Happy Birthday

Colorado Avalanche v Philadelphia Flyers, March 27, 1997

Core States Center, (eerrrrr West Jersey Hospital, OB/GYN Unit) Sec 221 Row 3


The game that wasn't for me.

We always met at the same bar in Oaklyn for a quick one or two before heading over to the Spectrum. I had a wife 9 months pregnant, about to pop. But the defending Stanley Cup champs were in town for their only visit of the year. My wife's mother was there so it was all good.

Bellied up to the bar were 3 friends and a stranger. Turns out the stranger was there with a fist full of dollars ready to buy my ticket at a moments notice. I wasn't sweating it, I had a game to go to.

As a precaution I called home before leaving the tap room. Only to find my wife and mother in law were in route to the hospital. What to do? A wad of cash was handed to me, I reluctantly surrendered my ticket and bolted to the hospital.

During the third period I called my sister to announce the news. My brother in law gave me a recap of what was happening to that point in the game before I could even announce the birth of our new daughter.

I was given back the ticket stub as a memento.

Pat Falloon did get the game winning goal that evening in the Flyers 2-0 victory. I'm not sure if it was before of after this game but my wife and I accidentally meet Falloon and his wife at a bar and struck up a conversion for a while. They were new to town and did not know anyone outside of hockey circles.