Have You Met Any NHL Players, Past or Present?

[amnesiac]

PJ Stock.... about it

 

[HolyHagelin]

I ran into Allen Iverson at Live! philly this weekend. Chain was blinding from across the room.

I have no NHL player stories.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Clayton Stoner.

Up at a Lake of the Woods resort in Minnesota, about a month after he signed that ludicious deal with Anaheim. I was with about 10 guys, he was there with a group of people.

His group was tired, and all hit the hay. But he was bombed and rich and wanted to party. We were the most appropriate group to party with at the resort bar (his age, hockey fans, outdoorsy people in general).

So he got drunk with us and we managed not to tell him he got ridiculously overpaid.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

Wayne Gretzky
Grant Fuhr
Mike Richter

All together, in the same room, in Las Vegas.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Sorry, we're not as cool as you are...Personally, I always enjoy these posts.

I think he’s referring to the infamous Flying Lotus grocery store copypasta.

Anyway, I saw Brent Burns at a grocery store in Raleigh yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

 

[GordieHowYaDoin]

Gordie Howe was the most memorable player I met. What a kind and generous man he was. RIP #9

 

[PaulD]

Borje Salmong - at Dundas West Station. We chatted outside about Stanley Cup play offs. Oilers were playing Flyers in finals. We both agreed Messier would win Con Smythe. He didn't. Hextall did.
Salming was super nice and seemed genuinely humble.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

The NHL Awards being hosted in Vegas every year until the VGK expansion was a cheap way for me to meet a lot of them.

Just the ones I can remember off the top of my head

Crosby (I was like one of four fans he stopped and signed autographs for on the red carpet one year he was carrying the cup)
McDavid
Ovechkin (got his autograph twice and both times he just drew squigglies)
Messier
Patrick Roy (met him when he was an Adams finalist)
P. Kane
Lidstrom
Getzlaf (twice)
Perry
Ryan
Gibson
Andersen
Varlamov (I'll never forgot how I accidentally grazed his hand with a blue sharpie and he gave me a look like he wanted to murder/beat the shit out of me in front of a lot of people)
Luongo
Rask
Bergeron
Toews
Messier (I'll never forget how he gave a dirty look to a Canucks fan who tried to get him to sign a photo of him on the Canucks and very aggressively said "I'm not signing that shit")

Basically a lot of the guys who attended the NHL awards between 2011-2017 as I'm sure I'm forgetting plenty right now and then you can add in a number of celebrities who were presenters, and I did meet and speak with Gary Bettman for about a minute and made him laugh when I asked "when is the league bringing a team to Las Vegas" think it was around 2014 and he said something along the lines of "we'll see"

Then I met the following just out and about in the real world or not at an official NHL event where NHL personalities were making themselves available to fans:

Bob Murray (can be considered a former player, but was Anaheim's GM at the time. Physically bumped into him walking around Honda Center without realizing who it was. Apologized and he just made this disappointed face at me.)

Ryan Reaves I met at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Vegas

Ran into George Parros before he was with the DOPS in Vegas on an NHL Awards weekend but not at the event. Told him I was a big fan in his Anaheim days and he signed the Ducks jersey I just happened to be wearing that day.

Met Nate Schmidt in Vegas at a store.

Met Mark Stone at a post Stanley Cup win meet and greet event.

And just as a bonus, I once tweeted at Bob Mckenzie in response to his take on a goal Chicago scored I think by Hossa against St. Louis where it was a distinct kicking motion where it looked like it didn't cross the line and I think it was allowed because call on the ice was goal and they didn't have a conclusive angle to prove it didn't cross the line. That was Bob's explanation. I tweeted back something about how it shouldn't matter because it was a distinct kicking motion so it shouldn't have counted anyway. He tweeted back saying I argue like a child. Still think it was a hilariously disproportionate response, since I was pretty reasonable in the way I disputed his opinion.

People like McKenzie because he has inside scoops but there's a lot of evidence that he's not a good/ethical person. Which is unfortunately true for a number of these insiders across different sports

 

[Hockey Know it all]

Grew up and played hockey pretty much my entire life with Connor Hellebuyck.

Became best friends with him and his brother, Chris around 2003.

When he was drafted by the jets, I actually (due to my background) got to personal train him with a little help from the jets S&C coach at the time.

 

[HanSolo]

People like McKenzie because he has inside scoops but there's a lot of evidence that he's not a good/ethical person. Which is unfortunately true for a number of these insiders across different sports

Well I haven't heard enough about any of that to comment. I just thought it was a wildly disproportionate response to what I felt was basic online debate/disagreement.

 

[Kraken Jokes]

Only on the phone. I worked at a Marriott call centre 2007-2010 booking reservations. I spoke with Andy Moog booking a room. He was open to chatting a bit about hockey but I didn't want to bug him too much. Seemed nice though.

I spoke with Kris Draper briefly as well, but it was just some sort of room mix-up that had nothing to do with me so I just directed him to the right people and let him go.

 

[QJL]

I grew up playing rug hockey in Hugh Jessiman’s basement.

 

[abax44]

JR Superstar and Bob Probert back in the 90's. JR was a gem. Probert was a prick.

 

[FrozenKing18]

Met Luc Robitaille around 2008-ish on my way down the players bench. I was still a kid and was randomly chosen to sit on the bench during warm ups. On my way down, Luc and another exec were talking and walking towards the staff and I. I gave a smile and nod, and Luc stopped his conversation with the other guy and talked to me. Asked if I was enjoying my time so far, who I was with and if I thought Kings will win that night. Thought it was real nice of him to do that. He couldve easily ignored me or smile and kept chugging along but he stopped and chatted a bit.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

My best friend is in the NHL. Other than that, I've met a lot.

 

[Bowie22]

I sold Irbe stain for a fence a while back

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Gordie Howe was the most memorable player I met. What a kind and generous man he was. RIP #9

I had forgotten I actually met him at a book signing for his autobiography in downtown Detroit. So only chatted for a few seconds and shook his enormous hand. But he sat there for hours so everyone in line could meet him.

Years ago went to a Wings practice in Oak Park and afterwards met Kocur, Yzerman, Probert, Mel Bridgman. They were all very nice and took time signing autographs for people who wanted them. Also ran into Shawn Burr at the mall once. It took me a second to recognize him as he was walking by but then I my eyes got wide and I said "hey! you're..." He kinda laughed and put his finger in front of his lips like "sshhhh."

 

[Djp]

My son who is now in his early 20s and I were looking through a photo album when he was a kid and played house league hockey. He watched much more NHL hockey back then (thankfully has gotten back to it with some buddies who are hockey nuts), but as we looked through we had a chuckle when we saw a photo of the time he met his one and only NHL player Mike Zigomanis, when Pittsburgh won the cup in 2009.

It was pretty funny, we went to the local town Stanley Cup appearance and my son wore his Crosby jersey expecting to see Sid there, and I said to him, that's not the way it works - the player, whose turn it is to have the cup, takes it to his hometown. So rather than see Crosby, we got a chance to meet Zigomanis. My son said, "was he on the ice in the playoffs?" I don't recall, I don't think so, but he was on the team and so therefore, is a Stanley Cup champ.

I remember he was a pretty nice guy, happy to interact with the fans.

When I was a kid and lived in Alberta in the 70s/80s, my cousins' Dad (my uncle) worked at one of the few Asian restaurants in the city, and Peter Pocklington and the Oilers loved going there. My cousins all got free passes to visit the Oilers in the dressing room before/after the game and so they got a chance to meet all the Oilers greats in their heyday. I presume since then teams don't give fans/kids passes to meet players on game days, but they had great stories to share about meeting their favourite players, and get autographs, etc.

I have heard some retried NHL players live regular lives in their communities now and go about their daily lives like the rest of us and you'll see them at the grocery store, etc., while others remain pretty secluded and private.

Curious if any of you have met your favourite NHL player past or present and if so, how it went? Did they seem happy to meet up with fans? Were they what you expected (if you had any expectations)? I would imagine more than a few of you have met more than just Mike Zigomanis.

without going to a specific publicity events and meet players like players are at a promotional event for charity or advertizing


I met players while admited to local childrens hospital in Buffalo. one of the players was Paul Cyr

I grew up a few houses away from the Sabres head trainer--one day in offseason me and a friend were walking to the local supermarket for our parents. We happened to walk right when Scotty bowman brought is wife and kids to visit with the training. I saw little stan. When his funeral happened there were many former sabres around then


i know friend of friends who happen to live close to the athletes.

a friends good buddy lived next to Ryan fitzpatirck when he played for the Bills and still stayed friends. He was texted about Covid being out before the bills at fins game, my firend teexted us about this before it was public known.


I happened to be on the same plane as Danica Patrick when she was at her peak as a racer

My uncle thru marriage was a top college football player and was drafted. he did the all star games. He had a knee injury so that ended his career (early 70s).

A kid a few houses down I played with, he had an arm and could throw over 90 mph, he got drafted in baseball. he only made it to AA.

Ive met many others who played big time NCAA sports

My brother is university faculty at a major university. one day he was asked to come out to throw the first pitch at a college game. The senior players name an influential professor. those professors come out to pitch. I happened to be in town that weekend to see it. I told him to warm up a bit before throwing so he doesnt become a viral vuideo like what happened a few weeks earlier when the concninatoi mayor went to throw out the first pitch and it was bad/viral bad like he went onto one of the late night shows

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Jim O'Brien
Brian Lee
Milan Michalek

Used to bump into them and other Sens at a Kanata bar way back when

 

[Rebels57]

Meant Bernie Parent a few times. Once at a Flyers game and once at a grocery store. He's incredibly cool and generous with fans.

Got to drink at the Flyers alumni bar with Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Bob "Hound Dog" Kelly.

Have also met Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Sami Kapanen, and others at the Flyers annual "Flyers Wives Carnival."

 

[PhysicalGraffiti]

Dino Ciccarelli- dude was super cool and nice. Chatted for a few minutes.

Martin Brodeur- not the most exciting person, but very nice and signed for me when I was younger.

Scott Stevens- really nice guy.

Rick DiPietro- nice, quiet.

 

[Baberham Lincoln]

I used to work with Steve Stamkos dad but never met Steve.

My old boss married Eric Lindros and my old coworker married Kirk McLean.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Kirk McLean.

Buddies with my dad.

Dad says he's a nut.

Considering my dad's English, says alot.

 

[larmex99]

Terry Sawchuk, Bobby Hull aand Tiger Williams. Yes, I am old.

 

[Pancakes]

When I was in high school my hockey team got to meet some of the Bruins players in between periods at one of their games. At the time they had Brian Rolston. I remember being rather blown away at how gigantic his legs were. He had tree trunk legs.

I met Marty McSorley when he was coaching the Springfield Falcons. I have never met a more intense hockey player in my life. You could see that he just absolutely loved it and was intensely into it. He was a cool guy. Just sat there talking hockey for a bit with me. Pretty articulate for the type of player he was too.

Met Jagr once in the mid 90s when he was playing for the Pens. To my eternal shame me and my dad didn't have a pen on us so we didn't get his autograph. What was crazy to me is he just parked in the parking lot outside Mellon Arena. You'd never ever see that now. Players have their own tunnel and entrances to games. But back then I guess Jagr didn't give a shit and at least that day he pulled right up to where fans could easily get to him lol.

I'm sure I have others but those are the ones that immediately pop into my head.