Ceremonial first puck
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The ceremonial first puck is a longstanding
The ceremonial puck dropper may be a notable person (dignitary, celebrity, former player, etc.) who is in attendance, an executive from a company that sponsors the team (especially when that company has sponsored that night's promotional giveaway), or a person who has been awarded the privilege as a result of some recent contest or current event. Especially in the
Related terms
The ceremonial first puck is also referred to as the "ceremonial puck drop". Both terms emphasize that the attention is typically on the honoree who actually drops the
The official website of the National Hockey League uses the term "ceremonial first puck" about twice as frequently as the somewhat synonymous term "ceremonial faceoff". As of November 2008, the sports news organization ESPN has never used the term "ceremonial faceoff" in any headline or teaser, while "ceremonial first puck" and "ceremonial puck drop" are used regularly.[1]
Noteworthy first pucks
On October 6, 2002, in front of a crowd of 18,000 at
The 2007
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped the ceremonial first puck on May 27, 2007, when the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Ottawa Senators.[5]
Brian Leetch dropped the first puck on October 4, 2007, at a New York Rangers game.
Capitalizing on her well-publicized advocacy of
As a native New Yorker and former
NBA Legend, Shaquille O'Neal, dropped the first puck on January 11, 2014, at a New Jersey Devils game in Newark.[7]
Literal "first" puck
Although hockey has been played on ice since at least 1825, the game then more closely resembled
References
- ^ "Palin drops puck at Flyers game to mixed reaction". ESPN.com. 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Queen visits GM Place to drop ceremonial puck". Spirit of Vancouver. Vancouver Board of Trade. 7 October 2002. Archived from the original on November 22, 2005. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ "Queen to drop puck at Vancouver hockey game". CTV. 15 September 2002. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ "Dallas' Boucher ends up as starter in All-Star debut". ESPN.com. 2007-01-25. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Senators vs. Ducks - Game Recap - May 28, 2007". ESPN. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Islanders power play kills Islanders". Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ^ "Isles celebrate Military Appreciation Day". NHL.com. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "SIHR | Society for International Hockey Research". sihrhockey.org. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
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