Behind the Scenes at the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals
Monday, June 15th, 2009Facts and observations you won’t find anywhere else.
Prior to Game 1 in Detroit I learned I had super powers. A group of five of us, including Gordie and Mark Howe, were standing at ice level having a discussion when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman happened by. Bettman stopped to shake the hands of Gordie and his friend Felix. He then turned and shook the hands of Mark Howe and his friend, and then continued on his way. I turned to Gordie and said, “Wow – I didn’t realize I had the power to turn invisible like that.” Everyone laughed, but I had to promise to use my special power only for good and not evil. I may soon be joining the cast of “Heroes”. Bettman continues to walk with a bodyguard, even in the secure sections of NHL arenas.
The pre-game media meal the Wings put out for us scribes (or wannabe scribes in this case) is a great bargain for $5. There is a full buffet consisting of salad bar, chicken, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, rice, vegetables, beef, and of course, an endless supply of Little Caesars pizza. Beverages and desserts are also plentiful. Even though the signs say that everyone except Red Wings management must pay the fee, head scout Mark Howe says he doesn’t get charged. But Howe said the food in the wives’ lounge is even better.
Joe Louis Arena is so small that the Red Wings staff sit out and eat their pre-game meal with the rest of us. A number of fold-up tables and bridge chairs are put out in the lower concourse, with the first two sporting hand-written placards reading “DRW”. Ken Holland, Jimmy Devellano, and the rest of the Detroiters are treated no different than everyone else.
The arena is so tiny that Don Cherry was seen having his make-up put on in a car in the parking lot just outside of the media entrance. They do not have a dedicated room inside the building for such frivolities. Joe Louis only has two exit areas on the concourse level and probably has the least number of washrooms of any sporting venue on the planet, including your local neighborhood rink. Once the Penguins move into their new arena in 2010, the “Joe” will be the oldest building in the NHL, not including the renovated Madison Square Garden. The Wings could really use a new building, but that is obviously not going to happen until the local economy picks up – considerably.
I have never seen more neck tattoos than I did at Game One in Detroit. That unusual observation aside, I still think Detroit has great fans. The atmosphere in the building is always electric and the city really loves its team. The fans are knowledgeable and friendly, more so than in Pittsburgh where I witnessed two different scuffles involving drunken Penguin fans harassing patrons in Wings jerseys.
When Octopi used to get thrown on the ice, their removal would involve maintenance crews coming out with a shovel and bucket. Now, prepared staff members just skate over and scoop them up by hand.
Gordie Howe conducted the opening faceoff and had the puck in his jacket pocket at the conclusion of the game. I tried to steal it but he grabbed it back.
I wish every arena had a store like Hockeytown Authentics. While their prices are often far from reasonable, at least they attempt to cater to memorabilia collectors. Nicklas Lidstrom’s game-used skates were on sale for $400 and a strong selection of used gloves, pants, training camp and regular season jerseys were available. A Scotty Bowman autograph on a cheesy Red Wings puck was on sale for $60, a far cry from the $45 Cdn that Frozen Pond charges (shameless plug).
While walking to the games along the Detroit River, it’s interesting to see several people fishing off the walkway. On my way back to the hotel after one game, I witnessed a Hibachi out while several people enjoyed that day’s bounty. Downtown Detroit is still depressing at night. Unlike most major urban metropolis’ that have a bustling nightlife, Detroit is a ghost town. People work downtown and play elsewhere. If it makes the Motowners feel any better, downtown Pittsburgh (surprisingly) is even worse.
I enjoy watching the teams’ practice during the playoffs, as much to view the media as anything. Autograph hounds would have a field day attacking those in attendance, including such well-known names as Ed Olczyk, Craig Simpson, Larry Murphy, Mike Emrick, Don Cherry, Ron MacLean, Mike Milbury, Elliotte Friedman, and Kelly Hrudey. My Pittsburgh hotel was a similar hot spot for stargazing, especially with the General Managers meetings going on. I rode elevators with Brian Burke and Jim Rutherford and visited with Luc Robitaille in the lobby.
Is it just me, or are the majority of Penguins players unrecognizable? The playoff beards surely do not help, but often a group of players will walk by and I will have no clue who they are. Does anyone know what Kunitz, Scuderi, Cooke, Eaton, Fedetenko, and Satan look like? The Wings had fake playoff beards on sale for $5, while the Penguins gave all fans a team t-shirt and a towel upon entering Game Three.
On the drive from Detroit to Pittsburgh, why is it that every radio station that has a clear signal either plays country music or rap?
One of the functions I truly enjoyed at last year’s Final was the Prospects luncheon. The media was invited to a showcase of the top player’s available for the 2008 Draft at an event hosted by Pierre Maguire. Bios and video were presented and the players were made available for individual interviews. I found this to be extremely entertaining and informative and actually wrote several articles from what I learned. For whatever reason, there was no presentation this year, although five of the top prospects (Tavares, Hedman, Duchene, Kane, B. Schenn) were made available for a brief time period. I’m sure it was a huge thrill for Duchene and Schenn when Sidney Crosby came over and talked to them for an extended period after Game Three.
I was able to spend some time with Jeff Schenn, father of Luke and Brayden, for the second year in a row. Could he be the first parent this side of Henry Staal to be lucky enough to go through this twice? Schenn Sr. said it would be great if the Leafs drafted Brayden. “What parent wouldn’t want his kids playing together?” I also learned that Viktor Hedman has a big birthmark on his face, something that unfortunately will definitely take away from his marketability.
A sampling of the cars in the Penguins player’s parking lot – BMW M6, Lexus SUV, Porsche (2), Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Sentra, Mercedes (2), Escalade, and a Range Rover. Sentra?
Walking through the bowels of Mellon Arena I witnessed Mark Messier run into Ed Olczyk and give him a big hug. He then introduced him to his son as “This is Eddie. He played with me in New York when we won the Cup.” Eddie asked the junior Messier. how old he was and was told “5 ¾”.
I love the way the Penguins put a giant screen in front of Mellon Arena and let ticketless fans watch the game. By 1:00 p.m. on the day of Game Three, there were already 50 people camped out on lawn chairs. Apparently up to 5,000 watched some of the games. Unfortunately, NBC would not allow their games to be shown, which was an extremely petty move from the peacock network.
Last year I visited Honus Wagner Sporting Goods in downtown Pittsburgh looking for a Marc-Andre Fleury t-shirt. I was surprised to see the only players they carried were Crosby, Malkin, and Jarkko Ruutu. I tried again this time around, and found t-shirts in stock for Crosby, Malkin, and Brooks Orpik. These guys must be anti-goalie or something. I did buy myself a “Malkin in the Middle” t-shirt though, which featured the Conn Smythe Trophy winner surrounded by #’s 87 and 29.
I also paid a return visit to Pittsburgh’s only downtown card and memorabilia store. Last year I made note of the ridiculously bad autographs they were passing off as authentic. This year was no different. The shopkeeper heard me talking to a cohort and asked which autographs I thought were fake. I asked him if he really wanted my opinion and he said he did. I showed him two Sidney Crosby pucks with completely different signatures. He said he buys them from “the kids that hang out at the arena”, and they would “know better” than to sell him anything that wasn’t real. He then made note that he didn’t really like the Crosby autographs either, but they were “pretty close”. Did he just tell me that he knew these autographs were fraudulent, but bought them because they were almost real?
The same gentleman was also selling some legitimate Mario Lemieux and Bryan Trottier autographed photos that were in the same binder as Lemieux and Trots signatures that look like they were scribbled by a six-year old. If you are going to sell fake autographs, would it not make sense to ensure you did not have legitimate signatures nearby for comparison’s sake? I was told that James Spence Authentication is brought in twice a year to authenticate all their autographs, and sure enough a JSA sticker accompanied every fake item. I do not think this topic needs any more discussion.
The only books on sale in the Penguins souvenir store were a Penguins history book with Lemieux and Crosby on the cover, a book about Herb Brooks, and of course – Dave Hanson’s Slap Shot book – The Man, The Foil, The Legend. You could also get a Penguins Official Game Puck for only $20, considerably more than the $9 Frozen Pond charges for the same item. Pittsburgh/Carolina Semi-Final t-shirts were available at 50% off and I’m sure there was huge demand for those. I tried to buy some souvenirs about forty-five minutes after the conclusion of Game Three, but was told they could not sell me anything because they had already counted the money. Yeah – that makes sense.
Game Seven at Joe Louis Arena was a phenomenal experience for me. I met Marc-Andre Fleury as an eighteen-year old just weeks into his rookie 2003 season. I make no secret of the fact that he is my favorite player and one of the nicest people I have ever met. He has an infectious personality and just oozes charisma. If the Maple Leafs can’t win the Cup, then I cheer for Fleury.
A group of eight of us rented a limousine and headed down for the game. I was not smart enough to properly requisition tickets through the NHL or either team, so I was stuck buying from scalpers. The Red Wings were allocated 450 tickets for the final game while the Pens were given 250, but those went quickly. Upper bowl tickets were selling for $500-$800 a couple of days before, but were well over $1,000 by game time, with some scalpers quoting $3,500 a pair. At that point I did not care; I just wanted to see the game and I paid through the nose.
The pre-game atmosphere was amazing, as everyone knew they were going to see the Stanley Cup awarded that night. Penguins jerseys abounded (including a game-worn Fleury on my back) while dozens of Detroit fans paraded around with mock Cups. But all the jest was good-natured and everyone was getting along. These were hockey fans through and through.
We stood by Will Call and saw people try to get in with what turned out to fraudulent e-tickets. Last I saw, a group of four middle-aged gentlemen were looking for a cop. Welcome to the internet age.
We got off the elevator at our suite level and were greeted by none other than the champ – Muhammad Ali. He was barely recognizable and emotionless while sitting on back of a golf cart. It’s sad to see what the years have done to this once-vibrant being, but it was a thrill to be in his presence nonetheless.
The building was extremely quiet with Pittsburgh holding a 2-0 lead, but when Jonathan Ericsson scored with six minutes left, the fans came to life. I was so nervous I was shaking. It seemed like the last thirty seconds took about twenty-five minutes to play. Why was Jordan Staal taking the final faceoff when he had only won 4 out of 12 to that point? But Fleury was stellar and the Penguins won it all.
I could not believe it was happening, but I actually got teary-eyed when Fleury lifted the Cup. There is a lot of pride involved in seeing your friends succeed, and that moment gave me a sense of satisfaction different from any I have felt before. I know that several Frozen Pond friends and customers were feeling the same way.
We made our way down to ice level where at least 3,000 Penguins fans had gathered behind the net. The players took turns celebrating with us – Bill Guerin even spraying champagne through the glass. I saw Fleury hug his parents and his girlfriend and I will always remember the smile on his face, as mine was probably just as large. I love the fact that families now come onto the ice to celebrate; a tradition born only in the last few years. Prior to that, most of the celebrating took place in the locker rooms. Now they are out in the open for all to see.
We stayed at ice level for another half-hour and then made our way to the exits. Detroit fans were congratulating us the entire time. I am sure they were disappointed but they remained cordial. It was a great series and it is too bad only one team could win.
Next year – Leafs vs. Penguins. Yeah – I know they are both in the same division, but a man can dream. Now if we can only find a way for the Leafs to win it without Fleury giving up any goals…
