Even though I lost my mom a few years ago, I still think of her especially when it comes to hockey.

One memory will always stand out.

During the Wings cup run in 1998, I was luck enough to win 2 tickets to watch game 3 of the SCF against the Washington Capitals, tickets courtesy of a local radio station.

It was a fly in a few hours before the game, go to the game and fly out. There was no doubt who I would be taking to the game and even though my mom was in her mid-70's and her health was in decline, I was determined to make it a trip she would never forget.

We had some time before the puck dropped, so we visited a local bar in the Washington area, right across from Ford Theater where Red Wing fans were gathering.

My mom became the hit of the pre-party, donning a Wings goalie cage mask and posing for pictures with many of the fans there.

When we arrived at the game, I noticed our seats were about 20 rows up in a nosebleed section and I doubted my mom would be able to make the steep climb. Thankfully a few guys helped me out and we basically lifted my mom up to our seats.

Of course the Wings won the game, went on to win game 4 to sweep the Caps but my highlight of the Cup run was one that lived on for years, seeing the joy on my mom's face whenever she talked about the trip. Her friends really never understood why make such a fuss over a game, but my mom always told them," I was there with my son, nothing could have been any better than that."