I was looking around hockey room the other day and I saw a photo hanging up.
It was a great photo of my daughter the hockeymonkey and Mark Messier "The Moose" captain of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers.
I wanted to share the story on how this incredible moment came about.
the hockeymonkey was born in 1994....the same year Mark Messier predicted that the New York Rangers would come back trailing in it's playoff series against the Devils and in the finals versus the Canucks.
He said that they would win in both series and the Rangers would hoist the cup...they did!
At the time however I had no idea the hockeymonkey would be a big hockey player and fan.
The Rangers started coming to training camps in Burlington in the mid 90's training at "the Gut" at UVM and staying at the Sheraton yes the same one as my Gift Shop.
The year after they had won the Cup they came into town on a Sunday and I went over to get some stuff signed with my son Justin so we could have some Rangers autograph's.
He got plenty of stuff signed that day and we have it hanging in the hockey room.
As the next few years went by I went many times to the Sheraton to get signatures of Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and of course Wayne Gretzky his last year in the NHL.
At the time "Sully" the bellman (he is still there today outside my Gift Shop door Wednesday, Thursday,Friday and Sunday mornings) would chase me and my friend Woody away. But we were to good at sneaking in.
As the hockeymonkey got older and started following hockey she started collecting as her favorite player Pavel Bure "The Russian Rocket".
When he became a Ranger I decided the she had to meet her hero.
After a Fall League Green Mountain Avalanche game. The Rangers were coming into town early on a Thursday for training camp.
After the game I took her and a couple of her teammates Robbie Dombrowski and Matt Levinsky and their parents over to the Sheraton.
To avoid "Sully" we decided it was best to go to the restaurant and order some food and wait for the players to arrive.
After a little while Eric Lindros came down.
He came right over and talked to the kids and even shared some French Fries with them.
He autographed stuff for them and talked hockey for a little bit.
More players kept coming down and more autographs the kids got.
the hockeymonkey had never met a real NHL player before she was only 8 at the time.
She kept asking "Where is Pavel Bure?"
A little while later her question was answered in walked "The Russian Rocket". the hockeymonkey was known for being very very shy at this time and "The Russian Rocket" was very quite himself.
But she did not hesitate to go up and ask for his autograph and ask him a few questions about hockey.
He answered her and even posed for a picture with her.
She could not stop talking about it.
The next week we went and watched The Rangers practice almost everyday.
I bought her a Rangers jersey and hat and before the week was done both the hat and jersey were covered with autograph's.
The jersey is hanging in the hockey room and is signed by Mike Richter, Alexei Kovalev, Darius Kasperituis, Eric Lindros, Petr Nedved, Jamie Lundmark, Mark Messier and of course Pavel Bure.
At the last game we sat behind the blue teams bench and the hockeymonkey had me take pictures of her standing behind Bure during the game.
He even touched the glass once with his glove for a hi five.
After the game his white towel was hanging over the glass.
the hockeymonkey snuck up to it a pulled it down the trainer said it was "ok" and we still have that in our hockey room unwashed of course.
When the game ended I watched the players leave on the opposite side of the rink and I saw Mark Messier hand his stick up to a fan above the bench.
I had seen him do this in the past and it was always the same place.
The next season the Rangers came back to Burlington.
Me and the hockeymonkey spent another full week getting autographs and watching practices the hockeymonkey started to follow most of the Ranger games in the paper and even had collected some articles in a scrapbook as the year went along.
Her two favorite players in the "The Russian Rocket's" towel.
This year would be even bigger.
"The Moose" as he was called was an incredibly nice signer but if he remembered you each day you would not get him again.
So the hockeymonkey got a puck signed early in the week and y did not ask him for another autograph all week long.
That was the way she is.
He would always say "hi" to her on the way into practice and even patted her head a few times on the way in.
It was kind of neat to watch this great hockey player, probably one of the greatest captains and leaders in the history of the NHL being so nice to my little girl.
As a matter of fact many of the players started calling her by name.
Her and her friend even got interviewed for the Rangers preview show on the MSG network for the upcoming season.
The last day of training camp I got the hockeymonkey out of school right at 2:30.
We went right to "The Gut".
I wanted her to be there early for the game so she could wish the guys luck and so we could get to our seats early for the game.
We were going to sit with Erin's family at the game.
We could not go in until "The Russian Rocket" and "The Moose" arrived.
Pavel was first and the hockeymonkey wished him luck and he said "thank you" and patted her on the head.
A few minutes later the Sheraton shuttle van showed up and out came "The Moose".
100's of people went to get his autograph with much speculation that this was his last season in the NHL.
He did sign a few but was rushed for time.
He did stop to smile at the hockeymonkey and pat her on the head before he went in.
It was a sign.....
We got in the arena and I looked to the area above The Rangers bench there were seats opened above the entrance.
I figured what the heck.
We all went up to the seats.
There was room for six and there were six of us.
The teams came out and "The Moose" and "The Russian Rocket" were on the same team.
They were sitting right below us.
What a night.
During the game Pavel smiled at the hockeymonkey a couple of times and "The Moose" even gave her a wink.
When the game ended the players went to center ice to salute the full house.
As the players were leaving Pavel waved goodbye to the hockeymonkey and "The Moose" was the last in line for the exit.
He was the captain of course.
As he was leaving the ice people had crowded around us.
"The Moose" looked up smiled and held up his stick.
He looked the hockeymonkey right in the eyes and said "this is for you.....Jenna"!!!!
"WOW"!
the hockeymonkey was stunned...he also said to her "met me outside after and I will sign it for you".
We all rushed outside and people quickly gathered around her to see her newest prize.
She told everyone what "The Moose" had said to her.
They could not believe it.
About an hour later "The Moose" came from the building he signed some autograph's and came right over to the hockeymonkey".
He signed the stick and posed for a picture.
She thanked him and as he was getting in the van he said to her...."no" "thank you"....
It turned out that it was Mark Messier last training camp.
He retired from the Rangers after that season.
I never got a chance to thank "The Moose" or "The Russian Rocket" for being such great heroes to my daughter in a time when she really needed them because of health issues with her brother.
The memories the autograph's, the stick and of course the picture of the hockeymonkey and "The Moose" are hanging in the hockey room.
Someday I hope we will see him again so we can get that photo signed.
Until that time comes though "Thank you Moose"............
