What was the most memorable hockey game (pro or amateur) you've watched?

Question

First of all, thank you all for responding...I thoroughly have enjoyed reading about your favorite game (or games). I'm glad the question reawakened fond, old memories from your past.
My most memorable game had to be the February 1980 USA-USSR game in the Olympics at Lake Placid, NY. Considering the political climate between the two countries at the time, and the seemingly invincibility of the Soviet hockey team (as compared to the relatively inexperienced youngsters on USA's squad), the game evoked passions that transcended hockey.
Two months after Team USA won the gold medal by beating Finland, I had an opportunity to play in an amateur 25 and over hockey tournament at the Lake Placid rinks (there were two rinks - the "Olympic" rink where the USA-USSR game was played, and a second rink with much smaller seating capacity). We were in a very tough bracket - we were the only non-Canadian team in our division.We played the first two games in the smaller rink, losing both games.

The next day, we were to play the Toronto Nags Heads in the Olympic rink, and as I skated on to the fresh ice surface for the pre-game warms ups, I got chills...I remember looking up at the now-empty seats and thinking about the USA-USSR game, that it was played on THIS ice surface I was skating around. That was a memorable moment for me.
As for the game, we got crushed.

The Penguin Stanley Cup wins against Minnesota and Chicago are a close second, and the eighth game between Team Canada-USSR where Paul Henderson scored the game winner is number three.

Answer 1

As a Leafs fan... I hate the Flyers and Sens...

On March 5, 2004, the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers played each other in a brawl, fight-filled match.

That game, 419 penalty minutes were handed out, the most penalties in a single game. Even the goalies (Esche and Lalime) fought..!

I can never forget that game for some reason... it reminded me of 70's and 80's hockey I guess...

Answer 2

I would probably agree with the 1980 game, but I wasn't even born yet. So I personally will never forget the playoffs the year after Lemieux took the cheap shot on Larionov. When McCarty came out and started the huge brawl I went crazy. That started one of the biggest rivalries in hockey between the teams, and my friends. Then Detroit went on to win the cup. I'm sad now that all of the key players have been traded or retired. Those were some great years.

Answer 3

Actually, the US beat the USSR to get into the Gold Medal game where they then beat Finland for gold.

My most memorable game was Game 4 of the 1998 finals, when the Red Wings won their second straight cup. Not so much winning it, but then the scene when Konstatinov and Monetsukanov (sp?) came out and celebrated just a little under a year after the limosine crash that ended their careers. It was a very emotional moment.

Answer 4

My sister and I both worked at the same organization and we had a conference to attend in Toronto (probably in 1991-92 and the Maple Leaf Gardens was still open) - along with two other male co-workers. Once we found out that there was a home game one night Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings, we decided to try & buy scalper tickets....which we did. It was the most memorable hockey game because:
1. My sister is a Detroit fan and I'm a Leafs fan;
2. The scalper ripped us off and sold us tickets that separated us from the guys - so just my sis & I watched together (which was fun);
3. We almost got hit by a flying puck that landed in the row in front of us! (After ducking from getting hit by the puck, we stood up to see where it landed and upon sitting down, my sister briefly sat on my "Leafs #1 banner" - which was a huge foam hand with the index finger pointing up....she jumped up and we laughed for about 15 minutes!)
4. The Leafs won...!!!
5. Maple Leaf Gardens.....need I say more?

Answer 5

Definitely amateur...

It was about a dozen years ago, and I'd been playing street hockey since I could remember. Mostly with my two brothers and the neighborhood kids; not much competition ( my bros' and me couldn't be all on the same team-- that was a rule. It would be like 5-0 after one period.)

So I go to this Saturday night bachelor party, get drunk, start talking hockey, and stay out until 3. Every guy there says they've been playing every Sunday at this school for years, and I should come out tomorrow at 10 and play. I'm thinking, "Yeah, right, these guys are cool, but they are never going to get up in time." So I go home and sleep it off.

Well, I woke up early, and figured what the hell, see if anyone is out there. The sticks were always in the trunk back then, so I went out, got there at 10:02, and they were ready to drop the puck! Hang-overs be damned, this was hockey! ( I'd later find out that most of the guys who played there would already have driven the 20 miles-- one way-- for a 7 am game at the college rink at the next town. Gotta get your ice time while you can.)

So here we all are, playing on a double tennis court sized area, they set the egg timer behind the goal for 22 minutes (NO shift changes), and we were off. Damn, those guys were good! 1st period, no goals, me dry-heaving at the end. Second period, no goals, as tired as I'd ever been. Third period, no score; I am a happy, exhausted, stinky, sweaty mess. OT for five, but they score, game over, lost 1-0. And had a great time.

I was used to scoring half of the goals in a game; it took me 3 weeks against these guys to score my first one, and that's when I realized what it takes to compete at the higest levels of sport.

Most of these guys had played some college hockey, and for them to have the dedication to go out and play a game at 7am BEFORE they (essentially) did windsprints for 66 minutes with me, and they still couldn't find a job playing hockey, told me the level of skill and dedication needed to even be a "goon" in the NHL...

Not the traditional answer, but still, thanks for letting me reminiscence...

Answer 6

this is an easy one. The game that was the most memorable and put hockey on the map in america is the 1980 olympic game between USA and USSR. That game caused my dad, who was not a hockey fan and not a very emotional person, to tear up. with everything that was going on between russia and america at the time, the game took on the feeling of an international battle for national pride and dignity and our college kids played like heros for sixty minutes. there have books written, movies made, and the USA captain, Mike Eruzione (sp?) stil gets a standing ovation everywhere he goes. What other game is commonly known as the "miracle on ice"?

Answer 7

The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, first round... Canucks vs. Flames... Game 7.

I was an 8 year old kid at the time, and can honestly say I got sick watching that game. I was the biggest Canucks fan at the time and loathed the Calgary Flames with all of my being.

The Canucks managed to tie the game up with just under 4 minutes remaining, and the game went to overtime.

I was up way past bedtime already, and was sick with nerves. I would just die if the Canucks and my hero Pavel Bure lost to those despicable Flames... Funny how passionate a young kid can be...

Anyway, in the first overtime Kirk McLean (Best Canucks goalie ever.. Well, for now..) Made the nicest save in Canuck history, and what will always be remembered by Canucks fans as THE save. He came across the crease with a brilliant kick save on a Robert Reichel one-time shot... I almost died, and was then screaming with delight as the game continued.

Second overtime hit, and my mom was starting to get impatient and try to shoo me to bed... All of a sudden, Jeff Brown springs Pavel Bure on a breakaway, beautiful blue line to blue line pass. Bure is gone, skates in and scores what we Canucks fans now call THE GOAL.

My house just exploded. I was ecstatic. My favorite player saves the day, and we had come back from 3-1 down in the series, winning all three games in OT. Finally the Flames were toast... What a feeling... One of those games you never forget...

Answer 8

Mine goes way back in time to the mid 70s. I would have been about 12 when my dad took my friend Jeff and I to see game seven of the Island Junior Hockey League finals at the old Charlottetown Forum. What a great old barn to watch a game in, packed to the rafters, people literally hanging from every corner. The game pitted the old Charlottetown Generals against the Sherwood-Parkdale Metros and ended up going into double overtime. At that time in the IJHL they played a 10 minute period, then flooded the ice and played 20 minute periods until someone scored. The Generals ended up winning in that second overtime and the place erupted. It was the most exciting thing I had ever experienced to that point in my life. Thank you for reminding me of it with your question. It's reason #234 to love hockey, especially amateur hockey.

Answer 9

Mario lemieux scoring the game winning goal in game 1 of the stanley cup finals in 1992 against the blackhawks. With just seconds left, he took a wrist shot from a larry murphy rebounded shot that was blocked. He put it home to give the Penguins a 5-4 win. The roof blew off of the igloo. It was awesome.

Answer 10

I'm unfortunately too young to have seen most of the really great ones... so I will have to go with the Pens-Islanders game on April 17th, 2006. It has the distinction of being the only Pens game I had ever attended that they had actually won (at least ones I can remember).

Last home game of the season and Sidney Crosby was nice enough to score his 100th NHL point off of a Ryan Malone goal. Pens win 6-1. It was especially nice since he was at 97 points at the start of the game, so the odds of him hitting 100 were not particularly good.

It was a very nice to way to finish a pretty bad season for the Penguins.

Answer 11

Must be a bunch of yankee doodles answering this question because the best and most exciting game ever was the 1987 canada cup game 3 final canada 6 russia 5, Lemieux's game winning goal was picture perfect what better way to win a game then a goal by Lemiuex set up by Gretzky! And just for the record Hawerchuk won the faceoff to set that goal up!