What Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals meant to all that have, all that are, and all that will be, children of the City of Hamilton.
- by Larry Thomas Pattison, Jr.
My Ticket to Game 7
At least that’s how it looked in the opening pages of a 100 page story I wrote as a young child. The story was about an NHL franchise in Hamilton. Of course right. That was every hockey playing kids dream wasn’t it? To have an NHL team in their hometown?
Last night, the images I painted all those years ago became clearer.
Sure, this isn’t the NHL. We are not the Edmonton Oilers or the Montreal Canadiens. They are not the Minnesota Wild, and it definitely wasn’t the Stanley Cup we seen hoisted above the heads of the Houston Aeros. Or was it?
Growing up here, the dream of an NHL team in Hamilton was never far from your mind. After all, when Copps was built in the 80′s, it was said to be our ticket to the Big Leagues. “The future home of the NHL” they said – Have we ever really gotten over those promises?
As I watch these young kids sitting in front of me, I here one chant the words that were so much a part of my childhood – And I heard it amongst the 17,000 + fans shouting “GO Dogs GO!”
“Let’s Go Lawfield, Let’s GO!”
That was me and my teamates 18 years ago watching the Hamilton Kilty Bees at Mountain Arena – B.C.(Before Copps). I too was a graduate of the Lawfield Arena tradition and I imagine now what it would have been like to be (17 kids and their coaches and parents) attending a Calder Cup game 7 back then?
As I walked up the steps to my seat, and walking ‘up’ only for the second time since the Bulldogs have been in Hamilton, I look out over the railing, into the dark crowd. I stand there for a moment and take this all in. White Thundersticks waving everywhere. The music thumping, the lights pulling your eyes around the arena. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in Hamilton. 17,428 screaming Hamiltonians taking in a little bit of history.
Hamilton for the most part, has been more of a football city to me. I remember as a child, the whole family, cousins and aunts and uncles, all packed in my Uncles Ti-Cat bus to see our beloved Cats. But, no matter how much I loved, and still love CFL football, I am a hockey person at heart.
I played hockey 7 days a week as a child. At least 2 ice hockey games, 2 practices, nighttime street or driveway hockey, ball hockey or hand hockey in our basements, and in the evenings, it was Hockey Night in Canada.
We learned about getting a long with others, playing as a team, we learned about friendship. We learned about winning and losing. We learned about life.
Photo courtesy of Robert Giulekas
As I stood and listened to Hamilton native Jaime Harris sing the national anthems, I looked around in awe. This is what Hamilton has waited for, for so long. This is what hockey in Hamilton was supposed to be, and as O’ Canada came to an end, and the crowd erupted, I felt goose bumps fill my soul.
I pictured myself out on that ice. Helmut held at my heart, kicking my feet out one at a time, admiring the Canadian flag, and then skating around that ice as the crowd cheered the start of something every hockey fan dreams of – Game 7 of a professional finals game in your hometown.
Then, coming back to reality, I looked around at the kids taking in this game. In their eyes I could see the same dream transpiring in their minds. Isn’t that what a professional sports team in any city is really all about – the children and giving them something to dream about. Something to strive for. Whether it be becoming a professional sports player, or just a champion in general, this was what dreams were made of.
My grandfather and I attended the big 6 to 3 win over the Binghamton Senators in the Conference finals. It was the first time he had ever been to Copps Colliseum. He doesn’t watch as much hockey as he used to, but he made it a point to watch an NHL game the night before our evening out, to get in the spirit of the game. After all, it wasn’t just a Bulldogs game, it was the Calder Cup playoffs.
We arrived about 45 minutes before the game started. The arena was still empty for the most part. The teams were having their pre-game skate, and my grandfather talked about what hockey used to be in Hamilton. He talked about the Hamilton Forum, and he talked about listening to hockey in general with Foster Hewitt at the mic.
He talked with great passion about the game. A side of my grandfather I never knew about. I didn’t even know he liked hockey, although I do remember him attending my games as a kid.
I realize now, that that night out with my grandfather, the first hockey game ever at Copps Coliseum with my father, the Bruins and Islanders pre-season game with my then best friend, are the stories I will be telling my children one day – and hopefully there are many more wonderful stories to come.
There is only one thing that was missing from last nights game though, which me and my grandfather seen a lot of that night we were there – a Hamilton Bulldogs goal. I would have loved to have seen the excitement in the eyes of those fans, and to have felt the energy of 17,000+ people going wild because their hometown team just scored. I have this feeling deep down in my heart though, that there is plenty of this to come. I don’t know what, but I think it’s going to be magical.
Last night wasn’t the best game we seen the Bulldogs play by far, but then again, the Aeros never really let us play our game. I overheard someone state just that fact last night, but I was glad he backed it up with just how amazing the Dogs were to watch when they were on their game – we definitely seen some amazing hockey games in Hamilton this year.
It’s time to let go of our strong feelings towards those promises made so many years ago.
It’s time we opened our eyes to just how great AHL hockey is. The players are up and coming stars, they go back and forth to our favorite NHL teams all the time, and some of them are even stars of the Stanley Cups we watch each year. This years Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, is just one example of a graduate of the AHL. Not to mention, Hamilton’s own Georges Laraque. Or, how about watching Marcel Hossa, or Mariusz Czerkawski this year?
Photo courtesy of Robert Giulekas
I can feel it. Last night’s game 7 is the start of something great for Hamilton. I think something happened between those 17,428 fans last night at Copps Coliseum. We once again became a hockey town. We experienced the longest game in AHL playoff history in Game 2 of the Calder Cup, and last night, we seen the largest crowd in AHL playoff history.
Game 7, 17,428 fans, and “The good ‘ol hockey game.” – All in your hometown.
It doesn’t get any better than this. O.k. A win would have topped it all off, but when you really step back and look at what Hamilton was just a part of, we did.
I am sad to say goodbye to the Oilers, but I look forward to the future of Hamilton hockey. I am happy to have been part of history tonight though, and being the new home of the Montreal Canadiens prospect team.
GO Dogs GO! – And good luck Edmonton. Thanks for everything you have done for Hamilton. We will remember these past years fondly.
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