We have reached the month of September, which can only mean that we are inching closer and closer to Devils hockey's return to Prague on October 4th. But there's plenty of time to share thoughts with the rest of the Pucks and Pitchforks team. First, let's tell a story.
Everyone always has those "Oh, that was an incredible game. I wish I could have been there to see it in person" moments. We have likely all had several of those moments, and many games rank differently. For me, there is one single Devils game that I did not attend that I cannot get over missing. I am not sure if I will ever get over it and it has been nearly a decade.
Unfortunately, we have to go back to the mid-2010s, when New Jersey was not so good at hockey. The date is April 9, 2016. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning for my friends and me. I went to school in New York state, about 90 minutes away from the Prudential Center.
The Devils had a game that evening against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the regular season finale and there were no playoffs coming either. The team certainly did not give me any reason to want to make that commute down to watch their season come to an end. However, there was one aspect I considered that may have led me to go. Patrik Elias, the then 39-year-old future Hall of Fame forward, had been battling injury struggles the majority of the season, and it was not clear whether or not his time in the NHL was closing or not.
He was my favorite player when I started watching hockey as a youngster. For the record I am 29-years-old. I went to as many games as I possibly could through the years and watching his play was always a privilege.
Based on reports I had been hearing back then it seemed like he was going to be given a 1-year deal to go out the right way and actually play a majority of the season as opposed to just 16 games. So ultimately I decided to remain up at school and pass on seeing this regular season finale.
I am an idiot!!! It never once occurred to me that he could get the perfect swan song ending in that game. There was no better way for someone of his caliber to end his career... and I missed it. Honestly, the number of emotions that hit me when he scored that goal cannot be typed into words. At that moment, I knew I had missed his final moment on the ice, even though I could have seen it in person. I held on to as much false hope as I could that he was going to, at some point, sign that contract and suit up again in the 2016-17 season. This, of course, did not happen. He did get his "Last Lap," and I made sure I attended that game along with his jersey retirement the following season.
I've seen a lot of incredible Devils games in my life, some not so incredible, too. But I always enjoy making those memories, especially the ones where Patrik Elias makes a major impact. I saw him lift the 2003 Stanley Cup. I saw him put up 6 points in Game 1 of the 2006 First Round against the Rangers. There are countless others I could say I saw. But this one game is one I will forever have to regret as not seeing in person. That game was 8 years ago, and I am still not over it.
I will be at the NEW JERSEY home opener against the Maple Leafs (wow how ironic), Jack Hughes could score a hat-trick that includes an overtime game-winner and I would trade it away to have been at Elias' last game to see that goal. Yeah, I said it. This could be because I saw him win a home opener in overtime against Chicago (that feels like ages ago), but I don't care. There is not a single player on this roster that will ever overtake Elias on my ranking so I trade it.
I am sure there are plenty of you who have that ONE specific game more than any other that said "I should've been there". Share in the comments! LGD!