Staff photo / Brian Yauger. The Phantoms lift the trophy after winning the Clark Cup on Friday.

Friday night at the Covelli Centre was the best atmosphere I’ve seen there in a long time.

And I mean a really long time.

The Covelli Centre was named for the makers of the ‘Cruze’ and there was a completely different hockey team occupying the rink.

That being said, standing in that rink Friday night felt just like those long-gone nights in a way.

Physical hockey, loud music, a packed crowd and I didn’t even know fans still did the wave, but that happened too. In the final two minutes, a near nonstop wave went around the arena as chants of “We want the cup” echoed throughout.

Then as the clock hit zero, and the Youngstown Phantoms won their first-ever title, there was an eruption in the crowd. It’s the loudest that building has been in years.

Fans stuck around to see the entire roster take their laps around the ice with the cup, and it took at least a half hour for the cheering to subside.

It was nearly impossible for me to do postgame interviews because no one could hear each other over the noise from the crowd.

It was a pain then when my deadline was looming, but looking back, it’s awesome seeing the city of Youngstown give the Phantoms some much-earned love after years of them being treated like an afterthought.

All of this took me back to the days of the SteelHounds.

It’s kind of poetic that Chris Richards, who played with the SteelHounds all three seasons, was not only in attendance, but was on the ice after the game celebrating with the other host parents.

As I was standing on the ice, watching the confetti rain, the players celebrating, the crowd celebrating, all through the lens of my camera, it was hard to not get emotional.

I’ve seen the Covelli Centre nearly empty some nights, and to see it packed again was almost surreal.

I’d like to think I do a good job keeping a professional demeanor, because after all, I’m there for work, but I’ll be the first to admit that my mask slipped a little bit.

Bear with me on this, because it’s about to become personal.

Fifteen years ago, around this exact time of year, a 12-year-old me had his heart ripped out.

It was unbeknownst to me, and anyone in the arena at the time, that the playoff loss to the Colorado Eagles would be the last time I’d see my favorite hockey team play, but that’s minor league sports.

The SteelHounds meant the world to me, and they were gone. Just like that.

Minor league sports teams just disappear, often without warning. The memories however, don’t.

My love of hockey was born in the Covelli Centre, and the whole reason I’m writing this right now, is because of the nights I spent there.

It’s the reason I went to college for a journalism degree, it’s the reason I’m still working in this field.

I’ve dreamed of covering a Youngstown hockey team climb its way to the mountaintop since I was a kid, and though I missed far too much of that journey up the mountain, getting to see the final ascent was a special thing.

While it’s not the same team as the one I fell in love with all those years ago, somewhere, my 12-year-old self is smiling.

This year’s Phantoms group had two goals. The first was to win a Clark Cup and they did it.

The second was to put Youngstown on the map and make Youngstown a hockey town.

Even if it was just for one night, the Phantoms succeeded on both fronts.

And on another personal note, because I haven’t talked enough about myself yet apparently, my fingers are crossed that it’s not just for one night.

byauger@tribtoday.com