It was February, 1971. I was a wide-eyed 7-year-old attending my first hockey game. My hometown Philadelphia Flyers were hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at the old Spectrum in Philly. It was my first time attending a live professional sporting event. The energy, action, excitement… I was awe-inspired. I was moved in a visceral way. I was instantly bitten, and bitten hard. From Bobby Clarke to Bobby Hull, Bernie Parent to Tony Esposito, I had a whole new set of heroes. I was forever changed.
I got my first hockey stick the next day, my first set of goalie pads shortly thereafter. My brother and I found a couple of kids around the corner who were also getting into the hockey-thing. We played. Every day, we played. When the Flyers won the Stanley Cup in May of 1974 I celebrated in the streets in my Bernie Parent jersey and full set of goalie gear. The thrill was indescribable.
My love affair with hockey, the greatest game on Earth, has spanned the last half-century. There have been so many unforgettable moments, so many dramatic events, so many incredible athletic achievements…
… Darryl Sittler’s 10-point night, Tom Bladon’s 8-point night, Gordie Howe’s triumphant return to Detroit for the 1980 All-Star Game as a member of the Hartford Whalers…
… Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny scoring 76, Gretzky traded to the Kings, Messier guaranteeing a Rangers win over the Devils in the playoffs and delivering by scoring a hat trick…
… Mario Lemieux’s 160 points in 60 games during a season where he battled cancer, Gretzky breaking Gordie Howe’s all-time scoring record, Ray Bourque hoisting the Stanley Cup in his final NHL game!
I watched on TV as Wayne Gretzky scored 5 goals on the Flyers, the 5th into an empty net, giving him 50 goals in just his 39th game of the 1981-82 season. Astounding.
But hockey is the ultimate team sport, and the league has had many remarkable team achievements, as well…
… the Canadiens dynasty of the late 1970’s, the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980’s, the Oilers dynasty of the mid 1980’s…
… expansion from 12 to 32 teams including 4 WHA teams…
… The New York Rangers 1st Stanley Cup in 54 years, the Blackhawks 1st Stanley Cup in 49 years, the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals in their 3rd season, and the Vegas Golden Knights getting there in their 1st!
A half-century of drama, pain, glory, battle, victory, defeat, and indelible memories that will never fade. Who could ever forget the image of Bobby Orr soaring over the St. Louis Blues goalie with his stick raised, or Mark Messier’s exuberant expression as he raised the Stanley Cup for the Broadway Blueshirts, or watching Avalanche captain Joe Sakic triumphantly handing the Cup to Ray Bourque, one of the game’s true superstars!
Like I said earlier… the greatest game on Earth. My passion for the game of hockey has never ebbed. It is a book that brings a new chapter each fall, a new story unfolding.
For me, this book has been 50 years in the making. This was a labor of love and my homage to a sport that has given me so much joy for so long. I can only hope my effort was worthy.
Michael Egenolf
October 29, 2021
