"Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is how fascinating the concept of sports is. Take the Rangers for example. At any given time there's a lineup of 18 guys being cheered on by thousands and thousands of people. Some rich, some not so rich. Some in New York, some in countries New Yorkers have not heard of."
"I remember where I was during 2014 Eastern Conference Finals Game Six. My friends invited me out to watch the game with them, but I said no because I was worried they would talk so much that I would miss key moments. It sounds lonely in hindsight, but I essentially locked myself in a room alone and just took it all in."
"There was a lot going on during that time in my life. My parents were starting to get divorced, I had some issues at school, and my mental health was all over the place. But for two and a half hours, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was a bunch of guys trying to put a puck in the net."
"Hockey has been with me through beautiful moments in my life. My wife's first Rangers game to my wife reminding me that there was a game that we needed to watch. Going to games with my best friends, my family, and more. Meeting Jaromir Jagr when I was younger and listening to him yell to no one in particular "I don't care about these kids, just get me a diet coke!" These are all memories I'll always cherish."
I view Rangers fandom as a global connection that anchors personal memories. I remember isolating myself to watch Game Six of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals to avoid missing key moments. During a time of parental divorce, school troubles, and unstable mental health, hockey provided two-and-a-half hours of escape when only the game mattered. Hockey accompanied life milestones: my wife's first Rangers game, shared outings with friends and family, and meeting Jaromir Jagr. In November 2017 a close friend I met through being a Rangers fan passed away, and I used to live-message them updates on games.
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