My Worst Hockey Memory – Calgary Loses to Tampa Bay
June 3, 2008 by Jeanne Dupuis
Filed under Calgary Flames, Fan Fare, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Video
Sports had taken a back seat in my life for a few years and, ironically, it had nothing to do with hockey. Back in 1997 and 1998, the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz went head-to-head in the NBA Finals. After the Jazz fell to the Bulls that first year and made it to the finals the second time, I was sure Utah was going to triumph over Chicago. My brother, a big Bulls fan, watched every game with me and made my life miserable. I was already stressed but he took everything to the next level. Finally, in Game 6, things reached a critical point and I started to realize that, again, I would have to endure a year of my brother gloating about how his team beat mine. Suddenly, I wanted the Jazz to win more than I ever have and, I swear, things went into slow-motion. My brother was laughing at every shot Michael Jordan sank and the room started spinning. Do you believe that I passed out? From sheer sports-related stress, I lost consciousness. Turns out, I have a heart disorder that causes me to faint when my heart rate gets too high but it was the game and my stupid brother that brought it on. I swore off of sports and vowed to never watch a game again.
Fast-forward to the 2003-2004 NHL season. I had always been a hockey fan (I actually love most sports) but, after a move out to Calgary, I took interest in the Calgary Flames‘ run for the Cup. All of the odds were stacked against them but after seven consecutive seasons of not making the playoffs, they rallied to not only become the first team in NHL history to defeat three division champions but were also the first Canadian team in a decade to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
They faced the Tampa Bay Lightning and, here in our city, an entire area became known as “The Red Mile,” everyone at the games had on jerseys, there were songs on the radio written for the Flames and car flags were selling out like crazy. Calgary was all about hockey and so was I. I couldn’t resist getting swept up in the momentum and I fell in love with sports all over again.
It was a hard fought battle and it seemed like we were destined to win until Game 6 when something called “The Phantom Goal” occurred. They were already shining up the Stanley Cup, getting ready to wheel it out on the ice for my Flames to hoist over their heads but this stupid “non-goal” by Martin Gelinas would not be counted but was caught by the commentators on the channel I was watching. I don’t care what people say – I believe it was a goal. Unfortunately, my anger and frustration over it almost led to another “episode” – I looked over at a family picture on the wall which appeared to be melting (lol) and I knew I needed to go cool off. It could have won the series for us but, instead, the Bolts forced Game 7 where we lost. Game 7 was sad because it looked like the Flames had given up. Anyway, here are two videos of the goal that never was….
Do you have a “worst” hockey memory?
I was watching this game at a friends house, and then my cell phone started buzzing, so i walked out of the house to get a better connection, and then I miss that moment! That was a bad moment for me
Oh, that’s horrible, Jack. Nothing like watching a whole series and missing the last moment
It was 2002 and the Hurricanes had made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals. I had made all the home playoff games leading to the Finals, but I was in the U.K. for a wedding for the Finals. Still I watched the games, which started after midnight local time for me. Game 3 was about to go to the Hurricanes, along with a 2-1 series lead with the next game still to play in Raleigh, when Brett Hull tied the game late in the 3rd. When Igor Larionov finally beat Arturs Irbe nearly 15 minutes into the 3rd overtime, the sun was already up when I stumbled sadly to bed for my worst hockey memory. More happily, 9 of those 2002 Hurricanes players were still around when I was in the RBC Center to watch the team win the 2006 Stanley Cup.
Sam, that truly is a horrible hockey memory. Wrong time zone, lack of fellow hockey fans, team loses and you stumble off to bed like a sad zombie (do zombies get sad? I digress…).
At least you got to see them win the Cup which is more than I can say about the Flames to this day. *sigh*