PACK CHARACTERS

When you attend a game at any professional level there will always be people who become part of the character of the game and make it an event. The Hartford Wolf Pack are no different. They have the mother and her two daughters that get all excited about  “The Good Ole’ Hockey Game” and then there’s Jason Palica.

What? You don’t know his name?

Well if you attend any Wolf Pack game or watch the home games on AHL Live, you’ve seen him plenty of times. He’s “The Cow Bell Guy.” 

Palica is a 33 years old, married for eight years and grew up in Vernon, Connecticut. 

 “I’ve been a hockey fan for the better part of my life,” Palica told Howlings. “When I was growing up, my dad took me to a lot of Whalers games, so that’s where my “hockey Jones” came from. Back in the day my favorite player was Ray Neufeld.” Palica said.

“After the Whalers left for the Carolinas, I fell off the hockey radar (watching sporadically) until January 2006, when I went to the Whalers Appreciation Night where the Pack beat Portland 5-3.” He continued. “From there, the hockey blood started flowing again and I became an avid fan of the Hartford Wolf Pack!”

“During the off-season after ‘06 – ‘07, I got an idea and mentioned it to my wife, Andrea, that I thought it would be cool to do something like the cowbell just for fun at the games.” He said smiling. “The idea of using (the cowbell) at the games was something I wanted to run with.”

The fans liked it and so it started to become a more regular part of Pack games. It resonated with fans much like “Fireman Ed” is with the New York Jets, or “Dancing Larry is for the New York Rangers.”

The Wolf Pack realized that people were on to something. Palica says, “I think sometime during the ‘07 – ‘08 season, if I remember correctly, they started doing the SNL parody of “Don’t Fear the Reaper” on the jumbotron.”

The video Palica refers to is the infamous “Behind the Scenes look at Blue Oyster Cult’s recording featuring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. “I played along with it, got a kick out of it (as did the fans), and continued doing it from there.”

When asked how he knows when the team is going to want him to reprise his now famous musical interlude, Palica says that there is no plan. “It’s spontaneous. Sometimes it catches me by complete surprise. Like before the shootout against Albany recently, they played it right before the shootout began when they usually do it during 2nd intermission. I did my thing and the funny thing was, I think it held up the start of the shootout a little bit.”

What started out as a little goof for fun has taken on a whole new meaning for the Shipping and Receiving Clerk.

“It means a lot to me.” Palica says. “I love being there at the games, having fun watching and cheering the team on.” He then added, “Playing the bell when the Pack scores, or during intermission is fun and other fans have a good time with it too. So, no matter what kind of day I’ve had, I always get excited knowing I get to go to the XL Center later, hang out with my ‘hockey family’ and friends, and watch the Pack play and cheer them on in my own unique way.”

But putting yourself out there can get you noticed and the Wolf Pack faithful certainly have embraced Pallica. “I am recognized by a lot of fans every game. Kids, their parents, other fans all saying “Hey Cowbell!” or “We need more cowbell!” or chanting for me during games, it’s really cool. I like the fact they appreciate what I do and enjoy it, and that it makes the game that much more enjoyable for them. On some occasions, there will be the kids that say ‘Hi’ or are too shy when their parents point me out to them. I will still say “Hey there” or “Hi” back to them no matter what and then ask if they want to hit my cowbell. They’re like “YEAH!”. It makes me happy to make a kid’s day like that. I actually have a group of youngsters (Nicholas, Chris, and Jessica) who come down during the 2nd intermission to play their own cowbells along with me and hold up posters. They’re really cool kids and it’s a lot of fun.”

Palica adds, that, “It just makes me think how nifty it is to have them down there wanting to join in the festivities with me.”

But the recognition hasn’t just been limited to coming at the games or limited to Hartford. “My wife, Andrea, and I went down to Madison Square Garden for a game in March this year and as we were walking in to get our tickets scanned, I hear someone yelling, ‘COWBELL! COWBELL!’ I’m looking around for the person, when I see these two guys off to my left. I give this look as if to say ‘Who me?’ and they nod, ‘Yeah.’ It turns out they’d gone to a few Wolf Pack games and recognized me from there.”

Even the players, get in on the act on occasion. He’s interacted with players at Booster Club Appreciation Dinners, Meet and Greets, etc. It’s really cool. Actually, on our way back through Grand Central to go home from MSG after the above-mentioned Ranger game, Andrea and I were in the book store in GC looking around when I felt this tap on my shoulder. I turned around and I swear I did a double-take when I realized it was Pack goalie Miika Wiikman! He was in town with his girlfriend catching the Ranger game himself. We chatted for a little while and I got a photo op before we both had to make our ways back home. It was a great experience!”

Where this all goes from here is anyone’s guess. The one thing that is for certain is that when I have a “fever” for more Cowbell, I always know that Jason Palica will be there.