HockeyFest Day 3: Saving the Best for Last

The final day of Hockey Fest started a little later, so my morning walk to Staples was more of a leisurely stroll. Having played games, bought jerseys, and gotten autographs the day before, my main mission was to check out a couple of really good speaker panels. But I made one last visit to the big tent first.

There, in all his glory, was Kelly Hrudey, signing autographs and hugging the ladies. Just watching him for a few minutes, it was very clear why he was a fan favorite during his time in LA.



Not much else was going on in the tent, but I was able to locate Jen and Bri again, and we all headed down to the Nokia Theatre to check out the venerable Bob Miller.



Bob has been in broadcasting for 50 years, 37 of those with the LA Kings doing television and radio commentary. Bob is also the unofficial historian of this organization, because he's been here from the beginning. He started with the Kings in 1967, making $22,000 a year and working for Jack Kent Cooke, apparently one of the grouchiest owners in all of sports. I was practically on the floor listening to him do impressions of his first boss. You can get an idea by watching this video from my buddies at KingsCast.

http://kingscast.net/hockey-fest-bob-miller-interview-14/

I also love this picture of Bob "back in the day."

http://kwisp.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/bob-miller-1975/

But Bob survived his terrible boss, and during his tenure with the Kings he's seen it all. He was there January 13, 1979 when the "Triple Crown Line" first played together. He called the game when Wayne Gretzky became the leading scorer in the history of the NHL. And he's seen a terrible skating hockey player known to Kings fans as "Lucky" become the highest scoring left winger in the history of the game.

He's had a few crazy moments too! My favorite story by far was a game he called in Philadelphia at the old Spectrum. The broadcast booth was on the 3rd level of the building, but the only bathrooms were on the main level. Stuck in the booth the entire game, Bob kept holding it in. With 8 minutes left in the game, he realized he wasn't gonna make it, and had to find a creative way to pee in a cup while calling the game. That, my friends, is dedication.

Bob is a true original, and a gift to the Kings fans. I could have listened to him talk for hours.

Once Bob was done, he yielded the floor to the "Growing Up Kings" panel, composed of (left to right) Mark Hardy, Bernie Nicholls, and Luc Robitaille. Mark is the current defensive coach for the Kings, Luc is our VP of Hockey Operations, and Bernie is just crazy!



They look pretty serious in this picture, but these guys were an absolute hoot! You could publish a book of all their crazy stories. Mark shattered a glass on top of Michelle Pfeifer once, Bernie would sneak into his teammates rooms and hide in the shower to scare them, and Luc's first memory arriving in LA was oogling his teammates' Playboy bunny wife!

I guess if Hockey Fest had to end, it should end with everyone laughing. Of course, smiles are great too!



And on the long walk back home, I only had one thought. Is it time for the season to start yet?