GAME 20 - CBJ @ UTA

Norah with Primo seating pregame

This game was a blast. I got to take my little sister since the rest of my family couldn’t go. We were able to get into the arena super early so we were the first ones down by the bench, in prime positioning. I wanted to get there early because Norah’s cousin Lena was coming to her first game and trying to get a puck. Usually Rachel and I have to fight to try and get 1 of them, so 2 for Lena and Norah was going to be a task. Once everyone showed up, we had the whole first row secured. Super clutch.

Lena and her dad came later and Norah was super excited for Lena to enjoy her first game! Lena brought a poster and was going to try and get a puck from Macelli. We got all positioned and waited for the boys to come out for warmies.

Lena and Norah pregame

Right before the boys came out, some more cousins of Lena’s showed up. I didn’t know they were coming. Not an issue, but I knew that it would likely be really hard to get pucks for all 4 kids. So likely a couple of them aren’t going to be very happy. The boys came out of the tunnel pretty quickly, and I had all the kids down in front of me and ready to go.

Pretty quickly, Macelli had noticed Lena’s poster. After a couple of laps around, he came over and tossed her a puck. One of the fastest pucks I have ever seen anyone get. Usually the players wait until the end of the 15 min warmup to toss them out. Lena had secured a puck. A few nights earlier Macelli hadn’t been playing, so it was super awesome that his first game back Lena got one! Because of this, she had come prepared, with a 2nd poster with Schmaltz on it. She had given it to one of her other cousins and he got the 2nd puck. Honestly, the perfect slate of players to try and get pucks from. I have never seen Macelli or Schmaltz toss pucks out so that was super cool. But Norah and one of the other cousins still didn’t have a puck and it was getting to the end.

Keller is always the last person off the ice for warmies. He grabbed a couple pucks and tossed one to our right, and the next one came right to us. I snatched it for Norah and handed it to her. Everyone had gotten pucks except one of Lena’s cousins, but I was feeling pretty good about 3/4.

Norah with her puck from Kells

But man, this kid was distraught when he saw that everyone else had a puck. I’ve been there. So I grabbed him and since we were next to the bench I put him right in front of me and started hounding the trainers on the bench. Before warmups, they usually stash 3 pucks. I knew this so I just kept telling this little boy who was almost in tears to stand there. I kept hounding the trainers. Finally, one of them realized what I was doing and grabbed the last puck that was on the bench. I was pleading as he was trying to decide who to give it to. But hard work pays off, and my persistence paid off. He tossed one over the glass and everyone had their puck! This little boy was so incredibly happy.

Our hard work had paid off. We were able to get pucks for all the kids and everyone was happy! Truly such a fun game and Lena absolutely loved enjoying her first game like that!

Everyone with their pucks