Why Russian fan appreciation days put the NHL to shame

When you think of a "fan appreciation" day, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Bobbleheads? Potato heads? Some beach towels? Player autograph sessions? What would you, as a fan, ultimately want?One hockey club in Russia decided to take the concept one step further. A little over three years ago, a Dynamo Moscow fan named Pavel Gurov met with Dynamo PR manager Artem Dorozhkin and asked him to pass on a proposal to the club president Mikhail Golovkov: Dynamo fans vs. the team they love, as part of the preseason training camp for the professionals. Surprisingly enough, Golovkov agreed and the tradition of fan appreciation days started. The rules have remained the same for these games: no hard checking, no raising the stick above the ankle, for every penalty taken by the pros the fans got a penalty shot. For the pros it was just another skating exercise. But for the fans it was once in a lifetime experience.Applications from fans wishing to participate poured in to th...