Two Special Farewells

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Written on 4/09/2010 by Jim Cerny

There were two special goodbye celebrations, one planned and the other more spontaneous, last night in the National Hockey League.

In Pittsburgh the Penguins played their last regular season home game at Mellon Arena---aka The Igloo---their home since 1967. A trip down memory lane was part of an extended pre-game ceremony held by the Penguins, culminating in one of the coolest on-ice team photos ever as former Penguins and current Penguins gathered at center ice.

They were all there last night in Pittsburgh. Mario Lemieux, Craig Patrick, Bryan Trottier, Eddie Johnston, Phil Coffey, Sidney Crosby, Mike Lange, the great Voice of the Penguins. The late Bob Johnson was remembered and included. Classy night all around, celebrating my personal favorite arena in the NHL.

I'll miss the old barn; miss walking up the hill from downtown and seeing the glistening silver dome up ahead of me; miss getting lost time and again in the bowels of an arena I never could quite navigate perfectly; miss the distinct pipes of the PA announcer; miss the roar of the hometown fans.

Of course there is still more hockey, playoff hockey, to be played at The Igloo this spring before the barn gets razed. That's why the feel in Pittsburgh last night was one of pure celebration, because there was still the feel that another great memory or two lay right around the corner.

In Dallas, there was a different kind of celebration, one that was generated by true love of a city and a fan base for one special player, Mike Modano (above), who quite likely was playing his final home game before retirement beckons him.

It was an incredibly spontaneous and emotional three hours in Dallas last night, building from the roars during pre-game warmups all the way through Modano's selection as the game's First Star and ensuing twirl around the ice.

Modano was brought to tears more than once last night. With less than six minutes remaining in regulation, the Stars organization played a video tribute to Modano on the jumbotron. What followed was a long sustained outpouring of love as Modano received a deserved standing ovation from the crowd. Not only did his teammates join in standing and saluting the player who has been the face of the Stars franchise since it still played in Minnesota back in 1989, but so did the Anaheim Ducks' players---the Stars' opponents on this night---and the officials on the ice.

A player who personifies class, as well as world-class skill, it was no surprise to see opponents and officials join in the salute to the all-time U.S. born goals leader.

Somehow Modano was able to compose himself and score the tying goal on a deflection with 1:47 left to play. The great ones, even at the end of their illustrious careers, are able to script signature moments one more time, more often than not. And Modano delivered.

And then he delivered again. After being denied on a partial breakaway in overtime by Jonas Hiller, Modano scored the shootout deciding goal in a 3-2 Stars victory.

"It was tough to leave the ice (at the end of the game)," said Modano, who soaked in the cheers one last time after beind named First Star. "Not knowing what the future holds, whether this was it or wasn't. The fans were fantastic."

In typical deadpan manner, Modano concluded with the following comment:

"This is probably the end....but you never know, I may come down with a case of Favre-itis!"

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Hats off to Pittsburgh

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Written on 10/09/2009 by Jim Cerny



The latest edition of The Sporting News landed in my mailbox yesterday, and the cover had a picture of Sidney Crosby and Ben Rothlisberger, along with a banner proclaiming Pittsburgh as the best sports city.

And I thought that was kind of cool.

Now, I am big city all the way. Grew up in New York. Have worked in New York, or its environs, my whole career. Currently live in a suburb of Manhattan.

But Pittsburgh has always been one of my favorite stops on the NHL tours I have taken as a broadcaster and reporter. And the city---and its people---deserve to be recognized.

As do the teams of Pittsburgh. The disasterous Pirates aside, Pittsburgh has the reigning Stanley Cup and Super Bowl champions, with the Penguins having reached the Cup Finals two years straight, and the Steelers having won the Lombardi Trophy two of the past four years. Pretty impressive stuff.

That the Penguins are still in Pittsburgh is a great story in of itself. With Mario Lemieux championing this organization through bankruptcy, restructure, and re-birth, Lemieux has, in a way, embodied the spirit of blue-collar Pittsburgh and its loyal Penguins fans.

And it's interesting that Lemieux---who played with elegance on the ice during his Hall-of-Fame career in Pittsburgh---has taken up permanance in Pittsburgh, embracing the city and becoming one of its own, a real hard-hat hero, a transformation that probably took shape when he battled his way back from cancer and several debilitating back woes. I think that---along with his work saving the franchise now that he is part of the team's ownership---transformed Lemieux into a real blue-collar fixture on the Pittsburgh sports scene.

I have always admired the fanaticism of Penguins fans, even if they did go overboard during the 1992 playoffs, threatening Rangers winger Adam Graves for having broken Lemieux's hand with a slash during a playoff series that spring. I was there In Pittsburgh covering that series, and Graves could not step foot outside his hotel without being surrounded by team and league security.

That said, I do admire the passion of the Penguins fans. And I love the atmosphere at The Igloo---or as the corporate types call it, Mellon Arena.

This is the final season for The Igloo, before it gets replaced by a brand-new state-of-the-art arena across the street, and I am going to miss it. The oldest arena currently in existance in the NHL, The Igloo has that quirky spaceship look, with the unique retractable roof for summer concerts. I remember walking up the hill from the Westin Hotel many, many times for skates and games, looking up at this wild UFO-like structure sitting atop the hill, beckoning us all to come see some hockey.

Once inside, the atmosphere at The Igloo has always been awesome. This building can get as loud as any in the National Hockey League. And I can still get chills when I think about the fans chiming in with the PA Announcer during goal calls: "Theeeeee Pittsburgh goal....scored by number 66.....Marioooooo.....Lemieuuuuuux!" Or even the goal calls for Jaromir Jagr, and more recently Evgeni Malkin and Crosby. Neat, hometown fan stuff.

Funny thing about The Igloo, no matter how many times I have been there---and I first covered a hockey game there during the '91-'92 campaign---I still get lost in the bowels of the arena, searching for the locker rooms, media work room, the exit to where the team bus sits.

My partner back in the day when I broadcasted for the Islanders was Chris King. Well, like me, Kinger was a devotee to the cult movie classic "This is Spinal Tap!" If you are not familiar with that "rockumentary" about a fake heavy metal band on the decline, then, well, move along two paragraphs.

But Kinger and I would snake through the underbelly of The Igloo going through wrong doors and down the wrong corridors, trying to find exits or locker rooms, etc. And as we did, we would be shouting "Hello Cleveland! Rock-n-Roll. Rock...and ...Roll!"

Fun times.

Just another reason why the city of Pittsburgh brings a smile to my face, and why it has always been one of my favorite stops in the National Hockey League.

Congrats on The Sporting News honor citizens of Pittsburgh. Well-deserved.

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