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It Started with Tim
We didn’t set out to become regulars at Red Wings games — that credit goes to Tim. 🏒
He’s the real fan. A lifelong believer who went to games with his grandpa back when the Joe was still home ice and Detroit’s glory days weren’t just memories. Hockey runs in his blood, passed down like an heirloom. When he invited us to come along for Star Wars Night, we figured: why not?
That night changed everything.
Our First Game
My husband and I had such a blast that we kept going. One or two games a month for the rest of the season (with Tim, of course). It wasn’t just the game — it was the energy, the ritual, the pull of it all.
The smell of arena snacks, the sound of blades cutting ice, the synchronized groans and cheers. It hooked us before we even realized it.
Enter Evie: The Rookie Fan
Then came Evie.
We started bringing her when she was just 4 months old. People thought we were nuts — who brings a baby to a hockey game? But Evie handled it like a champ. She loved the noise, the pulse of the crowd, the rush when something big happened. Her little face would light up with every cheer. Eventually, she started cheering with them… even if it was for the wrong team now and then. Close enough. ✨
It became our thing. A tradition. A family rhythm we kept repeating.
Our Little Rituals
We started showing up decked out — Evie and I in matching crocheted Al the Octopus hats. We know where to park. We know where to eat. We know where to sit. Our section knows us by now, and honestly? I think they get just as much of a kick out of Evie as we do.
She’s growing up in that arena — learning when to clap, when to roar, when to keep hope alive even if it’s late in the third and we’re down by two. Learning to love a team that might not always win, but never quits. 🔴
Evie and Ellie are in the kids club every year, too. They love collecting stamps and little goodies at each game. Small things, but watching their excitement makes me love the whole ritual even more.
Training Camp Magic
This past weekend, the girls and I tagged along with Mom and Tim for our first Red Wings Training Camp at Center Ice.
When we pulled up, people were already camped out in the autograph line — and I don’t just mean folding chairs. There were literal tailgaters: folks hanging out of the backs of their cars with grills going, like it was an outdoor hockey festival. One woman even baked cookies and passed them out to the line. Autograph hunting, but make it Midwestern.
Inside, we shuffled between David’s Rink and Molon Rink, trying to catch as much action as possible. Ellie wasn’t as into it as her sister (Evie is the true believer), and eventually the restlessness won out. We bailed a little early to hop in the autograph line — but not before snagging an official practice puck that I later got signed by the Captain himself, Dylan Larkin.
So, typically there are 3-4 days of training camp. However, we only made it to Friday and Saturday this year.
Friday in line brought us one of our top five favorites: Alex DeBrincat, plus a couple of the Grand Rapids Griffins — Detroit’s AHL affiliate team, the proving ground where future Wings sharpen their game.
Saturday, Mom and I made a beeline for the line (already long by the time we got there) while Tim went in to actually watch the games. That day we scored Larkin and Lucas Raymond’s autographs, along with a few more Griffins.
According to Mom, this was the “worst year” for autographs — and she would know, since her and Tim have been coming for years. Probably because the team had to head down to Grand Rapids early for the Red and White Game (usually held in Traverse City). The Red and White Game is an intrasquad scrimmage where the roster splits in half so fans can see them face off against each other before the season starts.
Even if it wasn’t the autograph haul of Mom’s dreams, we still had a blast. Since it was a last-minute decision to tag along, I wasn’t exactly prepared — but you can bet next year I’ll come with a game plan (and maybe a batch of cookies).
Memories Along the Way
Not everything has been about regular season games. Last year we went to the Shoresy vs. Red Wings Alumni Game — pure chaos and pure fun. TV hockey antics on the same ice as legends like Justin Abdelkader, Dino Ciccarelli, Danny DeKeyser, Derian Hatcher, Jimmy Howard, Mike Knuble, Joey Kocur, Darren McCarty, Drew Miller, Mickey Redmond, Kevin Miller, Larry Murphy, John Ogrodnik, Ian White, Eddie Mio, and Gregg Malicke. Nostalgia, humor, and fandom all mixed up — and now one of those “we’re definitely doing this again” traditions.
We also visited the HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever exhibit at The Henry Ford Museum. It was smaller than we expected, but still worth it. Interactive displays tested your reflexes, gave you slapshot practice, and showed off artifacts from the Red Wings’ history — game-worn gear, jerseys, even boards from Joe Louis Arena. Walking through felt like paging through a scrapbook of Detroit hockey, only louder and shinier.
Theme nights have become another family favorite. Star Wars Night was the one that pulled us in, but the Wings also throw Grateful Dead Night, heritage/era celebrations, military appreciation, teacher and healthcare worker nights, and even holiday sweater giveaways. They’re a little kitschy, but that’s the fun — every game has its own personality.
And then there are the heavier memories. I was there when Larkin got knocked out. I had just found out I was pregnant, so when he went down and didn’t move, I was fighting back tears. Tim and Dave were in the bathroom, so it was just me, clutching that moment. Mathieu Joseph — already known for being aggressive — was the one who hit him. The arena went cold. David Perron retaliated almost immediately, but he went after the wrong Ottawa Senator and ended up suspended. The rest of the game dragged without our Captain, until the final period when Christian Fischer finally got his chance. He threw punches at Joseph, a small bit of justice before the clock ran out.
Not all memories are heavy, though. For Christmas 2024, Tim got us jerseys. At the store while we were ordering them, we revealed that I was pregnant with Ellie. Hockey and family news, woven together in a way that feels exactly right.
More Than a Game
That’s the magic of sports when it’s done right.
It becomes more than a game.
It becomes ritual.
It becomes ours.
Thanks, Tim, for pulling us into this.
We wouldn’t have it any other way. ❤️🪽
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