It was a day in early January of 1987 or '88, and later that evening, my Dad and I would be attending the Bruins-Canadiens game at the old Garden. My father always took me to a game for my birthday, Jan. 5, and we were going after hockey practice. I was a third-string goalie for my high school hockey team, and during practice I took a hard slap shot off the elbow. My equipment was worn and old, and that shot left my right stick-side arm numb, the elbow swollen. My father thought we should go to the emergency room to get the elbow looked at. Being a hockey player and knowing it was B's-Habs, I just put an ice pack on my swollen elbow and off we went.
The surprise my Dad had planned was front-row seats on the corner glass! During warmups, Jay Miller was leaning on the boards in front of us and struck up a conversation through the photographer's hole in the glass. He noticed my ice pack, and asked me what happened. When I told him it was from a hockey injury, he became more animated and asked where I played, what position, etc. He then went to the Bruins' bench and got me some fresh ice. Before going to the locker room for the Zamboni to clean the ice, he told my Dad and me that he was going wreck a Canadien player right in front of us.
True to his word, sometime during the game, Miller blasted a Montreal defenseman to the ice on a hard forecheck. He then continued to push the player against the ice in an attempt to get him to fight. Being a Canadien, of course he turtled until Miller skated away, but not until turning to us with a little wink and a nod. Only a hockey player would interact with a fan in this way, and I will always remember that game.
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