Old Time Hockey
August 31, 2006
I’ve been noticing more traffic from Ottawa one my website. Glad to see some of the Ottawa Senators fans checking on things in Bingo. When I was on Sens Underground they asked me about hockey fans in Binghamton and how popular the sport was. I think what a lot of the Ottawa fans don’t realize is that, despite being in the US, hockey has been in Binghamton for a long time. I sit next to 2 season ticket holders who have had their tickets since day 1 in 1973. This might be the 5th anniversary of the Binghamton Senators, but it is the 38th anniversary of pro hockey at our arena.
Back then hockey was a bit different. I just came across an old ESPN article that compares the scenes in the movie Slap Shot to the real life hockey of that period. The Broome Dusters, Binghamton’s first pro team, was a part of that league and is mentioned frequently in the article. Here’s my favorite story:
In reel life: The Hanson brothers wear black-rimmed, Coke-bottle eyeglasses, and in one game, get into a fight immediately after the opening faceoff.
In real life: Jeff and Steve Carlson wore those glasses, and did get into a long fight right after an opening faceoff. Roberge told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, “We got into Binghamton about two or three weeks before the playoffs. In the team warmup, we’re out there and all the Binghamton players came out with the plastic glasses and big noses, every one of them, poking fun at the Carlson brothers. We went back in the dressing room and the boys said, ‘Coach, as soon as that puck is dropped, we’re pairing up.’ We had one heckuva fight. They went about 30 minutes until everyone got tired. We met them again in the finals and beat them four straight.”
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