Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Penguins Experience

Entry 'The Last Time the Pittsburgh Penguins Won the Stanley Cup' (ID:134717) edited by user 'PenguinsExperience'

Posted: 12 Aug 2009 11:01 AM PDT

Blog: Penguins Experience
Title: The Last Time the Pittsburgh Penguins Won the Stanley Cup
Author: PenguinsExperience

The Final in 1991 was the first time I has ever really paid attention to hockey. I was nine years old and I remember the kids at school were talking about Mario Lemieux. The day of game six everyone was speculating about how Lemieux could win the Stanley Cup that night.

I knew who Mario Lemieux was, but I had never watched him play.

I grew up in Toronto and, while I had seen portions of hockey games, I had never watched a whole game from beginning to end. The Penguins were rarely on TV and the Leafs never interested me.

I don't know why, but I wanted to see this Mario Lemieux person win the Cup.

I remember asking my mom if I could watch the game. I remember her telling me that she thought the North Stars would win that game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won 8-0 and they claimed their first Stanley Cup. I was instantly hooked.

I spent the summer collecting hockey cards, hoping to get cards of the Penguins. My cousin was a Los Angeles Kings fan and I think I had my first Lemieux vs. Gretzky debate that summer.

By the time the 1992 playoffs rolled around I was definitely a full-fledged Penguins fan.

I remember hating Adam Graves for slashing Lemieux's hand. I remember watching Dominic Hasek and Ed Belfour play goal for the Blackhawks. And I remember cheering as Mario Lemieux - who was now definitely my hero - raised the Stanley Cup for the second time.

My uncle later told me that he wanted to call me after the game to congratulate me and the fact that "my team" won. But, I was ten years old, and he wasn't sure I would be awake for the entire game.

I was definitely awake. There was no way I could have slept that night.

Tonight I could experience the same emotions I felt 17 years ago, this time as a 27-year-old man. Instead of sitting with my mom I will be watching with my wife.

The time may be different, the scene has changed and I like to think that I've grown a lot since that little kid watched his hero raise the Cup.

But I know that when Sidney Crosby raises that trophy over his head, I'll feel the same way I did when I was ten.

Lets Go Pens.

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