Players you met who were jerks/nice guys.

[Hawker14]

I just want to say that I would personally not come off as the friendliest person on earth if I couldn't go for groceries, movies or a
walk without having to talk to several people each time. How some of these players (according to what I'm reading) seem to always have time for strangers is a mystery.

excellent point. that's why i think everyone will agree that hockey players are generally the best group of athletes as genuinely down to earth guys.

it's just too bad goofs like finlay (who was lucky to even play in the nhl), in what was a hockey and fan-inclusive environment, have to act like they're better than the fans.

the fact roenick went out flying, and got into a fight with scott parker right away, and then was joking in the penalty box since he got beat up, just gave me more appreciation for those players who deserve to make the money they do, like JR.

finlay disgusted me that night. i'm very thankful he's the exception to the rule.

 

[canadahockeygirl*]

I've gotten autographs from a bunch of the Stars, mostly when I was younger. Here's a quick summary of the more memorable encounters.

The good:

Aaron Downey (you can tell he loves what he does, always great)

I forgot about him. A few friends of mine are still really close with him from his days in Providence, and he's a class act.

 

[jaws]

I've met a tone of hockey guys and all were great. Sometimes they can rub off as arse-holes but most are nice people. I'll start off with the best story.

Good Guys

Ron Ellis - Guest Speaker for a breakfast we had at the end of a hockey tourny. Anyways, the food was awful and so I go to the bathroom to, well get rid of it. And who is grunting away in the stall beside me...Ronny Ellis. We both walked out at the same time and had a good laugh.

Laurie Bachman - The nicest I've met, helluva guy.
Bobby Hull - Never had time to talk cause he was to busy signing autographs, good lad to fans.
Gordie Howe - Good guy. Always elbowing kids, tripping people in the hall way.
Mike Gartner - Okay. Too professional for me.
Bryan Marchmant - Good guy. Seemed a little slow but loved it how I was given it to these Ottawa fans. Man Sens fans are stupid.
Lanny McDonald - Good guy, love the stash.

That's all I can remember right now...

Bad Guys

Sergie Federov - I never met him, but here's a story of how big an arse he is. This guy was a big fan of his but was too nervous to go up to him, so his girl friend goes up to get his autograph instead. She is also Russian. Anyways, so she goes up, eh...and Federov is talkin to some other guy and says in Russian "I hope this girl leaves soon because she's ugly." Being Russian, she understood the whole thing, but just got the autograph, said thanks, and went back to her friend.

 

[Hawker14]

Gordie Howe - Good guy. Always elbowing kids, tripping people in the hall way.

i love to hear that ! that's why he'll always be Mr. Hockey since he's just an overgrown kid himself !!!

thanks for making my day !

 

[Whitesnake]

Met some players and everyone was nice but my father, who was and still is a usher at the Bell Centre used to work at the Montreal Forum and was one of the guardian when the Forum closed and they were opening the new Molson Centre at the time. Anyway, when the Rangers were in town, Adam Graves and his wife came to the Forum and very politely, without telling my father stuff like'' you know who I am and so on...'' ask my father if it was possible to see the Forum for the last time. My father, that obviously recognized him let Adam and his wife in and accompanied them in the Forum. Adam was telling his wife how he loved playing in this old building, talked to my father as well saying that he will always remember that building, stayed for a good 15 to 20 minutes looking at different part of the Forum, my father really loved to meet with Adam, it seems that Adam thanked my father 10 times for letting him in the building, that it was really important for him to say goodbye to a building he loved.....

 

[(lone)Yashinfan#79]

Jimmy Dowd is hella cool (i attended Lake Superior State College so i met a couple [at the time future] NHL'ers, Doug Weight, too).

sat near Oleg Saprykin at a Seattle Thunderbirds game, was extremely down to earth (and had a smoking, stupidly hot chick with him, too).

ran into Vincent Damphousse [sp?] a couple years back in NorCal, seems like a real good guy.

Bernie Nicholls was a super nice guy, pretty funny too.

 

[Phaneuf*]

Dan Blackburn. The only one I can remember, but I wanted to kill him because he was such a *******. I ended up telling him off because a friend I met up with wanted his autograph and he kept signing on another player in the photo and he was being a ******** about it, but he played fairly well that night.

 

[Phaneuf*]

Rick Nash saw him after a game in Calgary signed my program and had a little convo with him pretty nice guy.

 

[Whitesnake]

Not a player but I remember being in the stands at the old Montreal Forum and with the Sabres in town, I had the ''pleasure'' of sitting 1 row down to where Scotty Bowman, who used to be their GM, and his assistant were sitting. I don't know why they were sitting in the crowd but anyway, I try to ask him for his autograph and at first he told his assistant to sign instead........before he realized that he was being an arse and signed in a hurry without looking at me. His Sabres were not doing to good at that time......

 

[IdiotsPickedMyName*]

Yashin REALLY gets a bad rap, but he does a ****LOAD of charity work and donations. I hear he skates with little kids often too.

Yeah and invites every member of the media to come watch how nice he is to skate with the kids anything for more publicity.

 

[Hawker14]

for every article or personal story i've read about adam graves, he is one class act ! thanks for sharing your story and your dad seems like a great guy as well !

 

[Toonces]

Jimmy Dowd is hella cool

Hell yeah he is, a friend of mine used to babysit for his kids. I know one of his brothers pretty well, but I've only met Jim a few times and he's definatly a cool guy.

Bill Barber is a cool guy. I met him when he was still coaching the Phantoms. A couple days after Vinny Prospal was traded away from Philly. We talked about him briefly.

Mark Howe seemed cool. An aquaintence of mine plays golf with him alot. Chance meeting.

I've met a few other pros, alot minor leaguers who seemed cool, but never had enough contact with them to really form an opinion. Never really had a bad experence with any pro atheledes yet.

 

[jaws]

for every article or personal story i've read about adam graves, he is one class act ! thanks for sharing your story and your dad seems like a great guy as well !

A friend of mine was his roommate when he played in San Jose. He was also Tie Domi's roommate in New York. Both guys, as well as pretty much anyone in the league will tell you he is the nicest, classest guy in the NHL. Same goes for Stevey Yzerman.

 

[coachbob]

Last January and bought 2 tickets for the Leaf/Sens game at ACC. I was taking my 19 yr old son out for his birthday and took the 3 pm train from Chatham. Warren Rychel who works as a scout for Phoenix jumped on the train at the same time, having just watched his 8 yr old get beat out in AA OMHA playdowns. We chatted briefly and when we got to London we were told the train was being rerouted and could be an hour late which would put us there around 7 pm. Although we werent to pleased, we made the most it. We started drinking and chatting-mostly about minor hockey. Well, at 11:30 pm we finally pulled into Union Station (only 5 1/2 hrs late). Warren felt bad for my son having missed what was one of the greatest games of the year, and hailed a cab and took us to Wayne Gretzky's where we ate and had more drinks and talked to a few people including Dan McCourt who did the lines for the game. Needless to say, My son had a a unique 19th birthday experience thanks to Mr Rychel. We got back to the hotel, slept it off a little and jumped on the 8 a.m. train back home. After we boarded, my cell phone rang, and it was Warren just checking that we had a good time. Its things like this that speak volumes for pro athletes - thanks Warren.

 

[mattihp]

A friend of mine was his roommate when he played in San Jose. He was also Tie Domi's roommate in New York. Both guys, as well as pretty much anyone in the league will tell you he is the nicest, classest guy in the NHL. Same goes for Stevey Yzerman.

Who's your friend? Darren Turcotte?

 

[jaws]

Who's your friend? Darren Turcotte?

Matt Bradley. Grew up playin road hockey with'em.

 

[Jaysfanatic*]

I've met a tone of hockey guys and all were great. Sometimes they can rub off as arse-holes but most are nice people. I'll start off with the best story.

Good Guys

Ron Ellis - Guest Speaker for a breakfast we had at the end of a hockey tourny. Anyways, the food was awful and so I go to the bathroom to, well get rid of it. And who is grunting away in the stall beside me...Ronny Ellis. We both walked out at the same time and had a good laugh.

Laurie Bachman - The nicest I've met, helluva guy.
Bobby Hull - Never had time to talk cause he was to busy signing autographs, good lad to fans.
Gordie Howe - Good guy. Always elbowing kids, tripping people in the hall way.
Mike Gartner - Okay. Too professional for me.
Bryan Marchmant - Good guy. Seemed a little slow but loved it how I was given it to these Ottawa fans. Man Sens fans are stupid.
Lanny McDonald - Good guy, love the stash.

That's all I can remember right now...

Bad Guys

Sergie Federov - I never met him, but here's a story of how big an arse he is. This guy was a big fan of his but was too nervous to go up to him, so his girl friend goes up to get his autograph instead. She is also Russian. Anyways, so she goes up, eh...and Federov is talkin to some other guy and says in Russian "I hope this girl leaves soon because she's ugly." Being Russian, she understood the whole thing, but just got the autograph, said thanks, and went back to her friend.

:lol maybe it's the lack of sleep talking, but I actually find that humorous.

 

[NotedToughGuyDKrejci]

Ken Dryden- Great guy, sat next to him at a Bs-Leafs game, talked to my friends and I during both intermissions about his careers (hockey and otherwise) and some prospects we played with/against.

Cam Neely- Nice except for the elbow to the face I took when I collided with him coming around a corner, purely accidental, but I feel bad for anyone who had to go in a corner with him.

Joe Thornton- Talked to him on several occasions, always very nice and entertaining.