[ty4orce]

Being from Montreal hockey has always been in my blood....I started out playing ball hockey with friends had my first pair of skates at the age of five.....watching players like Cournoyer I was determined to be the fastest skater on the ice dipsy doodling hair flying back deaking out the goalie and scoring that spectacular goal.........listening to the fans, and then my team mates after the game was over it is a great feeling......feelings that you don't ever want to let go.........and you know what you don't many years later and still playing, whether it be with a gang of friends playing a game of pick up or in an industrial league you still relive those feelings........I will never stop playing until my body does not permit me......
As for collecting I started at the same age it all started by playing leanies and knockies yes I can remember all those Orr rookies with the dinged corners from playing but you know what knowing the value of them now it was still all worth it........the collecting was at a stand still for quite some years and was peaked again in the eighties with talk of a young super star by the name of Wayne Gretzky that is when I got into collecting as a hobby........

[jowlsisacanucksfan]

I grew up in Canada as a 70`s kid. Back then a kids life was playing road hockey every day until dark. I still remember counting down the days until sat. The cool fall sat evenings playing hockey on the street until dark. We would head in, scarf down supper that was left in the oven for hours after everyone else ate. Jump in the tub and get out just in time for Wayne and Shuster and then onto the game on HNIC. My dad and I would settle in to watch the game on CBC on an old black and white TV. Cards and stickers in hand which I would spread out on the floor all the players in that nights game. I would usual only make it through 2 periods before doozing off and would wake up to my dad carrying me into my bed. Back then a kids life was pretty care free, life was all about family, some chores and hockey (playing, reading, watching and collecting). My dad always liked the Bruins, for some reason I was drawn to the Leafs.

Now I am the dad and I spend sat nights watching HNIC with my 10 year old son. We still take out our cards and pick out those of the players playing. When I hear the old HNIC theme song I still get goose bumps, its so awesome. Its so cool to be able to be able to introduce and share the experience with my son just like my dad did with me.

Sooooo true! This too was my life as a kid and my brother and I would make up our own games with the players hockey cards. The Hockey night and canada song to this day still gives me goose bumps and when the Canucks were on.. there was no way I was going to bed early on a school night and the days it wasn't on tv i would pretend to be sleeping while i listened to the Canucks games on a small portable radio under my blankets trying to be quiet lol

[Merovius]

Learned to skate in my backyard on a 80' x 50' rink my brother, dad and I built every year. Played on travel A and AAA squads through high school, played prep school hockey at Canterbury in CT. Quit playing high level competitive in college when I went to RPI, D1 school in NY. Adam Oates' alma mater.

I still skate twice a week and play pond hockey in the winter. Played in the US pond hockey championsips last year in the open division and will play again this year.

Nothin like ol' time hockey in Minnesnowta w/ 20 below weather, Huzzah!