First Game: December 16, 1972 1–3 Loss vs Montreal Canadiens
Don 'Krazy' Kozak scored the lone King goal.
Before someone took me to this game, really introducing me to it. I had seen the
10 or so Kings games a year, broadcasted on Channel 9. I was always pissed
when they came on, as a show I was watching, was bumped off the schedule for
the game. Once I went to this game, I was hooked. Had to listen to all of them on
the radio. Remember crying once, listening to the last game of the season, as it
ended.
Within a year, I was playing on roller skates and then roller blades...had the first roller
blades - those Ralph Backstrom skates! Later played a few years on ice. Had season
seats before Gretzky arrival. Only kept 10 games and had seat partners.
Was fortunate to attend both Miracle on Manchester AND Frenzy on Figueroa, despite averaging only
about 10 games a year. I was working at a video post production facility and my shift was 11:30 PM to
8 AM. I got to work late after the Miracle on Manchester game...the person on the swing shift
that I replaced was pissed, when they found out I was at a sporting event and asked why
I didn't leave early!! I wanted to say "you wouldn;t understand!" One of the best games EVER.
I created a Kings logo artwork for "YEARS SUFFERED" with the year number of years of the futility
of being a King fan...and added a year as each year passed. ALways meant to have it printed as a shirt and wear. Glad I never did that! Took over 40 years and now happy to be spoiled! Was one of the pessimists, who wanted to start losing every game around February, in order
to get a higher draft pick, when the playoffs were out of reach. Seemed like the only hope for so many years...Moved to Denver on 2006 and attend the King games here.
