Canadian Bruins Fan’s Dedication to the B’s Remains Strong Even in Ontario

Editor’s note: NESN.com is asking Bruins fans to share their favorite Bruins memory. Bill Tatarnic, of St. Catherine’s, Ontario, shares this memory.

I’m a longtime Canadian Bruins fan.

I’m 47 now, so I was six when my favorite player scored his overtime goal in 1970. I promptly ran out my door down the street barging into my best friend’s house, yelling that Bobby Orr had won the cup. They were a strict Italian family but loved my enthusiasm. There are a lot of Bruins fans up here in southern Ontario around my age. My friend at work is going to the parade Saturday in Boston; we both collected bet money at work from the non-believers. I wish I could go, I do have relatives in Boston.

My daughter is a huge fan and we watch the games together. [On Wednesday night] after the second goal, I was so happy I jumped up and threw my hands in the air — right through my overhead light, shattering glass everywhere. As a former player, I had to watch the replay, yell “Wooo!” and high-five my daughter with my other hand before cleaning up.

As a Canadian, I took a lot of heat over this, but I have my car flag flying proudly and wear my Bruins hat and T-shirts. At the bar watching Game 6, I let out a “Wooo!” when [the Canucks’] supposed goal, that clearly hit the post, was not counted.

I work with Nathan Horton’s father-in-law in Daniel Paille‘s hometown, so they are local boys to cheer for. I always wear a Bruins jersey at work, so when I called in sick [Wednesday] to watch the game, everyone knew what I was up to.

My daughter’s birthday is the Fourth of July, but I could not wait to give her a gift. A Winter Classic Zdeno Chara jersey. It was early, but it had to be [Monday]. I ordered it two weeks ago and it arrived before Game 6 — funny how karma works. I left it hanging proudly in her room before going to work!!

Do you have a Bruins story to share? Send your story, along with a photo, to fanvoice@nesn.com. Please include the subject line “Share Your Memory” with your name and where you live in the body of the email.