STH Tales: Among the Stars

BostonBruins.com - As Lynne Brimhall made her way into the premiere, she couldn't help but find herself feeling a bit overwhelmed as her favorite stars mingled around her. One after another they arrived at the Loews Theatre on Tremont Street, leaving Brimhall at a loss for words.
No, it was not your typical movie premiere. Brad Pitt was not walking down that red carpet.
Though, in Brimhall's mind, there was one man at the event who she considered to be of equal stature.

"It was the Stanley Cup DVD release party [in 2011]. I took my father because he's a great wing man," Brimhall joked. "It was the first Cup that we'd ever seen together. We were walking in, and as a fan you're kind of overwhelmed because it's your favorite players…[at one point], I was like, 'Oh my God, that's Tim Thomas.'"
Thomas, of course, was the star of the show. The netminder had just secured his place in Bruins - and hockey - lore with a legendary performance throughout Boston's quest to the Cup.
The Michigan native capped one of the best seasons ever put forth by a goalie with an unforgettable 25-game run that saw him post a 16-9 record with a .940 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average, which earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason MVP.
And for that, Thomas became as big a celebrity as any across New England.
So, when a Bruins staffer offered up an introduction, Brimhall couldn't quite find the words as she encountered her all-time favorite player.
"I was so tongue tied that Timmy couldn't help but smile," Brimhall recalled. "I just had this huge smile on my face. He was like, 'Are you OK?' He was in complete shock when I told him it was like meeting Brad Pitt for me…He was like, 'What!?'"
Thomas, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie, was flattered by the comparison and offered to take a picture with Brimhall.
"He took a picture with me and we kind of chatted and talked about the season and how wonderful it was to be a fan and how I've been a fan since I was little," said Brimhall, who has been a Season Ticket Holder since 2007 and sits in Balcony 308. "He went on his way and I think I had a smile on my face the whole night. It was a really good moment."
Brimhall had always appreciated Thomas from afar, noting his modesty and dedication to the game as the primary reasons that he grew to be her favorite Bruin across his decade-long run in Black & Gold.
"He was so humble. He could have a really amazing night and in interviews he always said, 'My defense was spot on or the offense put the numbers up to give me a comfortable cushion,'" she said. "You could just see that year that he wanted to do his very best and do whatever it took to get to that point. I know in his offseasons he trained and did yoga so he got a little more flexibility.
"It was nice to see that he was putting in the effort to bring the Cup back to Boston. That whole team was. There was just something special about that team that they had a bond that brought the Cup home."
Brimhall was understandably a bit relieved when Thomas turned out to be exactly the person she had hoped he would be.
"It was kind of refreshing," she said. "I've gone to a lot of events and I think, for the most part, hockey players are genuinely who they are - decent good guys, down to earth, really appreciate the fact that there's fans and appreciate the fact that you show up every night and watch them do what they love."
Brimhall, who also identifies Shawn Thornton as another of her favorite Bruins, believes that special relationship between the fans and players is a strong reflection on the sport of hockey.
"I'll be honest, I have gone to see [the Bruins] play in other arenas - I went to college in New York and got to go to some Buffalo Sabres events and it's just the sport in general," said Brimhall. "The guys that are in the sport genuinely love being there. I met [Sabres forward] Rob Ray in college who back then was the biggest tough guy. I was surprised at how nice of a person he really was.
"I think with our boys, they know how much the sport means to fans, and they know that we're fans that know our stuff. That makes them appreciate the fact that we can spout facts or talk about [different parts of the game]. It gives us a better connection."