Mine would have been 86/87 - Rugby family but dad had sorted out a load of advertising for some window company on the boards round the rink so got some free tickets. Went to a couple of games then but was still mostly rugby. A couple of the rich kids in school started playing but closest I got was the Friday (or was it Sat?) night "disco on ice". Didn't go again as I moved away for college and then work until 2012-23 when I saw a couple of Voth games and definitely a couple of Biznasty's games but was still working away. Started going regular in 16/17. Season ticket holder since 17/18.
Long time fans.
- Thread starter hip check
- Start date
Years ago in the 1980s I lived/worked on the North Coast of Kent. Chatham Dockyard had just closed making 1000s of men and women unemployed. There was so much poverty and it was not a nice place to live.
Escape for most people under the age of 25 was a weekend ticket to see the Medway Bears ice hockey team. Anyone remember them?
That's how it started for me.
And whilst living away from Cardiff over the years I've 'supported' those teams local to me...Oxford City Stars, Solihull Barons.
Escape for most people under the age of 25 was a weekend ticket to see the Medway Bears ice hockey team. Anyone remember them?
That's how it started for me.
And whilst living away from Cardiff over the years I've 'supported' those teams local to me...Oxford City Stars, Solihull Barons.
My hockey memories
I first started going to the Devils the season of 1999 back in the WNIR, a group of us used to stand ice level behind the goal where the zamboni would enter. As seasons went on we found ourselves watching the games from the balcony by the awesome Gretzkys bar. The highlight for me from the National Ice rink had to be the 2006 Challenge Cup final v Blaze. We had lost to Coventry the year before and were 3nil down after first leg, but what a game, what an atmosphere, what a night.
I loved our time at the BBT, the Voth years as I like to think of it, the hockey was so much fun, some unforgettable nights. There were also some forgettable ones prior to the new owners stepping in. The first roster that was built under the new ownership, has to be up there with the most entertaining I've seen, it had the BBT rocking every night. It also led to another highlight for me, which was the 2015 Challenge Cup final up in Sheffield, a 2-1 win over the Steelers. Celebrating with the team and owners across the road in bar afterwards was awesome.
Even though I hardly missed a game, it wasn't until we moved to the new rink that I became a season ticket holder. The Lordo era we were spoilt with success. I particularly enjoyed the CHL nights, some fantastic games against the best in Europe. Hopefully there's more to come under Dupes, I really like the look of this year's roster, can't wait.
Outside of my beloved Devils, I follow the Maple Leafs (sorry Steve), and in 2001 I managed to get to a game in Toronto to see the Leafs take on the Washington Capitals, it was great seeing the likes of Sundin, Roberts, Domi and Bondra, Gonchar & Adam Oates, players I'd only seen on computer games.
My greatest hockey related memory though came in 2011 at Shadow Creek golf course, Nevada, it was Michael Jordans annual Golf event. Where I managed to meet hockey legends Gretzky, Lemieux, Chelios and Brett Hull, what a surreal day that was, one I'll never forget.
I first started going to the Devils the season of 1999 back in the WNIR, a group of us used to stand ice level behind the goal where the zamboni would enter. As seasons went on we found ourselves watching the games from the balcony by the awesome Gretzkys bar. The highlight for me from the National Ice rink had to be the 2006 Challenge Cup final v Blaze. We had lost to Coventry the year before and were 3nil down after first leg, but what a game, what an atmosphere, what a night.
I loved our time at the BBT, the Voth years as I like to think of it, the hockey was so much fun, some unforgettable nights. There were also some forgettable ones prior to the new owners stepping in. The first roster that was built under the new ownership, has to be up there with the most entertaining I've seen, it had the BBT rocking every night. It also led to another highlight for me, which was the 2015 Challenge Cup final up in Sheffield, a 2-1 win over the Steelers. Celebrating with the team and owners across the road in bar afterwards was awesome.
Even though I hardly missed a game, it wasn't until we moved to the new rink that I became a season ticket holder. The Lordo era we were spoilt with success. I particularly enjoyed the CHL nights, some fantastic games against the best in Europe. Hopefully there's more to come under Dupes, I really like the look of this year's roster, can't wait.
Outside of my beloved Devils, I follow the Maple Leafs (sorry Steve), and in 2001 I managed to get to a game in Toronto to see the Leafs take on the Washington Capitals, it was great seeing the likes of Sundin, Roberts, Domi and Bondra, Gonchar & Adam Oates, players I'd only seen on computer games.
My greatest hockey related memory though came in 2011 at Shadow Creek golf course, Nevada, it was Michael Jordans annual Golf event. Where I managed to meet hockey legends Gretzky, Lemieux, Chelios and Brett Hull, what a surreal day that was, one I'll never forget.
For me, I too used to watch grandstand and my interest in hockey started there. Watching Dundee Rockets amongst others. Went to the first game at the WNIR and was a season ticket holder for many years until shift work prevented me from attending many games.
I am in the photo of the queue around the WNIR waiting to buy tickets for the Peterborough Pirates match and ended up with my first season ticket that day. I have been lucky enough to attend the first and last game at each of the rinks. Now retired, the cost of attending is prohibitive but I am and always will be a Devils fan.
I am in the photo of the queue around the WNIR waiting to buy tickets for the Peterborough Pirates match and ended up with my first season ticket that day. I have been lucky enough to attend the first and last game at each of the rinks. Now retired, the cost of attending is prohibitive but I am and always will be a Devils fan.
Pretty sure my first game was at somepoint in October '98, just after i moved to Cardiff from Canada. I went to a few games sporadically and then went to watch the Devils play Team Canada. I was pretty much hooked after that Went to see as many games as possible. Random question, anyone remember Saku Eklof? I think he was at Cardiff Uni at the time and for some reason he popped in my head whilst reading this thread. Any WNIR veterans remember what he was like?
A few of the guys that played for Team Canada in that game ended up playing over here. BTW I supported The Devils, it was a truly awesome game. The Devils won!! That was a team eh.
A few of the guys that played for Team Canada in that game ended up playing over here. BTW I supported The Devils, it was a truly awesome game. The Devils won!! That was a team eh.
Saku Eklof was a fairly good player, not great but pretty steady and probably on a smallish wage, I was in Nottinghams old rink watching Panthers v Devils and standing behind the `panthers goal, when Saku Shot hit the Plexi and it smashed right in front of us, it was pretty spectacular to say the least. He played 83 games over 2 seasons for us, with 7 assists, no goals.
Loved NHL 94 as a kid with very little knowledge of hockey. Got absolutely hooked on NHL 2002 and began to understand more about players and trades etc. Being in Swansea, there was very little talk or presence of the Devils, although 5do recall brief segments on the evening news.
Even though I loved hockey, I had nobody to travel to come to games with me but when I met my girlfriend she came along around six or seven years and enjoyed, so we got season tickets.
Even though I loved hockey, I had nobody to travel to come to games with me but when I met my girlfriend she came along around six or seven years and enjoyed, so we got season tickets.
I remember being taken to the second game against Bristol Phantoms and loved it from day one.Every July used to get a season ticket as a birthday present.From that first season is my favourite memory in our all Welsh Derby against Deeside Dragons where Perry Olivier put one past Doug Rigby to Make it 4-3 I think,but he went ballistic as he had knocked the net of the moorings and it seemed like a age until the zebras ruled the goal out!!
