Detroit Red Wings

[Sweet]

.....it's at the Joe, opening day, excitement of a full house, every fan in the stand has a heart filled with Red Wing Juice. The anticipation of seeing Stevie and the Dominator and Chelios, Hull, Shanahan, skating out onto the ice. The fans are thrilled that Dominik couldn't stay retired and wanted to be a Wing so bad it was knawing at him like "hockey termites".

.....there's four minutes left in the third period. Wings down 2-1. Clock ticking. Wings get a power play, the puck heads for the goal and gets deflected into the net with less than a millimeter of error. Score tied. Power play over, full strength on the ice, the clock turns into showing tenths of seconds as an overtime period is ready to be called. Not a fan has left the stadium, it's red everwhere like a battlefield of soldiers. There is less than TWO SECONDS on the clock. The most under-rated player in hockey, the team captain since 1984, still recovering from an injury sustained by a gold metal performance with major surgery that none of us will ever go through on the knee, still a bit shaky and wounded, Steve Yzerman slicks that puck into the goal for the win! A goal that even Gordie Howe would be proud of.

Dave Lewis, a Scotty Bowman protiege slapped a smile under his mustache, Illich happy as a lark, and the whole team on the ice hailing congratulations to Stevie and Hasek and the whole team. The fans ROARING in Pure Hockey Heaven!!!!

And that was game one, from a whole team of Great atheletes, many of whom it likely will be their last season on the ice.

The Wings have so many fans nationwide and worldwide that anywhere they play, you will see the red.

Nothing like seeing a game at Detroit's Joe Lewis Arena, lovingly called THE JOE.

........................and that was game 1 the season.
..BTW.... game 2 Wings win in OT.

So here we go folks.... the beginning of a long season....

The most famous award in sports, The Stanley Cup is up for grabs. May the best team take it with strength, sportsmanship, dental insurance, pride, and spirit!!!!

and may the Good Lord grant grace to all my old wings.....