I remember it clearly. I walked in to a Calgary Ticketmaster and asked about available tickets for the Habs in Edmonton. The lady looked at her book (or computer) and said yes indeed, she had four, right behind the Edmonton bench.
So my first wife and I and the kids hopped into our minivan and drove up to Edmonton to see the boys play the Oilers, and we were going to be so close we could probably talk about the weather to the players as they skated nearby. It was going to be a fantastic evening.
We got to Northlands Coliseum during the warm up, and yes, our seats were spectacular. Players were skating around and getting loose just a few feet away. I felt sorry for those other fans higher up. They weren’t privileged like us because we had the best seats in the house. Everyone was probably wishing they had seats like us.
How could I be so lucky? I patted myself on the back.
Close to game time, Oilers’ backup goalie Bill Ranford took his seat right beside my son, and my son looked at me like I was the world’s best dad.
Then it happened. Edmonton coach John Muckler, assistant coach Ron Low, and a trainer all walked to the bench and took their places right in front of us. They even stood shoulder to shoulder so there wasn’t even a gap to look through. We had a great view of the stitching on their jackets.
We couldn’t see a thing except when play was far down at each end.
Tickets were $35.74 each, along with restaurants and hotel. I figure John Muckler owes me about $500.
Here’s the sad evidence. I never noticed the part at the bottom that says ‘obstructed view’ until years later. The ticket seller never mentioned it.
Don’t you think the coaches could have spread out a little?
