KasparsHipCheck
Registered User
I wonder what people’s first hockey game was like. I recently went to a college hockey game and sat next to a Grandfather taking his grandson to his first hockey game. It was a very nice experience for both of them.
I thought it was really something nice, when I was at college exhibition game between RPI and University of Prince Edward Island. I sat near a small boy and his Grandfather and exchanged some stories and memories with the Grandfather, who had season tickets to the San Jose Sharks since they came into the league as an expansion franchise. He mentioned that it was his grandsons first hockey game that he had ever been to, and how even before the game had started it was already a good memory. As the boy had gotten first a plain practice puck, only to have a member of the ice crew go back into the locker room and grab an official game puck fresh from the freezer. There are a few interesting things to note about the RPI Fieldhouse, one being that the players benches are opposite each other across the boards, with the penalty boxes on the RPI side giving them an advantage when a penalty is up. Another thing that is a little odd, is that through all the beautiful upgrades they had done on the Fieldhouse a few years ago, still hadn’t changed how the opposing players get out to the ice. The players often lineup to come out onto the ice here a few minutes before the period starts. I made sure to let the Grandfather know that kids often lined up and gave the players on the opposing team (UPEI) a high five or fist bump on their way out to the ice. The little boy had worked up his curiosity and felt comfortable with his Grandfather to go and stand in the part of the stand that intersects the open space from the dressing room. The first guy who’s number was lining up had an interesting last name…BEUKEBOOM was the leader out of the dressing room between periods to start the game. Each time the younger “Beuk†came out into the hallway to start a period, he saw the little boy who had been sitting right behind me, and actually brought the kid on to his side of the hall that normal fans do not have access to. He chatted with the kid politely while waiting to get onto the ice, making sure that the kid gave a high five to all of his teammates who waited in line behind him to finally go onto the ice.
I wasn’t aware that this Beukeboom happened to be the son of the Rangers Jeff Beukeboom until later. The game had dissolved into a huge penalty filled rout. The UPEI goaltender and a defenseman had gotten kicked out the game. The kid in goal was comfortable enough with being kicked out, that he sat down at a seat right in the stands below us. Curiosity got the better of me, so I politely stepped down and asked the kid if this nice Beukeboom that had made the little boy first hockey game so wonderfully memorable, was related to big Jeff Beukeboom, winner of the Stanley Cup and more importantly defender of Brian Leetch for so many years. The kid was relaxing and chewing tobacco (a very bad habit) into a Styrofoam cup, and he confirmed that this young Beukeboom was his son. It really surprised me and brought me back to watching the Cup in 1994, even though I’m not a Rangers fan, I couldn’t help but cheer with my Father who has been a life-long Rangers fan.
This made me feel nostalgic and also a bit sad, as the kid went on to say that Beukeboom’s father wasn’t even at the game. I felt sorry that his father couldn’t be there to see how well his son treated the grandfather and especially the little boy. I just thought it was beautiful how this young kid got so much out of first hockey game experience. He’s going to remember that special hockey game with his grandfather for a very long time. The grandfather joked lightheartedly that maybe taking the kids to a college hockey game instills pride and a sense of belonging on the campus of these big universities, someday that little kid could be in college too, not as a hockey player, but just as a student enjoying all there is to be had.
I thought it was really something nice, when I was at college exhibition game between RPI and University of Prince Edward Island. I sat near a small boy and his Grandfather and exchanged some stories and memories with the Grandfather, who had season tickets to the San Jose Sharks since they came into the league as an expansion franchise. He mentioned that it was his grandsons first hockey game that he had ever been to, and how even before the game had started it was already a good memory. As the boy had gotten first a plain practice puck, only to have a member of the ice crew go back into the locker room and grab an official game puck fresh from the freezer. There are a few interesting things to note about the RPI Fieldhouse, one being that the players benches are opposite each other across the boards, with the penalty boxes on the RPI side giving them an advantage when a penalty is up. Another thing that is a little odd, is that through all the beautiful upgrades they had done on the Fieldhouse a few years ago, still hadn’t changed how the opposing players get out to the ice. The players often lineup to come out onto the ice here a few minutes before the period starts. I made sure to let the Grandfather know that kids often lined up and gave the players on the opposing team (UPEI) a high five or fist bump on their way out to the ice. The little boy had worked up his curiosity and felt comfortable with his Grandfather to go and stand in the part of the stand that intersects the open space from the dressing room. The first guy who’s number was lining up had an interesting last name…BEUKEBOOM was the leader out of the dressing room between periods to start the game. Each time the younger “Beuk†came out into the hallway to start a period, he saw the little boy who had been sitting right behind me, and actually brought the kid on to his side of the hall that normal fans do not have access to. He chatted with the kid politely while waiting to get onto the ice, making sure that the kid gave a high five to all of his teammates who waited in line behind him to finally go onto the ice.
I wasn’t aware that this Beukeboom happened to be the son of the Rangers Jeff Beukeboom until later. The game had dissolved into a huge penalty filled rout. The UPEI goaltender and a defenseman had gotten kicked out the game. The kid in goal was comfortable enough with being kicked out, that he sat down at a seat right in the stands below us. Curiosity got the better of me, so I politely stepped down and asked the kid if this nice Beukeboom that had made the little boy first hockey game so wonderfully memorable, was related to big Jeff Beukeboom, winner of the Stanley Cup and more importantly defender of Brian Leetch for so many years. The kid was relaxing and chewing tobacco (a very bad habit) into a Styrofoam cup, and he confirmed that this young Beukeboom was his son. It really surprised me and brought me back to watching the Cup in 1994, even though I’m not a Rangers fan, I couldn’t help but cheer with my Father who has been a life-long Rangers fan.
This made me feel nostalgic and also a bit sad, as the kid went on to say that Beukeboom’s father wasn’t even at the game. I felt sorry that his father couldn’t be there to see how well his son treated the grandfather and especially the little boy. I just thought it was beautiful how this young kid got so much out of first hockey game experience. He’s going to remember that special hockey game with his grandfather for a very long time. The grandfather joked lightheartedly that maybe taking the kids to a college hockey game instills pride and a sense of belonging on the campus of these big universities, someday that little kid could be in college too, not as a hockey player, but just as a student enjoying all there is to be had.
