovi Jersey from his last Dynamo season before he moved to DC.

Living in Germany with limited Caps games showing on TV, this board and you guys became my morning routine for more than 12 years. Getting up, getting a coffee, reading through the GDT from the night before, start work. So, even you don't know me it feels that I know some of you regulars forever already ;-) Thanks for keeping me updated on the Caps, guys!!!

 

[Aliceanna]

Everyone's stories in this thread are amazing, but the international contingent is truly remarkable! Canadians, Brits, Finns, Russians, even a Mongolian! Thank you all so much for sharing your stories! I find them inspiring.

I'm a native Washingtonian who grew up cheering on terrible mid-to-late '70s Skins teams with my dad & uncles.

I paid vague attention to the fact that hockey existed & DC had a team, but it was the Miracle on Ice that really captured me. I was 9 & Olympics obsessed.

When Joe Gibbs came to town & the Skins started winning, I gobbled up all the sports media possible and paid attention when George Michael or Glenn Brenner talked about the Caps (who started to get a lot better thanks to the Trade right around the same time).

I didn't watch the Easter Epic, but my uncle gave me a full rundown at the family dinner the next day. I was an idiotic teenager, I guess, because the lesson I took away from that story was that the Caps were AWESOME! UGH.

I moved to New York in my 20s & had a hard time following the local teams, what worth life & NYC's glut of local sports coverage. (The only local team I even attempted to keep up with during those years was the Orioles.) I had NYR-fan friends with whom I had a lot of Jagr shit-talking sessions with, though.

And then came Ovi. I moved even farther away, to LA in 2008, but the rise of smartphones & radio streaming allowed me to pick up my old Skins habits, and listening to DC sports radio re-energized my love for the Caps. The 2009 & 2010 playoff runs were devastating, but it was only a matter of time, right?

When I came back to DC at Christmas 2010, I dived into Caps fandom like it was a lake & I was a duck.

I joined this forum after the Tampa sweep in those playoffs because I was too much of a hockey/Caps junkie to let it go for something as silly as "the offseason." Is been that way ever since.

My primary online Caps home is elsewhere, but I enjoy all of your takes here, so I lurk frequently. I don't post much and I stay away when things are going poorly because I don't enjoy wallowing in negativity, but I do value this community's perspective greatly.

Plus, the playoff avatars always rock!

 

[bur and 666 others]

Everyone's stories in this thread are amazing, but the international contingent is truly remarkable! Canadians, Brits, Finns, Russians, even a Mongolian! Thank you all so much for sharing your stories! I find them inspiring.

Actually two Mongolians. I'm Russian Mongolian

I am an old fart living in Mongolia. There was no hockey and internet until the late '90s. The history of the national Mongolia team started in 1997, i guess. I have watched hockey earlier in the '70s when i studied in the USSR for several years, i liked it but later i lived over 20 years in a informational vacuum and heard nothing about hockey. In 1998 i became an internet user and discovered the nhl.com accurately when the playoffs started. Since that cindirella run i've been rooting for the caps. My English was at zero level and i started learning it on my own to read hockey news. It isn't still very good and i'm sorry for that, but you know it's pretty hard to learn a foreign language from zero when you are over 60 . At least now i can read news, i understand almost everything watching TV feeds and even dare to post something here on HFB . You guys are cool !

Glad that us more than one

 

[BobRouse]

Me: I’m the man

I have the proof

 

[Aliceanna]

Actually two Mongolians. I'm Russian Mongolian


Glad that us more than one

Even more awesome!