I want to tell you a little story about the good thing that came out of the Bruins game tonight.
If you watched the game, you might not think that anything noteworthy resulted. The team didn’t register a pulse. The crowd grew surly. The energy throughout the Garden was dark and menacing.
But there was one happy pulse beating strongly behind me in Section 313. That was Laura. And, while he was down on ice level, it was also Andrew Ference.
You see, back in 2009, Ference used to make weekly appearances on the WFNX morning show. Somehow, during all of this, reference to Owl City’s “Fireflies” was made and Ference remarked that he hated the song. One thing led to another, and the FNX guys started to refer to Ference as Firefly Ference.
Don’t like the nickname, Andrew? Score a goal for the first time in forever and join the rest of the team on the goal totals. Do that and watch the nickname disappear.
Laura was already a big Ference fan by this point. So she did what seemed logical: She championed the cause. Signs at ice level during warmups, cheering on Firefly Ference. He saw them, he got the joke, and it became a little thing of sorts until he was injured and she was unable to make any more signs to cheer him on. And when the morning show was canceled, there went the reference.
Until tonight. Because, as I’ve said before, Ference scored for the first time in 100 games on Thursday night.
Laura was beyond excited to get down to ice level tonight. So when the Bruins skated out for their warmups, Laura was ready, jumping up and down, holding her handmade sign, recycled from an empty beer case to cut down on waste because Ference is eco-friendly, and cheering loudly. Her boyfriend, Jayson, and I sat next to her, already in giggles over her excitement before he even appeared on the ice.
Shawn Thornton saw it first and gave it a good long look. Tim Thomas was next. One by one, players cast glances, snuck looks, or obviously took their time reading it until Ference skated by …
… and grinned. Then chuckled. And then proceeded to go through warmups alternating between looking and laughing and intentionally ignoring the sign to focus on preparing for the game.
“DO YOU SEE THIS?” Laura shouted. “HE SAW IT! HE KNOWS!” As she continued to celebrate her champion’s success, it was impossible to stop laughing. Tears came and I spent a good ten minutes trying to dry my eyes and stop my sides from hurting from the laughter. I haven’t laughed that hard at anything in far, far too long.
That is why I was busy wiping my cheeks as Ference skated over once more to study the sign. He smiled, he chuckled, and then he hoisted his stick up and over the glass to a now deliriously overjoyed, estatic, disbelieving Laura.
Who then proceeded to make her way up to the balcony with the rest of us and run to every section where a hockey friend usually sits to hoist her Excalibur and shout, “ANDREW FERENCE! AAAAAANDREEEEEEEW FEEEEEEEEREEEEEENCE!”
Among other things.
So. Bruins. There are a million things I’d love to say to you about tonight’s game. In fact, I’d pay good money for five minutes in the locker room to talk to you about how we’re feeling up in the balcony these days and why you really need to figure out whatever it is that’s screwing you up. I have some ideas.
But I can’t be as upset with you tonight as I want to be. You have #21 to thank for that. Because that guy, with a simple little gesture, made a friend of mine so incredibly happy. And for that, I just have to say thanks.
