I was thinking yesterday about my first ever Bomber game and my first ever Jets game, and wondering if anyone else here remembers their first ever games.

I can't remember the exact year but I believe I went to my first Bomber game in 1979, and I think that the stands had just been renovated at that time to add a second tier. I do remember that the Bombers played the Ottawa Roughriders and lost, but the game was in June (went straight to the game from school) so it was an exhibition game. I had no idea what that was at the time, vs a regular season game, I just remember that I loved being in the stands and I loved football. I had seen it on TV before but it wasn't until I watched a live game that I knew this sport was going to be something I would enjoy forever, and that I would forever be Blue and Gold.

My first Jets game I think was in 1978. Bobby Hull scored his 999th career professional goal that night, on a set up from Ulf Nilson, a nice floating pass along the blue line that Bobby skated up to at full speed and hammered home with his patented slap shot. The Jets lost that game to the Cincinnati Stingers 6-1, and I knew I was going to be a Jets fan for the rest of my life after that too.

Way earlier than me.  I grew up in a non-sports household (although my grandfather was a big Bombers fan - played Rugby and Cricket in England and really took to the CFL when he came here).

 

I think my first Bombers game was 1993-ish.  The game Matt Dunigan shouldnt have been playing, stepped back and tore his achilles.

 

First Jets game:  Probably late 1980's.  Jets lost to Rangers something like 7-2.

I don't have the ticket stubs to confirm, but I'm 99% sure this was the first Jets game I saw when I was 8 years old.

 

http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/199301100WIN.html

 

Waaaaay up in the nosebleeds, second row from the top I'm pretty sure. Teemu scored! I can remember people saying that without Mario Lemieux on the ice the Penguins weren't worth a damn. A few days later Lemieux announced he had to take time off to witness the birth of his child fight cancer.

 

I honestly don't remember my first Bomber game. Football was a sport everyone in my family loved that I just never understood. Never saw the appeal until I was old enough to play. Alas, my fragile bird bones were having none of that...

Ha, love this topic for an oldtimer like me. My first Bomber home game was August 1969. Bombers vs Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Bombers had just traded all star running back Dave Raimey a week earlier to  the Argos for qb Wally Gabler their starter in 1968. The Bombers won 16-14. Gabler started & played well in beating the Riders who went on to the GC in Montreal that year losing to Ottawa.

The Bombers improved to1-4 & the Riders to 4-1. It was a huge upset. My friend & I sat in the Salisbury House end zone bleachers with all the other Sal's ticket holders. The crown on the natural grass field was so high we couldn't see the other end zone very well. Tickets were 35 cents. All anyone had to do was go to a Sal's & they'd sell you a ticket. I was 14. Never forget that game.

My first WHA Jets game was in  January of 1972 vs the New England Whalers. Don't remember much about that game except I wasn't able to take my eyes off #9 Bobby Hull. Whether he was sitting on the bench or on the ice I couldn't believe The Golden Jet was playing for my team. I don't remember who won. Ha, I didn't really care.

I do remember former star NHL players on that Whalers team like Leafs defensemen Rick Ley & Jim Dorey, goalie Al Smith from Pittsburgh, forwards Britt Selby from the Leafs  Blues centre Larry Pleau & former Bruins tough guy defenseman Ted Green. Along with Hull, the Jets had former St. Louis Blues centre Chris Bordeleau & former Blues goalies Ernie Wakely & Sabres Joe Daley. These same 2 teams would meet in the WHA Avco Cup with the Whalers winning the very first inaugural championship during the 72-73 season.

As an aside, the first pool I was in was Teemu's rookie year.  I took him early and no one knew what I was doing.  I got Mario first over all and while he missed time due to cancer and back issues, he still won the scoring title.  Had Pat Lafontaine too.  Man, scoring was off the charts back then. 

 

Perhaps this warrants its own thread, but I believe Mario was the most God-gifted hockey player of all time and had he been healthy would have broken many of Wayne's records.  That cancer season, had he played I believe his PPG were very close to Wayne's season points record.  In fact, just checking, he was on pace for 219 points.

I was in an office pool here in Calgary back in 1992. No one knew who Teemu Selanne was as out here no one heard ever of him, even though the Flames tried to sign him. He hadn't played a single NHL game yet. I had the first pick in the draft & I took him. I remember my co workers laughing at me. The guy running the draft said, "Teemu WHO???? Are you sure????" I just smiled. On my team I had Selanne from the Jets, Sergei Makarov from the Flames, Mike Gartner, Messier from the Rangers & one other player I can't remember. Of course, Teemu scored 76 goals & had something like 60 assists. So, I got the last laugh. I had the draft won by Christmas. Won a couple of hundred bucks. LOL!

I dont think i will ever forget the statsline:  76 goals.  132 points.  Seared into my memory.

Damn, all those those Jets player records should be ours, not Phoenix...

I dont think i will ever forget the statsline:  76 goals.  132 points.  Seared into my memory.

 

I miss the days of the gaudy stats that players used to put up in the NHL.    

Better defense, systems, goaltending & equipment. Gretzky wouldn't get 220 points nowadays. Maybe 130 I'd think in his prime. It was fun to watch guys like that dominate, though. There's a lot of faceless players nowadays that score 20 goals & we pay them millions.

I remember I had to walk uphill both ways in 3 feet of snow to both of them. Kids today play music way too loud, and need to pull up theirs pants man.

I remember I had to walk uphill both ways in 3 feet of snow to both of them. Kids today play music way too loud, and need to pull up theirs pants man.

 

AND STAY OFF MY LAWN, DAMMITT

That's my line, tacklewasher. I earned it!!

Ha, love this topic for an oldtimer like me. My first Bomber home game was August 1969. Bombers vs Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Bombers had just traded all star running back Dave Raimey a week earlier to  the Argos for qb Wally Gabler their starter in 1968. The Bombers won 16-14. Gabler started & played well in beating the Riders who went on to the GC in Montreal that year losing to Ottawa.

The Bombers improved to1-4 & the Riders to 4-1. It was a huge upset. My friend & I sat in the Salisbury House end zone bleachers with all the other Sal's ticket holders. The crown on the natural grass field was so high we couldn't see the other end zone very well. Tickets were 35 cents. All anyone had to do was go to a Sal's & they'd sell you a ticket. I was 14. Never forget that game.

My first WHA Jets game was in  January of 1972 vs the New England Whalers. Don't remember much about that game except I wasn't able to take my eyes off #9 Bobby Hull. Whether he was sitting on the bench or on the ice I couldn't believe The Golden Jet was playing for my team. I don't remember who won. Ha, I didn't really care.

I do remember former star NHL players on that Whalers team like Leafs defensemen Rick Ley & Jim Dorey, goalie Al Smith from Pittsburgh, forwards Britt Selby from the Leafs  Blues centre Larry Pleau & former Bruins tough guy defenseman Ted Green. Along with Hull, the Jets had former St. Louis Blues centre Chris Bordeleau & former Blues goalies Ernie Wakely & Sabres Joe Daley. These same 2 teams would meet in the WHA Avco Cup with the Whalers winning the very first inaugural championship during the 72-73 season.

Thanks for those memories! I had to admit up until seeing the Jets live, I hadn't really cared much about them, as they weren't on TV so the only team I got to see every Saturday night was the Toronto Maple Leafs or the hated Canadiens, or the Canucks in their ugly green uniforms, and then their ugly orange and black colours (remember those ugly uniforms?). When Edmonton and Winnipeg joined the NHL, it was a whole new ball game. Boy did the Jets suck the first few years though, after being totally gutted. If the Jets had been able to keep that team together they had in 1979 they would have been one of the top NHL teams.

 

Ha, love this topic for an oldtimer like me. My first Bomber home game was August 1969. Bombers vs Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Bombers had just traded all star running back Dave Raimey a week earlier to  the Argos for qb Wally Gabler their starter in 1968. The Bombers won 16-14. Gabler started & played well in beating the Riders who went on to the GC in Montreal that year losing to Ottawa.

The Bombers improved to1-4 & the Riders to 4-1. It was a huge upset. My friend & I sat in the Salisbury House end zone bleachers with all the other Sal's ticket holders. The crown on the natural grass field was so high we couldn't see the other end zone very well. Tickets were 35 cents. All anyone had to do was go to a Sal's & they'd sell you a ticket. I was 14. Never forget that game.

My first WHA Jets game was in  January of 1972 vs the New England Whalers. Don't remember much about that game except I wasn't able to take my eyes off #9 Bobby Hull. Whether he was sitting on the bench or on the ice I couldn't believe The Golden Jet was playing for my team. I don't remember who won. Ha, I didn't really care.

I do remember former star NHL players on that Whalers team like Leafs defensemen Rick Ley & Jim Dorey, goalie Al Smith from Pittsburgh, forwards Britt Selby from the Leafs  Blues centre Larry Pleau & former Bruins tough guy defenseman Ted Green. Along with Hull, the Jets had former St. Louis Blues centre Chris Bordeleau & former Blues goalies Ernie Wakely & Sabres Joe Daley. These same 2 teams would meet in the WHA Avco Cup with the Whalers winning the very first inaugural championship during the 72-73 season.

Thanks for those memories! I had to admit up until seeing the Jets live, I hadn't really cared much about them, as they weren't on TV so the only team I got to see every Saturday night was the Toronto Maple Leafs or the hated Canadiens, or the Canucks in their ugly green uniforms, and then their ugly orange and black colours (remember those ugly uniforms?). When Edmonton and Winnipeg joined the NHL, it was a whole new ball game. Boy did the Jets suck the first few years though, after being totally gutted. If the Jets had been able to keep that team together they had in 1979 they would have been one of the top NHL teams.

 

A playoff team, anyway. 

First Jets game: March 19, 1986.  Brian Mullen scores a hat trick as the Jets beat the Habs 6-4.  Fergie had just fired Barry Long and was behind the bench and the Jets were showing signs of life. Dan Bouchard was the Jets' goalie and Doug Soetart was the Habs'.  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FHlkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K38NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1120%2C5366356

 

First Bomber game: September 25, 1983. Bombers 50-19 over the Roughriders. Can't find a newspaper link but that doesn't matter because I'll never forget the details. This was Tom Clements' first game as a Bomber.  Nickie Hall started but was hurt in the first half.  Clements came in to a massive standing ovation.  He was playing on just 2-3 days of practice and he and Willard Reaves absolutely smoked the Riders.  Reaves ran wild, he had around 150 yards I think. I'd never heard anything so loud in my life and I knew I'd be a lifelong fan after that game.

Remember that Bomber game so well, also. What Clements did was outstanding. I remember the fans being impatient wanting to see Clements in action. A few weeks later, hall was traded to Saskatchewan for John Hufnagel. What a lobsided deal for us.