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Inside the Mind of a Hockey Fan: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Passion for the Game

We’ve had a lot of interest in American sports recently and some really great questions from our audience. In this article, you will find an interview between John, the founder of Cultures Exchange, and Anthony, a lifelong fan of the NHL (National Hockey League) from the Philadelphia area. Anthony is Cultural Ambassador, so you will hopefully be hearing from him again soon!


NHL Stadium
NHL Stadium

With his deep connection to the sport, Anthony shares how he first became interested in hockey, recounting his earliest memories of watching games and the players who captured his attention. He offers insights into the game day experience, from attending live games to watching them at home. His reflections also touch on the unique culture and community that surrounds hockey, where traditions and shared experiences play a significant role in his connection to the sport.


Background and Introduction

Q: How did you first become interested in hockey?

I was first introduced to hockey by my dad. He played ice hockey growing up and throughout college. He would always take me to games, and we would watch NHL games on TV. When I was a kid, my dad would always take me to Flyers games, and I remember we would only go see the Flyers play the West Coast teams because there were fewer games to see.


Game Day Experience

Q: What is your typical game day routine?

My typical game day routine is getting my game clothes ready. That’s my jersey, pants and my custom orange and black shoes. I wear them to every game.


Q: How do you prepare for attending a live game versus watching it at home?

Usually if I go to the games, I’ll get there early so I can watch around the stadium and watch the pregame warmups. If I’m watching at home, I’ll get a snack ready and a nice spot on the couch to watch the game.


Q: How much might tickets cost and where would you go to buy them?

Depending on seats tickets are usually $75-$120 apiece and I’ll get the on any of the ticket apps I can find the best deal (like Ticketmaster, StubHub, or SeatGeek).


Favorite Team and Players

Q: Which team do you support and why?

My favorite team is the Philadelphia Flyers and if the Flyers are out of contention my favorite west coast teams I’ll root for are the Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche or St. Louis Blues. I grew up watching the Flyers and I consider myself a diehard fan. There’s so much history with the team back to the Broad Street Bullies days and the reputation the teams gets it’s hard not to root for the underdogs.


Q: Who are your favorite players, past and present, and what makes them stand out to you?

My favorite players are Bernie Parent, Pellie Lindberg, Ron Hextall, Pekka Rinne, Jaomir Jagr, Simone Gagne and Matvei Michkov. I’m a huge goalie fan so I pay attention to the position more and I always enjoyed the skills Jagr and Gagne brought to the offensive position. Michkov is the new rookie for the Flyers and he’s already showing so much promise. He’s fun to watch and I can’t wait to see him develop in the future.


Community and Culture

Q: How has being a hockey fan connected you with others in your community?

Being a hockey fan is always a great thing to be. You can always find another fan in the stands to talk about the game and exchange opinions on whether you agree or disagree. You can always have great conversations with totally random people.


Q: Can you describe any traditions or rituals you have with fellow fans?

The thing I love the most about Flyers fans is when they announce the starting lineup of the opposing teams and the crowd screams “SUCKS” after every name. Obviously, they’re all talented athletes but it’s always fun to do.


Memorable Moments

Q: What is the most memorable game or moment you’ve experienced as a fan?

There are a few games that stand out to me. First, is my very first game I went to with my dad. We saw the Flyers play the Anaheim Ducks back when they wore the old Mighty Ducks jerseys.


Another game was also with my dad. The Flyers were playing the Detroit Red Wings and the Flyers were losing 5-1 going into the 3rd period. My dad wanted to leave early, and I convinced him to stay so we could watch the last period. The Flyers scored 4 goals in the 3rd period to tie it up and then Simone Gagne and Mike Richards scored in the shootout for the complete Flyers comeback!


Another memorable game was seeing the Flyers play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stadium Series outside in Lincoln Financial Field. The Flyers were losing again and came back to win 3-2 in overtime.


Q: Have you ever traveled to see your team play? If so, what was that experience like?

I did travel and was supposed to see the Flyers play the Tampa Bay Lightning but unfortunately the day they were supposed to play COVID hit and they shut down the league so I have still yet to travel to watch the Flyers play but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.



NHL Game
NHL Game


Impact on Life

Q: What lessons or values have you learned from following hockey?

One of the things I’ve learned from hockey is how working as a team can help you achieve things you want. Whether it be at work or personal life there is always someone to help and if you work together, you can accomplish a lot.


Challenges and Criticisms

Q: What challenges do you face as a hockey fan?

Hockey fans, especially Flyers fans, get a bad rap. Philly fans are labelled as the worst fans and honestly - we’re just passionate. Of course, there are always bad apples like everything else, but a majority of the fan base isn’t like that.


Q: How do you respond to criticisms or misconceptions about the sport or its fans?

I don’t really react or try to defend because in the end there’s always going to be people who disagree with you or can see how things really are. The best thing to do is to keep on going despite what others think. You’ll go crazy trying to convince everyone you’re not what they say you are and sometimes it’s not worth the aggravation.


Future of Hockey

Q: How do you see the sport of hockey evolving in the future?

Hockey has always been a hard nose, physical sport. The league is trying to get away from it and make it a more finesse league showing off the skills. I don’t think it’s completely bad, but I also don’t think they should totally abandon the physicality of the sport. It has huge impacts on the game that are important but again I also understand the safety aspect of it.


Now that you understand more about the fan experience, what questions do you have? Do you have a favorite team or player? How is your experience different? Let us know in the comments or write in to us at info@cultures-exchange.com! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @cultures_exchange for more culture content.

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Cultures Exchange

We're here to help the world tell its story. At Cultures Exchange, we believe everybody's culture is unique and worth sharing. Our goal is to highlight unique traditions, histories, and daily lives from around the world, fostering greater cultural understanding and appreciation.

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