When did you start watching/following the NHL?

[McPoyle]

I think my earliest hockey memory is Wayne Gretzky's final game. So technically the 90's but I didnt really start watching in earnest until the very early 2000's.

 

[Coffey]

1990. Saw the Oilers win their last cup, came to Canada in 88 but didn’t really care about hockey and was too young.

 

[Three On Zero]

80s

 

[Pablo El Perro]

I started in the late 80s as a 4th grader. Back then, if you wanted stats, you'd hope the news paper would have them.

 

[tabness]

nineties (mid/late)

hockey's gotten worse since (so much softer to artificially inflate skill)

it seems to have been even better early/mid nineties than when i started watching

eighties hockey has its charm but you can see the improvement in skill throughout the decade

seventies hockey is really not fun for me it seems like the least skilled era and the later original six seems far better

 

[PM88RU]

2000-s. Briefly in 2002-2003, much more after the lockout.

Started with Kovi, Ovi, Geno following, but the one who made me fall in love with the NHL was Datsyuk with his magic.

Later started appreciating all the other nations players and talents, as hockey fan should be IMHO.

Though one should understand what’s like to follow NHL in Europe: it’s basically highlights watching, recap and articles reading. Tried watching games a few times, but sacrificing dream time doesn’t seem worth it in the end. Especially if the team you cheer for loses it’s like whyyyyy and the thought that I should have better just slept instead

 

[Finster8]

Born in 65, 70’s had the Broad St Bullies, French Connection, NYI Dynasty hard nose hockey no helmets and fighting that l still like to see a good honest scrap.

 

[Heldig]

Are some of the people saying 70’s or earlier lying?

Why would you think that? Old people can't internet?

I started watching HNIC the same year I started playing organized hockey. 1969.

 

[ThatGuy22]

My earliest memory is the North Stars playing the penguins in the finals

 

[Coffee]

Why would you think that? Old people can't internet?

I started watching HNIC the same year I started playing organized hockey. 1969.

I thought people were lying to make themselves seem more sophisticated, but votes are not public so my comment was not thought through

 

[thegazelle]

Our family lived in Edmonton and my uncle worked at a restaurant that Peter Pocklington used to frequent with the Oilers. My cousins got free passes to the dressing room and met many of the Oilers back in the very early 80s (1980 on the nose). My cousins got a number of different memorabilia and that turned me into watching Hockey Night in Canada with my Dad. It was great in subsequent years to see the Oilers' meteoric rise in prominence and follow the games on TV. Collecting hockey cards helped as well as generate the interest in watching certain players during the games. I am now in my 50s and still watch games regularly. The Oilers are still my team.

 

[willy702]

Kings gave free tickets to our Cub Scouts den in 1981, we all loved it. We must have looked weird after that, only kids playing street hockey in East LA. Big fan to this days, had season tickets for 3 different franchises all because I got exposed to live hockey at 9 years old. If we want to grow the game, just gotta get people to see hockey in person at any level and a large percentage of those fans will be hooked.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Went to a Hawks-Flames game in the late 90’s, always loved the videogames since NHL 94, started playing NHL2k5 with my buddy and he started telling me about how insanely good Crosby, Ovechkin, and Malkin were going to be. Also later on that I should start watching the Hawks because they drafted Toews and Kane and will be very good.

 

[Staniowski]

I started following hockey as a kid in the 1970s. Was a very big fan of the Habs in that era. In addition to playing hockey, and watching on television, I watched a lot of local games with family, in person - minor hockey, Junior B, Junior A, university, etc. I didn't live near an NHL city, but the first NHL game I attended was at Maple Leaf Gardens in the fall of 1985 against the Islanders, Pat Flatley scored 4 goals. Pelle Lindbergh was killed a few days later (in the States) while we were still visiting Toronto.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Immigrated to Canada when I was 13 years old, in 1998. Didn't know anything about hockey before. My earliest memories of watching include the first ever game at Scotiabank Arena (Air Canada Centre back then), and the 2000 all-star game which was in Toronto. Didn't seriously start watching till the next season, 2000-2001.

 

[Warden of the North]

98-99 season my first "serious" season following the Leafs.

Obviously I saw hockey all through the 90s but that's when it got the hooks in me for good.

 

[amnesiac]

89 Cup final

 

[Sheppy]

I was born in 1990, I remember collecting hockey cards in 1996 and really watching the game shortly after.

 

[joestevens29]

My first real memories of following the hockey go back to about 1965. I quickly became a die-hard Habs fan and remained so until Gretzky came to the Oilers.

Habs
Come on mister Fourier

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I was told as a baby I would "cheer" for the Habs when they scored, so by that way 80s, but really in the 90s.

I watched some of the Habs cup win in '93, but remember nothing

My first real memory is of Robitaille was with the Rangers and he told Gretzky to wait, went out and came back in to win in OT.

I got to stay up late and he f***ing ruined it

 

[Fourier]

Habs
Come on mister Fourier

During parts of the seventies I had a running bet with a friend on which team would win the cup. I took the Habs, he had the field. I only lost once! I still have a soft spot for the team. Watching a few games in the old Forum was a real highlight!

 

[FrozenJagrt]

My earliest memories are of the Leafs-Kings series in 93.

 

[Devilsfan2326]

I like seeing that so many posters here were hockey fans from before the turn of the millennia. Hockey history is always fun to read. Easy to care a little more about opinions from people who saw the players.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Watching on TV since at least the 60s. Following (and listening on the radio) since the late 50s.

Earliest memory would be the Leafs winning the Cup in 1962.

 

[BlueSeal]

I grew up briefly with the Seals and listened to the Blues on the radio in the 80's. My first game I remember was when I was very, very young, Seals vs Blues in Oakland. I am old lol.

The Blues always had parallels to my life. As I grew up, I identified more and more with them for various reasons.