Since letsgokings.com could seriously need a mood change for the better and a day after the anniversary of the Gretzky trade (sorry), I thought today was as good a time as any to talk about how I became a hockey fan. Believe it or not, absent the Gretzky trade and my day job, I would never be the passionate obsessed fan that I am today. Go figure…
Some can wax nostalgic about where they were when the trade came down. I know where I was, working away at my summer clerkship getting ready for the second year of law school. Then, as a non-hockey fan, I knew the trade more from the entertainment world than the sports world. I watched some of Janet Jones’ movies. I also lived within a short distance from her home. When I heard Gretzky was coming to town, my uninformed mind figured that The Great One wanted to come to Los Angeles to be closer to his wife’s world… not his and certainly not a move that many maintain was pivotal in the expansion of the game to non-traditional markets. And Anaheim…. Egad!
It was during one of the Lakers’ three peats that year that my boss, the Senior Vice President of a national title company, explained to me the error in my ways for not participting in the sports discussions among my co-workers. Never backing down from a challenge or the direct advice of a supervisor, I proceeded to attempt to read the sports page on a daily basis. That was one serious snooze to me ….
then . Really.
It was time to go to Plan “B”. Surely, if there was a test, I would have to learn something, who am I kidding, anything on the subject of sports. So, I proceeded to take Sports Law to aid my then non-existent legal career. At the time, I laughed to my friends how I viewed sports fans. I explained then that there were only two things in the world that existed for those afflicted with the sports gene: (1) Sports; and (2) Sex. And the next part is very, very important…
never shall these two things be attempted together.
If it was the Stanley Cup Final or the Super Bowl, and the soul mate of an otherwise loving partner showed up in the best non-outfit ever prepared to fulfill every fantasy of their partner, well suffice it to say…. that much loved partner would need to get out of the view of the television and do it
now . Little did I fathom then that I would be the person I just described then….yikes!
A few years later, I worked for a firm who owned Forum seats to every event at the venue. That same job required me to entertain clients four times a month. I got the memo on what events were still open and there it was, innocent enough in retrospect, tickets for the 1993 play-off game against Vancouver was up for grabs. I called one of my favorite clients and we made a night of it.
At
that time, all I knew about hockey was putting the puck in opponent’s net good, my team’s net bad. Scary to admit now, but yeah… that was all I could follow. That and the Forum had some pretty great music that I sang along with, did some seat dancing and essentially left in glee after the game was over.
A scant series later, there I was on a Saturday night, the infamous game 7 of the series with Toronto. I gathered up some munchies, hunkered by the television and thought, well… this Gretzky is supposed to be something special. Let’s see if that is true and I proceeded to check it out for myself. Feel free to laugh at my ignorance but we all had to become a fan somehow and that was the night that changed my life for good.
Not only did the Kings obviously win and Gretzky had a hat trick, but since that time, Gretzky has been quoted as saying that game was the best game he played in his
entire career. My favorite story I read about was when he shared an elevator with a security employee going down to the dressing room that very same night. The security individual talked about how they were fully prepared for the activity that would surely follow when he officially came on duty at 10:30 p.m. that night. Gretzky responded, not to worry, he starts work at 7:30 and he predicts a far different night at Maple Leaf Gardens. That one game, one night innocently sitting around the television was what made me a fan essentially forever.
What happened in the next series is something that any self-respecting Kings’ fan may never forget and when lucky can forgive. Maple Leaf fans will always hold a grudge against the non-call of Gretzky’s high stick and how that would have changed their fortunes. Similarly, Kings’ fans, okay me, still cannot forgive McSorley for that dreaded illegal stick of his. That same player in my head has forever been named McStick. Yes;
I am still bitter.
The following year I was at the house of a good friend and she asked me to watch her infant which coincidentally happened to be when the game was on. (
See above for the problems with this scenario. ) Her daughter was sitting within a foot of me, thoroughly safe and secure mind you, the Kings score and I scream…
loud. This just quiet child of course than predictably starts screaming. I had spooked her good. My friend comes back and looks at me like, who are you and what have you done with my friend? She said something like I looked possessed or something. In fairness, that is probably how I appeared. Hey, I was a fan that is part of the code, right?!
And to a certain extent, the rest as they say is history. Since that time, while the entire landscape of the NHL changed, surely in part due to the sale or trade of Gretzky (take your pick), I found every opportunity to see live hockey, found message boards for fans and watched every game I could find. No game was too dull. I needed my fix of the game. And that as they say is history.
Now, looking back at my thorough ignorance of Gretzky, who he was and how he changed the game always makes me giggle a bit. Of course, he is all that and a bag of chips to the initiated. To those who are not… well they have to find out for themselves what all the fuss is about. For the future newbies, exchange Gretzky for Crosby, Ovechkin, stir and perhaps you get a similar life change for others.
I will say this. Go easy on new fans. Every future hockey addict has to start somewhere. I suspect not everyone gets hooked on the best played night of a hockey icon. Then again, seeing a game,
any live game is often all it takes. I forever will be grateful for how Gretzky and being a lawyer changed my life. The question for others is how did hockey become a part of your DNA? That is a far more interesting topic for a hot August day while we wait for the best game on earth to start its next season.
Carla Muller Carla.hockeygal@att.net 
Carla Muller
How the Gretzky Trade Changed My Life 
It is funny how hockey can change your life. My new girlfriend (now wonderful kings loving wife) were dating and had never been to a hockey game. We saw the Kings play the Nordiques she was quiet at first then a fight broke out and she was hooked! I think you can kind of equate it to what a Cubs fan feels...ups and and downs no championship. A lot of good times with family and friends have been shared being at or watching a Kings game together. My Kings addiction has rubbed off on my now adult children. One of my great pleasures has been playing adult roller hockey on a line with my son with my daughter playing goalie. Bottomline (just used it for Dr. Naysay's benefit) I agree with you in order to share the love of the game you have to be patient and nuture newbies. 
