The Future is Bright....

Gee Wally · 10-21-2003, 02:53 PM

I know it is for a couple of reasons...

I've been attending camp for a few years . As well as many Baby Bs games as I can.
It has been decade or more since I've felt this good about the prospects, the kids. I've been around long enough to know that it's a crap shoot. More crap than not the last dozen years or so. But something is different here.
Potentially 2 to 5 forwards that can be regulars in the next 2 years.
Geesh.. we must have a few D-Men that will pull on the Spoked B and perhaps the best of them, Stuart, we have yet to see.
My favorite though is goalies.. Freakin' plural guys..
In now over 30 years , I can't remember having 2 homegrown ones that look like they may provide a decades worth of netkeeping.
It could all fall apart . I know this...but like I said something different is going on here. Kudos to the scouts. Kudos to Management for listening to them.

The second reason that I know the future is bright.. My son ..10 years old is hopelessly, madly , in love with the Bruins. I've long suspected it.
He eased into it by taking in Baby Bs games in Wistah. He bashfully asked if I could get a pic last year from HockeyGoddess. And of course she came thru as always.

Then he requested to go meet PJ Stock and got his Pooh Bear Jersey autographed. ( we're still working on jersey selections).

But last and not least. At a school fair this weekend there was a raffle for a n "autographed Bruins Puck " donated by the Bruins themselves.
My boy blew his entire $5 spending money on this one item..
No Playstation 2 or new bike raffle.
No ice cream, no fried dough.
He won the puck.. Out of 1000 people , he won the puck.

He was so happy I thought he was going to burst.
He handed me the unopened manilla envelope .

" Dad, this is for you. I'll get another someday but I wanted you to have it " .... " I was gonna give it to you for Christmas , but couldn't wait."

It is signed by Ivan Huml... but you know what ? ,, to me it means as much as if Bobby Orr had signed it. It sits proudly on my dresser .

My boy will be the next generation of lovers of this team. I'm damn happy about that. They will be in good hands.

The future, my future, is pretty bright.

Jeff from Maine · 10-21-2003, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gee Wally

.

" Dad, this is for you. I'll get another someday but I wanted you to have it " .... " I was gonna give it to you for Christmas , but couldn't wait."

My boy will be the next generation of lovers of this team. I'm damn happy about that. They will be in good hands.

The future, my future, is pretty bright.

The cool thing about this Wally, to me, is this...

Regardless of how bright the Bruins future is...your sons future is MUCH more bright!

You`ve obviously been a tremendous influence, mentor, dad and friend to this young man.

Kudos to you my man, for raising such a fine boy!

Later

neelynugs · 10-21-2003, 03:01 PM

awesome story mr. wally!!!!

even if it was huml

TJF · 10-21-2003, 03:06 PM

Great story Wally, it makes me want to go out and have a son just so he can share in my love for the Bruins.

Gee Wally · 10-21-2003, 03:23 PM

thanks guys...he's a great boy..thank God he has such a great Mom..

It is an awesome thing to step back and look at things thru a kid's eyes once and awhile.. sometimes they see better than us oldtimers..

and if HG is right.. Connor will be breaking girl's hearts wherever he goes.
Mom's good looks too.

WhamBamCam8 · 10-21-2003, 03:38 PM

My son would have said..."You take it Dad, Huml sucks!" "I wanted a damn Joe Thornton puck!"....Just kidding.......Wally, you made me well up, what a great story......

This reminds me of my son's Christmas fair last year where each kid can spend like two dollars per gift......He bought me a Toronto Raptors hat. It's red and purple and I don't even like basketball, but it was from him, and he bought it on his own. I'll never forget the look on his face when I opened it and made such a big fuss...He was the happiest kid in the world....To this day, it remains one of my life's greatest treasures...

WhamBamCam8 · 10-21-2003, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJF

Great story Wally, it makes me want to go out and have a son just so he can share in my love for the Bruins.

It's not that easy.....I like the Mets, Bruins and Vikings.....My son likes the Mets, but he likes the Buc's and Devils and Sharks! He does wear his #11 Daunte Culpepper jersey alot though!

DKH · 10-21-2003, 03:59 PM

my 8 yr old daughter flipped on the TV to watch Disney or Nickelodeon and NESN was still on from the night before and the SportsDesk was just beginning the Broons highlights from the night before. I knew the score was 4-3 in OT but she didn't and they showed all the goals with me offering- "agh" when the Ducks scored and "what a play" when the Broons scrored. But when the Ducks made it 3-1 I said we're doomed, know way we win....but she kept watching and they showed Knuble's goal and then the Thornton pass to set up the tying goal. Of course, I said looks like OT, I wonder who wins and they showed Samsonov scoring...we have a running argument who's better, Joe (her) or Sammy (me)...and when he put it in I told her "that Samsonov is the best" and she turned around smiling with a smirk. I take her to 3 games a year and she loves it. I don't know if she'll be like others but she can skate like the wind- I'm actually guilty of not wanting to be in rinks all hours of the day like we kids put my parents thru.

She'll still take Sponge Bob over Jumbo Joe but I can see the interest is there. When I was 8 I was already going to Bruins-Canadiens Stanley Cup playoff games and hounding Belliveau, Mahavolich and Cournoyor after the game down in the lobby for autographs. I bet my first two autographs were Bobby Orr and Derek- she's got Morrisonn and O'Donnell. But Sean O'Donnell focused in on her and smiled the way I would when I see some kid with a hat on side ways ask for an autograph and then he looked up and winked- and won the both of us over for different reasons.

Bruwinz37 · 10-21-2003, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhamBamCam8

It's not that easy.....I like the Mets, Bruins and Vikings.....My son likes the Mets, but he likes the Buc's and Devils and Sharks! He does wear his #11 Daunte Culpepper jersey alot though!

My 9 month old is already a fan....I just know it.....well at least he starts laughing when his dad jumps around when a goal is scored!!

EspOrrsito · 10-21-2003, 05:16 PM

Cool stuff Wally.

About 10 years ago my oldest daughter went out of her way to get a hockey puck personally autographed by Phil Esposito for her dear old dad.
Ever since I have always had the puck sitting on the top shelf (where Espo probably would have buried it) of my desk.

JimmyV · 10-21-2003, 05:53 PM

great stuff Wally!!

I get the goose bumps!!!

Samsonov14 · 10-21-2003, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gee Wally

He won the puck.. Out of 1000 people , he won the puck.

He was so happy I thought he was going to burst.
He handed me the unopened manilla envelope .

" Dad, this is for you. I'll get another someday but I wanted you to have it " .... " I was gonna give it to you for Christmas , but couldn't wait."

It is signed by Ivan Huml... but you know what ? ,, to me it means as much as if Bobby Orr had signed it. It sits proudly on my dresser .

My boy will be the next generation of lovers of this team. I'm damn happy about that. They will be in good hands.

The future, my future, is pretty bright.

Jesus, Wally. I got a little choked up there at the end. No kidding.

icarus · 10-21-2003, 06:57 PM

Great stories guys. It's stuff like this you would hope the NHL and NHLPA would read before they walk into the boardroom.

**HockeyGoddess** · 10-21-2003, 07:11 PM

What a wonderful story, Wally!! And I do think that Connor will be breaking girls' hearts in no time at all!

I've never met your wife, but he looks quite a lot like his dad, IMO.

Mayhem · 10-21-2003, 07:32 PM

...for providing these wonderful stories of your kids. It brings warmth to my heart reading stories such as these about the next generation of Bruins fans while the innocence still holds them.

SToMper! · 10-21-2003, 09:38 PM

That is so cool Wally. I've got two Boys and they both play hock. Well, a year ago august my then 14 year old gave me 60 bucks for my birthday. It was in a card, and I said he didn't have to do that, just save his money.....and he said no. It was for two tickets to a Bruins game, just me and him. The cute part was he thought two tickets couldn't possibly cost that much.....he was springing for food too!

You had me choked up Wally....kids are awesome to share everything with! Our family is going through some jarring changes right now and we're working on making sure the kids are as settled as can be. Your post reminded how special my kids are in so many ways. Great thread!