Best sentimental moments in Hockey

[Big Phil]

What are oyur most memorable sentimental moments in the game? Classic tearjerkers or just heartfelt moments that made you glad to be a fan of the game

Here's some:

Ray Bourque accepting the Cup from Sakic in 2001. No one and I mean no one had any resentment for Bourque even in Boston. You knew Sakic being the class act he is would give him the Cup right away

Vlad Konstantinov celebrating with the '98 Wings

Ace Bailey telling Shore "Its just part of the game." (okay I know that no one saw this in 1934 but the story is a nice one)

Boom Boom Geoffrions' number being retired last year. It was a sad ceremony. Boom Boom died that morning (or late the previous night cant remember) and seeing his entire family there in Montreal was just touching. Imagine having your father die and then the same day having to watch his number get retired. It was sad to see his number being raised to the roof and seeing all of his grandkids crying in each others shoulders, what a night

Maruice Richard's 8 minute ovation at the closing of the Montreal Forum

I know there are others but that's just a few

Click to read more...

 

[robert terwilliger]

being a bruins fan, i don't like the habs, but koivu coming back from cancer and getting an eight minute standing ovation was one of the most spine-tingling moments of the last twenty years in all of sports, not just the nhl.

 

[Muttley*]

In 1991 when they had a Badger Bob tribute for Pens coach Bob Johnson after he lead them to their first Cup and then died of cancer the following season. They raised a banner of his famous catchphrase, "It's a Great Day for Hockey" and then the Pens came out with Badger patches that they would wear for the rest of the season.

 

[Ofuzz]

I'm no Hab fan, but when I first read the title of the thread I immediately thought of Boob Boom's jersey retirement. Anyone who didn't have a tear in their eye wasn't human. On the day he died, his grandkids were at the Molson Center and for the first time, saw, not in their dads telling stories, but saw first hand from the Montreal crowd, just how great and how much their grandfather meant to hockey and to the city of Montreal. Memorable............

 

[Malice430]

definatly Bourque winning the cup, but also when the Montreal Forum closed down. and when Konsantinov stood up from his wheel chair just before the wings won the cup and all the players and fans were cheering him

 

[Crazyhorse]

When Börje Salming got celebrated before the Canada-Sweden game in the Canada Cup. They simply never stopped.

 

[Know Your Enemy]

Vlad Konstantinov celebrating with the '98 Wings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdWRUipRzbE

 

[SensItComing]

Not sentimental but emotional...

Phil Esposito calling out all of Canada after they got whipped in Vacouver.

 

[Victory Ali*]

Do you believe in miracles?

 

[Whawks33]

Another couple Ray Bourque spine tinglers....

Taking off his #7 jersey and revealing the #77 on Espo's retirement night.

Leading Normand Leveille onto the Garden ice for The Last Hurrah.

Speaking a good portion of his speech at the retirement of his number in French for his Quebec area fans.

 

[octopi]

Does world junior medal games count for anything? Thise tend to be rather emotional for the players.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

I would say the most sentimental thing I've ever seen was Wayne Gretzky's last game in the NHL. The only way that game could've been better would be if Wayne Gretzky had scored the game winner in overtime.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Ray Bourques Colorado Cup was idiotic. I never respected it for a moment, the first of a token rental player Cup. Then they retired his jersey after 90 games in a Colorado jersey.

To me, the top one was being in the stands for Paul Coffey's jersey going up - and as it was rising, you could see on the big screen Coffey biting his lip... And then he just didn't try anymore after it seemed like his veins would burst out of his neck, and he just lost it (not in a bad way obviously) - and I almost cried too watching that.

He was the first person I've seen appreciate the honour so much out of any jersey ceremony I've seen. Put that along with when he made his choked up speech to the Edmonton fans, and when he started to say "When I left the Oilers I knew it would be the mista.... of my career" and he choked up again... so the crowd just started to chant "Let's Go Coffey.... Let's Go Coffey... Let's Go Coffey"....

I would have thought Gretzky's would have been more emotional, it never was though. Paul Coffey's number going up is the most emotional in Oilers history.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Eric Lindros accepting the Hart Trophy in 1995 though.... that was a big one too.

After all the critics, and all the hate he got, he stood up there in that moment in time and wasn't cocky about it - thanked the normal people, the fans, etc... but once he got to his teammates and fans of the Flyers, he couldn't finish..

And he was a 23 year old kid, so it had to be a moment to accept that award that only Gretzky, Messier, Hull, Fedorov or Lemieux held before him for years after almost 8 years of hatred from everyone.

And if Dominik Hasek didn't exist, to be as great as he is... Lindros would have had 3 more before being elbowed in the head by Stevens.

 

[brianscot]

Ray Bourque's cup win was idiotic? Nonsense.

The entire rental player premise is naive. Basically all players are rental players. Colorado's acquiring Bourque was no different than any other team improving themselves at the trade deadline and it did take the Av's another whole season to bear fruit from the trade.

The New York Yankee dynasty from the 20's - early 60's succeeded partly because the Yankees always were able to add veteran talent to their already potent lineup at the trade deadlines -- basically picking up rental talent -- are these titles somehow tainted too?

 

[SPG]

A few from a Rangers perspective...

Eddie Giacomin's return to MSG in 1975 after being traded to Detroit.... "EDDIE, EDDIE!"

Wayne Gretzky's final game as shootmaster already said.

Mark Messier night last January.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

Ray Bourques Colorado Cup was idiotic. I never respected it for a moment, the first of a token rental player Cup. Then they retired his jersey after 90 games in a Colorado jersey.

Deserved or not, I wouldnt care whose jersey is retired if it meant the Avs won a Cup before. Bourque was a huge reason why we won, so why not retire it? To have a jersey retired doesnt have to mean you have to play 1000 games for the team. For example, if Mark Messier retired after the NYR Cup in 1994 (playing 230 reg. season games), Im sure his jersey would be retired too.

 

[jamiebez]

For me, nothing will ever top the "funeral" for the Winnipeg Jets in 1995, where Thomas Steen's #25 was hung from the rafters. It was a Saturday afternoon and Don Cherry was brought in for the ceremony. Not a dry eye in the house.

I also remember Eddie Belfour breaking down and crying when he won the Calder and Vezina in 1991.

 

[arrbez]

I also remember Eddie Belfour breaking down and crying when he won the Calder and Vezina in 1991.

Ed Belfour doesn't cry, he leaks testosterone.

 

[arrbez]

Deserved or not, I wouldnt care whose jersey is retired if it meant the Avs won a Cup before. Bourque was a huge reason why we won, so why not retire it? To have a jersey retired doesnt have to mean you have to play 1000 games for the team. For example, if Mark Messier retired after the NYR Cup in 1994 (playing 230 reg. season games), Im sure his jersey would be retired too.

You can't just go around retiring the jersey of everyone who was a "huge part" of a cup run. It would be like Detroit retiring Dominik Hasek's jersey after 2002.

Mark Messier meant more to the Rangers than Bourque did to Colorado. He took a franchise to the promised land after 54 years of being a punchline. Ray Bourque joined a legit contender, played well, and they won. You might as well retire Rob Blake's jersey too.

 

[optimus2861]

On the day he died, his grandkids were at the Molson Center and for the first time, saw, not in their dads telling stories, but saw first hand from the Montreal crowd, just how great and how much their grandfather meant to hockey and to the city of Montreal. Memorable............

The part that got me was when they lowered Howie Morenz's #7 down until #5 leveled with it, and then they were raised up together (Geoffrion's wife is Morenz's daughter). So symbolic: Geoffrion was now with Morenz up in the rafters, and up in the heavens.

I think it was said afterward that there are two organizations on the planet that know how to do class: Buckingham Palace, and the Montreal Canadiens.

 

[GuloGulo]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is one that goes beyond the game of hockey. In 1990, the Flyers were in Pittsburgh. Tim Kerr's wife was in the hospital with an infection ten days after giving birth. Kerr was notified prior to the game that his wife passed away. The Penguins had a moment of silence prior to the game. The Flyers paid tribute the next night at home.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

You can't just go around retiring the jersey of everyone who was a "huge part" of a cup run. It would be like Detroit retiring Dominik Hasek's jersey after 2002.

Mark Messier meant more to the Rangers than Bourque did to Colorado. He took a franchise to the promised land after 54 years of being a punchline. Ray Bourque joined a legit contender, played well, and they won. You might as well retire Rob Blake's jersey too.

Bourque is considered the main reason the Avs played so well the whole season though. Without him, the team may end up like the 03-04 Avs, which while looking great on paper, sucked the whole year (I know the 03 Avs didnt have Roy).

 

[flyershistory]

The first game the Flyers played after Pelle Lindbergh's death, holding a pre-game memorial