I've told you all my LONG story before. Here's the condensed (as best as I can do) version:
Mom and Dad - both huge sports fans (Mom moreso than Dad). I took that on.
As a teen, chasing my b/f around...we had a friend with an older brother who had his own apartment. Watching over there. Them watching the game, me mostly watching him.
We'd go on to get married. My ex started losing interest in sports...we were doomed at that point.
When we split up my son was young and I had to pick up the slack and be mom and dad.
My son loved hockey early on so it was he and I. He played...I took him to practices/games.
He loved the Canucks...again, following Grandma's lead (my mom). Her favourites? Trevor and .... Brent Sopel.
Gino (she taught him how to play poker).
My brother was a card collector/seller and invited us to shows.
Hockey was just everything all the time for us.
Back then they had lots of fun stuff for kids...family carnivals, open practices, etc. We did them all.
We met Bure (a few times), Linden (many times), Pat Quinn, etc.
The team felt like family to us. '94 when we lost the cup we went to a big deal at BC Place to "celebrate" the team. Felt like we'd won the cup...so fun.
Hung in there through some rough patches. The dark Messier/Kennan clusterpuck era. And the Steve Moore bs (I led the Bertuzzi march).
Then my friend started inviting me to games in 2010....on the glass. It was such a surreal experience being down there.
2011 - my glory days. Went to so many games, got to go behind the scenes, meet players (accidentally wandered into the wives' room lol).
Amped it up even more.
Burr, Bieksa, Sedins. So fun.
And then...this team. What's not love?
Petey got us all super stoked.
Miller (for me) from the get go.
Huggy (my son's current favouite).
It all just makes sense. I was born this way.
CDC really sent it to the next level for me. Have met so many good people. My son met his wife there. Her best friend met her guy there. It's just been a wonderful experience for our family going way back.