Old Friends Renew Acquaintances

Wild Provide Refresher Course In Goosebumps 101

Patrick Donnelly, Staff Writer
October 12, 2000, 2:25 a.m. EST

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The last time an NHL game was played in Minnesota, the Mighty Ducks were a movie. The Winnipeg Jets had not yet morphed into the Phoenix Coyotes; nor had the Quebec Nordiques become the Colorado Avalanche.

Atlanta and Nashville? Maybe they were big stops on the NASCAR circuit, but they certainly didn't know a five-hole from a five-iron.

And of course, the only Stars in Texas were on the Dallas Cowboys' helmets.

Yes, a lot has changed in the seven seasons since "our" North Stars were kidnapped by that slick Canuck of an owner, that guy whose name I can now scarcely remember.

Norm Green sucks!

Oh yes, thank you. Anyway, on a warm October night, 18,827 Minnesotans gathered in downtown St. Paul to welcome back an old friend -- the National Hockey League.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a huge North Stars fan when I was a kid. I watched every minute of every spine-tingling playoff game in those memorable runs at the Cup. I cheered with them; I bled with them; I hated the Blackhawks with them. I could recite the entire roster of the 1981 Stanley Cup finalists -- in numerical order. You doubt me? No. 2 Curt Giles, No. 3 Fred Barrett, No. 4 Craig Hartsburg, No. 5 Brad Maxwell . . . need I go on?

But I'll concede that when the North Stars left for Dallas in 1993, I lost touch with the NHL. I couldn't identify with a team, and therefore I couldn't cheer for any team. And with the goosebump factor removed, there just wasn't the incentive to follow the comings and goings of the most unstable of the four major professional sports in any more than a cursory fashion.

Gretzky? Yeah, great. Uh-huh. Jagr, Kariya, Bure -- I year you. Now where's the clicker?

When the league awarded an expansion franchise to an ownership group from Minnesota and the Wild were born, the needle on my interest meter barely budged. By then, I had filled my winter nights with other interests, and I wondered if we even needed the NHL in Minnesota. Maybe this market can't support four teams and a Big Ten university that splinter and disperse the area's discretionary income like dandelion spores in the wind.

And on a personal level, would my interest in the game return? Would there be the familiar tingle down the spine for a battle with the Atlanta Thrashers? Would I even recognize my old friend after all these years?

But I guess there's only one way to find out. Game on, lace 'em up, drop the puck, and all that good stuff.

The process began Wednesday. On the way to the home opener -- a 3-3 tie with the Philadelphia Flyers -- I felt like I was driving to the airport to pick up an ex-girlfriend. I was nervous, apprehensive, even a bit giddy, at the prospect of walking back into an NHL arena again. I practiced my hockey questions, in case I found myself with a little one-on-one time with a member of the Wild.

Tell me Sylvain, did you always want to be a hockey player when you were growing up?

Lubomir, if you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be?

Hmm . . . it might take a little while to get the hang of this again. I mean, like I said, a lot has changed in seven years, and not just the location or number of franchises. For one thing, we've given lots of jobs to ex-Commies . . . err . . . citizens of the former Soviet-ruled lands in Eastern Europe. That makes the average NHL roster read more like an eye chart than a scorecard these days.

Also, I noticed a few more changes, such as four officials on the ice (two referees, two linesmen), a four-on-four overtime period, and a point awarded for an overtime loss. That's all part of the new world order in the NHL these days.

But when you boil it down, it's really not all that different. The crowd's first roar of the night came at 6:44 p.m. when the Wild hit the ice for their pregame skate. The crowd's first boo of the night came at 6:45 when the Flyers hit the ice for their pregame skate. Right on cue, baby -- the fans didn't miss a beat in seven years.

Indeed, it could be said that the fans were the focal point of the entire night, or at least the pregame ceremonies that featured former North Stars, Minnesota hockey legends and a St. Paul mayor, but no Minnesota governor (the appearance fee must have been too small).

A number of banners were unfurled in the rafters of the Xcel Energy Center, including one introduced by Minnesota hockey pioneer John Mayasich. I could be mistaken, but I think those were the beginnings of goosebumps on the back of my neck when Mayasich told a hushed audience, "Welcome to the state of Minnesota, the State of Hockey."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman drew a smattering of boos for his perceived role in Green's hijacking of the North Stars. But he won over the fans instantly when he said, "It's obvious we never should have left -- Minnesota, welcome back to the NHL!"

As one roar subsided, another would rise with the excitement continuing to bubble beneath the surface. Wild chairman Bob Naegele told the crowd, "The fans will always be No. 1." And then he proved his point by announcing that the Wild would retire jersey No. 1 in honor of the Wild fans. The wave of cheers hit a crescendo as the "Wild Fans No. 1" sweater reached its permanent home in the rafters high above the Xcel ice.

Then the game began, almost as an afterthought at first, a sideshow to the festivities of introducing the Wild to their new legion of adoring fans. The teams were acting the same way I was at first -- apprehensive, taking a cautious approach, feeling each other out, not wanting to make a mistake, slip and fall hard and get burned.

But then Minnesota's Curtis Leschyshyn stapled Philadelphia's Justin Williams to the end boards, the crowd erupted, and the jitters were gone. Shortly thereafter, Peter White put the Flyers on the board with a rebound goal. And just 16 seconds later, Andy Sutton of the Wild and Gino Odjick of the Flyers duked it out in the First Home Fight In Franchise History. Each player gave as good as he got, and the crowd roared its approval.

Late in the first period, the Wild tied the score -- fittingly, on a goal by former U of Minnesota Gopher and Richfield, Minn., star Darby Hendrickson. Winger Maxim Suchinsky fed him a perfect pass across the crease and all Hendrickson had to do was put his stick down in the right spot to make Wild history.

And finally, the fans roared their loudest. It was as if a seven-year bubble of pent-up frustration, agony and anticipation burst as the net bulged behind Flyer goalie Brian Boucher. If Daunte Culpepper had connected with Randy Moss for a TD or Terrell Brandon fed Kevin Garnett a picture-perfect alley-oop, the crowd could not have been louder.

Horns blared. Grown men hugged. Strangers high-fived. Demons were exorcised. Goosebumps returned.

Welcome back, old friend.

What took you so long?

Related Stories:
October 12, 2000 -- Music Is Noteworthy At Wild Opener
October 12, 2000 -- Nine Surreal Moments At The X

Want more Donnelly? Check out his archive of past columns.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]