Nov 22 2009
Love Hockey. Will Travel.
As you may recall, Kris and I are huge hockey fans. Kris has been in to it since he was a kid, and when we started dating in high school, I really got in to it too… and since we got married in 2002, we have had this informal lifelong goal of getting to every National Hockey League arena in North America…
This trip to California was precipitated by the birth of our niece (first and foremost!) but… it also coincided with the western roadtrip of our team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. So, yeah. Kris and I were totally roadies.
…We followed them to Anaheim…
…where we happened to meet up with a very lovely lady! Stacey and I have known each other for years (through the blogs, Rav, and Flickr), and we finally had the chance to meet. She managed to get last-minute tickets to the Anaheim Ducks game, and although we didn’t sit together, we texted throughout the game, and then met up afterward at the pub across the street. She was with her hockey-loving (albeit Ducks-supporting) friend, Nicole. The Penguins managed a win in this game, so it was a fun night! I also met some very nice fans (season-ticket holders) that were sitting next to us, and they were so much fun. They bought us a Ducks puck, and a hat to remember the occasion. (The Ducks have a pretty “gritty” reputation in the NHL, but their fans were the nicest of all!)
(We had so much fun that we planned *another* date night with Stacey and her partner Randy for the next night. Lots of hockey talk!)
…next up to see the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center…
The tide really shifted in this game, unfortunately. The Penguins, who had a great start to the year, got hit really hard with injuries – broken bones and strained muscles everywhere! The LA game was a loss, but it was still really great to watch. As a general hockey fan, it is really neat to see a team that hasn’t done that well in years put together a fabulous line-up. Since the Kings are in a different conference, we rarely see them play. This is all my justification to make myself feel better about the 5-2 loss 
Final stop: San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion aka “The Shark Tank”
…Let’s just say that we are smiling *before* the game…
It was an abysmal loss (5-0) for our guys. They were so beat up by this game. I felt a little beat up after the game too, considering the heckling that we got in the stands. Yikes! Whatever happened to that mellow California vibe? It wasn’t present at the Sharks game.
The good news is that our team is slowly getting better – they beat Atlanta last night!
So, the new list for North America arenas is updated to:
Washington Capitals (DC)
Tampa Bay Lightning (FL)
Boston Bruins (MA)
New York Rangers (NY)
Carolina Hurricanes (NC)
Pittsburgh Penguins (PA)
Anaheim Ducks (CA)
Los Angeles Kings (CA)
San Jose Sharks (CA)
We have several more to go… but it’s a fun goal to work towards, and be able to see a little more of our continent in the process
Next up – saving the BEST for last! You get to meet Baby V!
if you guys make it to minneapolis i would love to meet you!
Let me know when you want to come to Detroit. We have a lot of great LYS around here!
You will have to plan another trip to Pgh. when the new arena opens next season!
Boo to the Sharks! I was at the Ducks vs. Sharks game last night at the Honda Center and they are the most obnoxious fans. There were tons of them there and they kept blocking the food/beer stands in mobs and just being really unruly. They had to call security and Anaheim PD. It was totally nuts. Us Ducks fans are much nicer! ;0) Glad that you had lots of fun and got to cross 3 more arenas off that list.
Oh, you still have to come to Montreal! I’ve moved out of the city last year, but I’d be happy to go and meet you there: I miss Montreal, so I’m always happy to have a reason to go. Getting to meet you would be the awesomest reason there is!
If you ever come up to see the Dome in Calgary, I’d love to meet up!!!
Oh you are such hockey geeks!!! it is so good to see;) you two are a perfect match and it is lovely to see such passion and fun in both of your faces Go Penguins!!!
I have no idea about hockey (and other games) but your joy spills over and the first picture of Kris and you looks absolutely cute
Heartly
Tally
Next: Montreal? We got a nice little arena over here
Let me know when you’re coming to a Pittsburgh game in Montreal! We have season tickets and I always knit at games!!
My dad and I are total college hockey geeks, and have done the road trip thing many times. You know you’re a hard-core fan when your chosen sport requires you to do all your road-tripping in the dead of winter! January in Duluth, anyone???
Sorry the Penguins lost in San Jose, but you got to check another one off your list!
What a fun adventure! BF and his buddies from high school have been going to watch the Mets play in a different stadium every year for the past 25 years. It’s such a great tradition and they have a wonderful time. It’s cool to have little lists of things to do. My sister and I have a 50 states competition… which has been slowed down since we each became mothers… but which causes such glee when we get new postcards from the other upon visiting a 43rd state. It’s all about the adventure with the ones you love. Enjoy!
So when are you coming to Ottawa to see the Sens? I have a guest bedroom waiting….
What fun! I’m sorry San Jose’ was rough to you guys, funny enough my cousin is the guy in charge of the lights/sound for the Sharks!
I’m taking Pia to her first Penguins game on Saturday. She is totally pumped and is a HUGE Malkin fan, can’t wait!
Awesome. Your blog is one of the first ones I look at every few days just to keep in touch with what is going on with you and Chris. I was in Pittsburgh in June of this year for a Library workshop on Preservation. We stayed at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. It was awesome. I loved to see all the architecture in the area. St. Paul’s Cathedral was awesome and we were able to go to a mass while we were their. Also a Festival was their in June so we had fun with that as well. Hugh city.
Rowena
Come to Boston!! My kids, even though they *should* be Bruins fans are big Penguin fans.
Woooo! I feel like a celebrity being mentioned on your blog
Sorry about the Sharks game…what a bad experience.
And just because I feel the need to say it again, since I am reminded of the fun times we had, it was sooooo great to meet you! We must do it again!
You guys are adorable. Dorky, but adorable. If you’re every up in Calgary to visit the Saddledome, drop me a line. I’d love to see the Flames kick the Penguins butts!
Hmm. The Blackhawks must be following the Penguins around. They’re on the annual “circus tour” when Ringling Bros. takes over the United Center. We just killed San Jose on Wed night starting off the game with THREE short handed goals. At one point in the 3rd the ‘Hawks lead was 7-0. We ended up winning 7-2. Ducks coming up in about 25 minutes, pregame is on right now!!
My first hockey game was a Dallas Stars vs Anaheim Ducks game in Dallas, and Anaheim’s fans were NUTS.. completely crazy, and they weren’t even on their own turf. Now that I’ve moved to the Bay Area, I’ve gone to a few Sharks vs Stars games as a Stars fan, and I’ve gotten a little ribbing, but nothing too bad. I’m a pretty polite “not on your side” fan. LOL I have to say, it’s awesome being one of the happy people walking out of there when my Stars do win.
Sounds like you had fun on your niece/hockey road trip. 
Hey, the Sharks are my “hometown team”, although I live far far away now. I love the arena! Bay Area sports fans have a reputation for being pretty mean, and I HATE hecklers at sporting events. Booing a bad call or ribbing a player and chanting obscenities about a player’s family are two different things in my book (yes, this happened at a baseball game I went to last season – and it’s even worse because it was a minor-league game!)