Click here if you are having trouble viewing the photo gallery or video on your mobile device.
SAN JOSE — Fans who couldn’t afford tickets to Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game converged at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center for the next best thing:
Absorbing the weekend’s energy and hanging out with other hockey fans.
The four-day All-Star Fan Fair — which continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — included the chance to see and take a photo with the Stanley Cup, meet current and former NHL players, buy memorabilia and participate in hockey skills competitions.
What were fans most excited about?
“Touching the cup,” said John Cermy, a San Jose native and longtime Sharks fan who couldn’t get tickets to the game but attended Friday’s skills competition and turned out for Saturday’s fan fair “to boo at all the Kings fans.”
Saturday’s events also included a three-contest mascot showdown, where Sharkie and his fellow mascots competed at musical chairs, broom ball and an ice hockey match.
“I’m excited about the mascots, and my mom said there will be autograph signings,” said 10-year-old AnnMarie Prum, whose family holds season tickets. She was hoping to meet former Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who is slated to sign autographs Sunday.
A number of current and former NHL players were scheduled for autographs and meet-and-greets throughout the weekend, including Sharks alumni Owen Nolan, Mike Ricci, Dan Boyle and Jonathan Cheechoo.
The fan fair attracted longtime hockey fans as well as newer ones, including Daisy Marie, who started watching hockey last season after the Nashville Predators made it to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals.
Daisy, who didn’t want to give her last name, came to the fan fair decked out in her “Southern belle,” hockey look, a custom-made white dress with pleats made of yellow fabric emblazoned with the Predators’ logo. She also has a gold dress for home games at Bridgestone Arena, and one made of fleece for Canada’s colder climate when she travels there for games.
“I thought, oh my god, Nashville has a hockey team? Then I was hooked,” said Daisy, who was born in Nashville, grew up in San Jose and lives in Orange County now.
The next season, she went to 14 hockey games.
The event included several family-friendly events, including child-sized hockey rinks and a story time.
Lauren Valdez, who moved to San Jose four years ago for work, wore a Chicago Blackhawks jersey to represent her hometown.
Her 2-year-old son, Emmett, tried his hand at the skills competitions and was excited to see a goalie in a Blackhawks jersey.
“He thought he was shooting at (Chicago goaltender) Corey Crawford,” Valdez said. “I think he’s just excited that we’re wearing matching jerseys.”
Details: Tickets to Sunday’s fan fest are available at the door. Admission is $20 adults, $15 for youth, seniors, college students and members of the military. Children 2 and under get in free.
Contact Thy Vo at 408-200-1055 or tvo@bayareanewsgroup.com.
