St Louis

St. Louis

After leaving Sikeston, it was a short drive to St. Louis. We are looking forward to our stop in St. Louis. One of Dan’s former teammates in Owen Sound, Curtis Sanford is playing in St. Louis. We also have an Elmira connection to the Blues. Dennis Wideman from Elmira plays there too. His brother Dale played Junior B with Dan and his other brother Darren is currently the assistant coach of the Junior B team in Elmira. We stayed at the Sundermeier campground at St. Charles a suburb of St. Louis and it is one of the nicest places we have been at. There is a large restaurant right there and we made arrangements to meet Curtis and Dennis there for supper. It was a great evening with good food and even better was the company. We have so enjoyed talking and visiting with friends along the way on our tour. There is always lots of hockey talk too. St. Louis has been struggling of late and it was most unfortunate that the coach got fired that evening. Mike Kitchen was out and Andy Murray is the new coach. It may be the change they need. There is certainly no job security in coaching no matter what the sport. Graham attended the game day skate the next morning and there was a lot of media there covering the coach story. The players had to make some adjustments to a new coach with all the media watching. I’m sure that’s not easy. The arena in St. Louis is right in the downtown core as many of the rinks are in the NHL cities. It is not too far from the beautiful arch that greets you when you arrive in the city core. St. Louis is almost halfway between each coast and is the gateway to the west and the east. The Lewis and Clark expedition went through this area and met in the St. Charles area where we had stayed last night. So many States are so rich in history and it has been so much fun to discover all the stories each State has to offer about their past. It was game time and Graham did some local live radio on a sports talk station. St. Louis was playing their first game with their new coach and looked a bit nervous. They were playing Chicago and came up short in the win department. We are usually pretty lucky for the home team when we are at the game, but not tonight. Our record is now 9 and 4 on our road tour for the home team. We are also at our thirteenth stop. Thirteen teams down and seventeen to go. We are now on the road to Nashville.

Graham's Game Report

Dec 12, 2006
Scottrade Center
Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

These two once proud franchises have both fallen on hard times the last few years. Chicago reacted first by firing their head coach Trent Yawney and replacing him with Hawk hall of famer Denis Savard. The team has responded with a string of wins to get back in the playoff picture. The Blues took the same route last night and replaced coach Mike Kitchen with Andy Murray. In Murray’s first game behind the bench the Blues responded with a strong effort to build a 1-0 lead after two periods but took three consecutive penalties in a short span to fall behind 3-1 midway through the third. They kept working and got one back with just over a minute left but could not find the equalizer. The team still needs a lot of work but look for them to go on a tear as the players buy in to the coach’s systems or are shuffled to the sidelines.
We had the chance to watch Elmira native Dennis Wideman on the blueline and he played increasing minutes as the game went on. He had a solid game and looked more and more confident as the game progressed. It will be a real opportunity for Dennis to solidify his position with the club as they move into a new era. His skills are needed on this blueline the way it stands now so look for him to rack up some points again shortly.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to see another old friend play as goaltender Curtis Sanford is sidelined for several months with a groin injury. He was Dan’s teammate for three years in Owen Sound and has battled his way to the NHL despite being undrafted. One benefit for us was getting to spend a little extra time with Curtis and his young family since he wasn’t in the lineup.
The night before the game we had a good chance to catch up with both Dennis and Curtis over dinner at the RV park we were staying in. They described things as being very unsettled and it was only a few hours later the coach was let go. Despite all the turmoil the next day I had a chance to chat with several players at the game day skate and they seem optimistic of better days ahead. Herbie T will have something to cheer about soon.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel

We left bright and early at 5:00 AM and decided to have a long driving day. Houston is closed to the border of Texas and Louisiana so it wasn’t long till we were leaving Texas. We had wanted to tour the New Orleans area, but decided against going there. They are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and we thought it best not to visit at this time. Graham did most of the driving while it was dark and then we switched. The Baton Rouge area is largely bayou. Soon after I started driving the main interstate was totally built "above" the bayou. I chuckled at the signs that said "alligator infested waters, do not attempt to cross by swimming in this area". Nice. The entire road was above the swamp. Two lanes one way and then a large open span with two lanes going the other way. One of the most interesting stretches of highway I have ever driven across. There was also no passing allowed on the road in that stretch and trucks had to stay in the right lane. Once past Baton Rouge a bit, we headed north on I-55. This runs all the way through Mississippi and up into St. Louis which was our eventual destination for our next game. We just kept driving and driving. I did more driving in one stretch today than I have since we left home. It was nice for Graham to have a break. It was straight highway all the way. Once in Mississippi we were in Jackson before we knew it. It was going good, so we kept going. It was finally getting to be the end of the day so we stopped in the northwest corner of the state in Tunica. It was right on the Mississippi River. It felt good to drive through two states, but it was time to stop and have a break. We stopped at a campsite near one of the huge casinos there and stayed for the night. We had a day off the next day and played some cards. We stayed that night and got up the next morning and drove the short distance to Memphis. It was Sunday morning and someone had recommended the Peabody Hotel’s Sunday brunch. It was a very old hotel and very ornate inside. There was an amazing selection to choose from at their brunch. I took some pictures and they don’t do the hotel justice. It was all decorated up for Christmas and there was a large fountain in the lobby with five ducks swimming around. They didn’t look happy about the whole thing since there were small children running around scaring them. We did a very quick tour on Beale Street and checked out some of the famous blues bars such as B.B. King’s where we heard a lively 85 year old guitar player. Some of the buildings are very run down and old looking, but there are still a number of music bars with a variety of artists that play there. We were in Tennessee briefly while in Memphis but stayed on I-55 and soon were in Arkansas on our way to St. Louis. It was a short drive and we were in the state of Missouri. St. Louis is on the far east side of the state so it was pretty well straight up from Memphis. We decided to have a short driving day, so stopped after driving three hours near Sikeston Missouri. The weather was much warmer and we didn’t have to have the furnace on at night anymore. The countryside was much like at home. Flat areas with cultivated fields and a few hilly areas with bush lots full of oak and cedar trees. There were lots of different cattle in the fields too. I got my first look at some Brahma bulls. They were grey and they were beyond huge. They were massive. I thought the texas longhorns in Texas were big. I sure wouldn’t want to ride one like the rodeo riders do. They were big and they even looked mean.

Houston

Houston

We thought Dallas was a big city. Not compared to Houston. We found out that Houston is now the fourth largest city in the United States. It is very, very sprawled out. And you drive for miles to get anywhere. This driving compares to that in Los Angeles. Lots of highways and lots of traffic. You sure have to manage your time to allow for driving any distance. We stayed in the northwest part of the city on Monday and on Tuesday drove into the downtown where the arena was. Team public relations people Ryan and Courtney had arranged for us to help out with their food drive for the Houston Food Bank. We were going to take the food collected at a recent Aeros game along with four players in the RV to drop it off at the Food Bank. We were of course happy to know that one of Dan’s best friends, Curtis Murphy would be one of the four players. Also along were Eric Reitz, Ryan Stokes, and Chris Ovington. We loaded up the food at the rink and drove to the Food Bank. Everyone helped unload it at the other end and we got to have a tour of the Food Bank facilities. It was amazing what they do there to help feed so many people. They told us that they feed approximately 80,000 people per week and the entire stock of food in their building rotates through in one week. They had lots and lots of volunteers. There were even young men from a local detention centre helping who are there most days. They are all quite a group of dedicated individuals who work together as a team to help so many who are less fortunate. It was good to see. As I said previously, it was good to see Dan’s good friend Curtis Murphy. "Murph" as he is known played in Orlando with Dan for two years. They were teammates on the Orlando Solar Bear’s Turner Cup Champs. The Solar Bears were the last team to win the Turner Cup in the IHL before it folded and many teams joined with the AHL. They were also roommates and Murph has become a good friend of our entire family. We stayed out the front of his house that night and enjoyed visiting with his family Kelly, Chandler, Hayden, and of course almost three year old Reese. She loved to drive "the bus". While in Houston we also got to visit with Cam Stewart a local boy for us. Cam played all of his youth hockey in the Woolwich Minor Hockey System in our town of Elmira. He played pro for a few years till a series of concussions forced him from the game. He currently is a coach with the Houston Aeros. We had a great dinner that evening with Murph and Kelly and Stewie. It is always good when you are on the road to see good friends. It makes the trip shorter. The next day we made our way to a campground near the NASA Space Center. Jeremy, with the Aeros had arranged for Graham to speak that evening to a group of parents and minor hockey kids at a local rink. They were a very receptive group. While we were there we met Richard Allen and Barry Terrell. Richard is the President and CEO of the Visitors Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Barry is the owner of T-Bone Tom’s a local eatery at Kemah. Both gentlemen invited us to visit their establishments the next and we decided to take them up on their offers. NASA in Houston is the Mission Control base for all NASA flights into space. They were currently waiting on some good weather to have a Discovery launch within the next day or so. We met Richard and he advised us which things to see in the time we had there. The Center itself is quite interesting to see. The main area where you come in is very kid oriented and has a lot hands on displays. We saw a movie and then went through a section depicting the inside of the space station. Then it was off on a shuttle tour to the hub of NASA. It is a city unto itself. They are almost like a huge compound. They have named streets, stoplights, their own police and fire departments and over 10,000 workers.
We sat in the VIP room that overlooked the actual "mission control" area that looked after so many space flights. When we left NASA, we drove to Kemah to check out T-Bone Tom’s. Now, we have had a lot of different meals since we have left home and have eaten at many eateries. T-Bone Tom’s has a real local flavour to it and the food was amazing. We had the lunch special Southern Fried Chicken. This was fried chicken the way mama meant it to be. I don’t think I have ever had chicken that tasted so good. There were two huge (and I mean huge) pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a hot fresh southern biscuit. There goes the diet – again. I couldn’t finish it all. My only experience with fried chicken has been Kentucky Fried Chicken. I would travel to T-Bone’s just for the fried chicken. If you are ever in the area, check it out. Barry was a gracious host and wouldn’t let us pay for lunch. We bought some t-shirts and will happily think of his place whenever we wear them. We left for the rink and made our way to our home for the night. The ramp at the arena down at the loading dock. It has been a usual spot for us at many arenas now, and it is usually a great spot. We can hook up the RV and then stay at the rink overnight after the game. We were leaving early in the morning for the next leg of the journey so it worked out great. The Areos battled for a win but the game ended in a scoreless tie and they lost in a shoot out. They are struggling right now, but hopefully can turn things around soon. At 5:00 AM we were up and out of the loading dock area and on our way to our next destination, Memphis Tennessee.

Graham's Game Report

Dec 7, 2006
Toyota Center
Houston, Texas
Omaha Knights vs. Houston Aeros


It was a real treat to be able to catch an AHL game in a wonderful rink. The facility is major league all the way and houses the Houston Rockets of the NBA as well as the Aeros. It was a chance to catch up with Dan’s good friend and former Orlando teammate Curtis Murphy. I have never understood why no NHL team has ever given Murph a legitimate shot. All he’s done was win numerous defenseman of the year awards and many championships. This year’s version of the Aeros has really struggled to score goals and our visit was no exception. Sixty five minutes of hockey produced zero goals for either team despite many quality scoring chances and the Aeros finally succumbed in the shootout. It was also a chance to watch Dan’s former Plater teammate Joel Ward. He still works hard every shift and is a reliable defensive winger and penalty killer. It’s good to see him getting AHL experience and who knows where it might lead. NHL teams are always in need of strong defensive players especially when they have some size. Houston is also home to former NHLer and Elmira Sugar King Cam Stewart. Stewy’s career was cut short by injury and it’s good too see him back in the game as an assistant coach. We wish him all the best as he pursues a coaching career.

Dallas

Dallas

It was a very short drive to Dallas. We were already at the border of Oklahoma and Texas, and Dallas is in the north part of the state, so it was a short little hop to get there. We found an RV park in the suburb of Arlington, which is west of Dallas/Fort Worth. We got up the next morning and drove into the city to find the American Airlines Center. It is a beautiful facility and was easy to find. Graham went in for the game day skate and I stayed out in the parking lot in the RV. There was a knock at the door all of a sudden and there was Scott McDonald from Listowel along with his buddies Brian, Bruce and Gary . They were on their annual hockey trip and knew from our schedule that we were going to be in Dallas at the same time. They were driving by the arena on a service road and saw the RV parked in the parking lot. They knew who it was right away. We had a great visit and by the time Graham came back out we were still talking. For those of you that don’t know where Listowel is, it is about 30 miles west of Elmira. So when we were this far from home, it was like seeing our neighbours. We made arrangements to meet them at the game and found our new spot to stay for the night. Parking Lot "C" a couple of blocks from the rink. Along the way we have met some amazing people involved with the public relations and media for the respective teams. Mark Janko is one of them. He is the Director of Public Relations for the Dallas Stars and truly showed us what southern hospitality is all about. Thanks Mark for everything you did for us. We were also fortunate to meet the owner of the team Mr. Thomas Hicks and his son Thomas Hicks Jr. They were very gracious and kind and asked us all about our travels. They also told us that the Stars Foundation would be making a donation to our cause. Mr. Hicks is also the owner of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team, so he enjoys sports and said hockey has become a passion for him. After the game we went downstairs to meet some of the players and get our posters signed. Captain Brendan Morrow didn’t play in the game, but came out and met with us for a picture and he signed the captain’s poster. Mike Modano signed the player’s poster for us and also chatted for a bit and posed for a picture. I also had a good chat with a couple of local Dallas Firefighters that were at the game to look after any medical emergencies. It was a pleasure to meet both Ken and Juan. Thanks guys for taking time to chat with me. Well, it was another win for the home team with the Snyders in attendance. The Stars managed to win in a shoot out putting our record at 9 and 3. It is now twelve teams down and eighteen to go. We are off to Houston to visit friends and to see an AHL game. We have two days to get to Houston, so we stayed in Dallas for the night after the game in the parking lot. On Sunday we drove for a couple of hours and stopped at a RV Park in the middle of nowhere basically, right off the highway. It was noisy, but easy to get on and off.

Graham's Game Report

Dec 2, 2006
American Airlines Arena
Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars

Both teams came into this game on three game losing streaks after getting off to strong starts. The injury bug has hit both sides and each team played with some desperation when the game was on the line. The Stars jumped in front twice only to have the Wild move in front 3-2 early in the 3rd period. The rest of the game was intense as you could feel how badly both teams wanted the two points. A Wild turnover allowed Jussi Jokinen to walk in alone late in the game and tie the score. Our thoughts turned to seeing our first shootout of the trip and when overtime solved nothing the showdown was on. The Wild were missing Gaborik and Demitra, their top two scoring threats, so they were decided underdogs to the masters of the shootout. The Stars are an amazing 14-1 in the shootout and young Jokinen is money in the bank at an unbelievable 12 of 15. Zubov, Jokinen and Ribeiro all scored for the home side and Turco’s stop on the first shot was all they needed for the two points. It was an exciting game with some good scoring chances from two teams who pride themselves on strong defense.
I had the chance to chat with two Midwestern Jr B alumni after the game. They each had different memories of the old Elmira Arena when I told them of our plans for a new arena in Dan’s name. Marty Turco played for the Cambridge Winterhawks in the year of the double round robin for the Sutherland Cup. He was never thrilled with the crazy bounces and small corners in our little bandbox. Jeff Halpern played for an exceptionally talented Stratford Cullitons team that defeated the Elmira Sugar Kings 4-0 in the league final in Dan’s only year of Jr B hockey. Jeff enjoyed the small ice surface and the feeling of the fan’s being right on top of you and extremely loud. Two different takes on the same building and a reminder how small the hockey world is. One of the real pleasures of this trip has been exploring the many ties around the hockey world. There hasn’t been a stop yet where we haven’t found some connection.
Now it’s off to Houston for an AHL game with the Aeros and a chance to catch up with Woolwich native Cam Stewart and Dan’s good friend and former teammate Curtis Murphy.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel


Well, we got up in the morning and the wind hadn’t blown us away. Just about though. We drove south of Oklahoma City and the winds were really picking up. We didn’t have to be in Dallas for two days, so we decided to have a short drive today. We found an RV park right near the Oklahoma/Texas border and got a spot with no problems. The pool and hot tub were open, but it was getting colder by the minute it seemed. It was going to be a two furnace heating night again by the looks of things. The weather report was still calling for high winds (which hadn’t diminished yet), rain, sleet, snow flurries, possible tornadoes, and just generally bad weather. We were glad to stay put and not have to drive the RV in the ice and freezing rain. And stayed put we did, for two days. The locals were all shook up with the "big storm". There was a lot of ice and wind, but by our standards at home for a winter storm, it was routine. People didn’t go to work, the schools shut down and things basically came to a halt. Yes, the great Oklahoma storm of 2006. We made it through. Now if it was summer, I would imagine they get some fierce storms and tornadoes. I guess when they aren’t used to ice and snow it throws a curve into getting around. Anyway, we were glad we weren’t out driving in it. A couple of locals said to us not to drive down there to Texas. They are crazy drivers down there and they will be all over the road in this weather. Y’all better stay put. Most conversations we had with any locals ended up with them making some sort of comment about Texans. I take it they have a bit of bad blood between them. After our two days and with some better weather on the horizon, we were on our way to Dallas.

Weekly Travel

Weekly travel


If anyone reading this gets a chance to visit the Sedona-Flagstaff area north of Scottsdale and Phoenix Arizona, do so. It is amazingly beautiful. Pictures cannot do the scenery justice. The scrubbiness and flatness of the desert gives rise to the red rock hills and cliffs in the Sedona area. The sun was just rising on the rocks when we arrived in the area and it was something to see. The best viewing for the light conditions on the rock formations is at sunrise or sunset we are told. The layering effect of the different types of rocks and soil that make up the formations could only be done by Mother Nature. It did remind me somewhat of a layered salad in a glass bowl that I have had before. The red colour of the rocks is a quite a unique shade and it sticks quite nicely to your shoes too. It is one of those things that you have to see to believe it. It is hard to describe. A number of people suggested to us that we stop in that area on our way to Denver and we are glad that we did. Again, if you get the chance to go there, do so.
After the game in Denver, we once again stayed at the arena. Arena staff member John fixed us up with a hydro connection. It was quite cold during the night and we were glad to have the furnace on. Local weather reports were calling for a huge cold front coming in with snow in the Denver area. Our timing was great to be leaving town. Our next stop for hockey is Dallas and we will be traveling through Kansas and Oklahoma to get to Texas. We checked the map before leaving Denver and decided we could get on interstate – 70 and set the cruise control to get through Kansas. Someone jokingly said to us that there is not much but wheat fields, telephone poles, and barbed wire in Kansas. They were right! Just kidding. Although we did see a lot of those things. And the road didn’t turn much. Lots of straight driving. Just the way I like it when I am driving. We stopped for the night on our journey from Denver near Oakley Kansas. And it was pretty cold then. It was 28F in the morning when we got up. We kept the two furnaces going in the RV to stay warm and also to keep the pipes from freezing. In the morning we made our way south and the temperature warmed up by forty degrees by the afternoon. The temperature changes quickly in the Midwest. We drove south to Dodge City and got to see the original Boot Hill area of Dodge. It was exactly high noon when we got there, but there were no gunfights going on. I watched a lot of cowboy movies when I was a kid, and every gun battle seemed to happen at high noon. There is the usual touristy shop on site and a mock up of what the buildings would have looked like in the era of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, Calamity Jane, and Buffalo Bill. The railroad runs nearby, and what is left of the original Boot Hill cemetery stands on a hill behind the buildings. We wanted to get out of Dodge in a hurry since the weather was supposed to get really cold that night. We headed off in a southeast direction and stopped about thirty miles outside of Oklahoma City. Driving through Oklahoma is interesting too. Lots of grain and corn fields and the biggest feed lots I have ever seen. We drove by a few of them and there were thousands and thousands of different kind of cattle. Some of the feed lots housed ten to fifteen thousand head of cattle. As you drove by, you wondered when the pens of cattle were ever going to end. I guess that’s why there are so many grain fields. They need them to feed all the cattle. Very rarely do you ever see a house or barn. These farms are of massive acreage. Even driving on some of the local roads as opposed to the interstate highway, you often didn’t see a house for miles. They were few and far between until you got to a little town. It got colder once again where we were staying near Oklahoma City and the weather report was calling for high winds, tornadoes, and rain/wet snow in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. Right where we are. If I see Dorothy in her red shoes and her little dog Toto from Kansas go flying by, I’ll know we’re in trouble.

Denver

Denver

It was a long drive to Denver. We stayed for the night in Phoenix after the game right at the arena. We left first thing in the morning (6:00 AM) for our long drive to Denver. We had over 800 miles to cover in two days. We wanted to be in Denver by Friday evening so we could get settled and ready to go ‘to the Pepsi Centre for Saturday’s game day skate in the morning and the game that night. We made a quick stop in Sedona on our way and stopped for the night on Thursday in Santa Fe. We drove about nine hours to get that far and it was a long day. On Friday morning we started off early again and got to Denver late in the afternoon. We found a campsite not too far from the arena and very happily settled in for the night.
We made our way to the rink in the morning and Graham was attending the game day skate. It is quite a sight driving towards the Pepsi Centre and seeing the Rocky Mountains framed in the background. It is a most unusual sight and quite beautiful. Denver is a lovely city that has retained a lot of its original architecture. Many older warehouse type buildings have been converted to lofts and condos in the downtown area and there are lots of restaurants and shops in the area too. There are a few higher buildings, but they aren’t typical big city high rise type buildings. You can see the mountains from everywhere in the downtown area and I’m sure the local government took that into consideration when new buildings were being built in the downtown area. Graham had quite a meet and greet at the game day skate and met most of the players on the team along with many of the management people. Everyone was so welcoming and took time to stop and chat. He met for a bit with Joe Sakic and got to talk to him about Dan. Joe Sakic was Dan’s hero growing up and his favourite hockey player. It was a highlight of his pro hockey career when he got to face off against him in a game. We were treated like honoured guests by the whole organization. The Hockey Night in Canada team from the west was doing the game, so we visited with Scott Oak and Kelly Hrudey and John the cameraman. It was good to see some familiar faces. Before the game we were guests of the team at the Big Sky Grill. It is a restaurant at the front of the arena. And what a restaurant. It is designed to look like a cabin from yesteryear. All the interior is made of wood beams. The floor is made up of old barn boards sanded down, the walls are timbers from trees that were felled when the fire went through Yellowstone Park in 1988, and the ceiling is from rail fencing from Wyoming. There are authentic western pictures on the walls and animal pelts and heads mounted up high. Two huge stone fireplaces are the centre piece of the entire room. It seated a lot of people and it was full before the game. The food was great too. The Avalanche won the game handily by a score of 4-1. The home team wins again with the Snyders in attendance. Our record is now 7 wins and 3 losses for the home team. Ten teams down and twenty to go. One third of the way there.

Graham's Game Report

Sat. Nov. 25
Pepsi Center
Vancouver Canucks vs Colorado Avalanche

Both these teams have been up and down early this season but the home team came in having won three of the last four. It’s always a treat to see one of the greats of the game, Joe Sakic, who was a role model for Dan. He didn’t disappoint on or off the ice as his leadership of a young Avs team was evident. Youngsters Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny had 4 and 3 points respectively to lead the Avs to a 4-1 victory. We also got to see Dan’s former Orlando and Atlanta teammate Brett Clark score his first goal of the year and log 20 plus minutes on the blueline. His offensive flair is still a strength and his defense was steady all night. Vancouver stayed in the game all night but couldn’t finish against a sharp Jose Theodore between the pipes.
Denver is a vibrant hockey city and our first visit was a memorable one.

Phoenix

Phoenix

From Yuma, we drove over to Phoenix and stayed with friends Todd and Holly Reynolds. Todd was one of Dan’s agents and he and his father Don continue to support our family in so many ways. We got to meet almost two year old Samuel who really liked to go out and see our big bus. Graham went to the team practice the day before the actual game and talked to a number of players in the dressing room. He especially enjoyed talking to Curtis Joseph who said he fondly remembers playing in our Woolwich Weekend tournament in Elmira and St. Jacobs. He also said he owns an Olympia ice machine for his private arena and purchased it in Elmira. My friend Rick Schlupp and his family own the Olympia company and make the ice machines at their factory right in Elmira. It was nice to hear about another connection to Elmira. After a talk with Wayne Gretzky, we were sent to his merchandising company out in Scottsdale, Arizona. We met with Darren Blake, Mike Brown, and Drew (sorry I didn’t catch his last name) at the warehouse housing all kinds of Wayne Gretzky signed merchandise. They graciously donated an autographed Oiler’s 99 jersey and a framed autographed picture of Wayne and Gordie Howe sitting together on the bench from the game they played together in 1979 in the WHA. A very generous donation for our end of the tour on line auction. The Coyotes also donated a signed team jersey. It was a good game for the Coyotes and they dominated all night against the New Jersey Devils. They outshot the Devils by a 2-1 margin and even though Curtis Joseph only faced about 12 shots, he was very strong in net.
Graham spoke to a group of adult hockey players on Tuesday evening at the arena in the Coyotes dressing room. They were there for a tour of the team’s facilities and then were going on ice with some Coyote alumni for a work out and a mini tournament. On Wednesday afternoon Graham also spoke to a group of the marketing and ticket sales staff for the team about goals and teamwork. He also talked about how our family has coped the past three years and about the power of forgiveness. He was well received by each group and they were very kind and generous in their thanks afterwards. A special thanks to Sarah for arranging both talks and for all her assistance to make our stop in Phoenix so enjoyable. She made everything easy for us. Thanks Sarah. It is hard to believe, but we have now been to nine NHL cities. Nine cities down and only twenty one to go. Our record for the home team while we are in attendance now stands at 6 and 3. Those Flyers were tough in California for the home team. On to Denver.

Graham's Game Report

Wed Nov 22
Glendale Arena
Phoenix Coyotes vs. New Jersey Devils

The Devils look like a strong contender in the east again this year while the Coyotes have floundered in the strong Western conference. Tonight Phoenix dominated right from the opening faceoff and looked nothing like the team we saw back in Calgary. With captain Shane Doan and the veteran Mike Ricci back in the lineup they were much more balanced up front and the blueline looks looks pretty solid at the top end with Jovanovski, Boynton and Derek Morris leading and youngster Keith Ballard looking ready to contribute. Dave Scatchard led the way with a goal and assist and Curtis Joseph had a rare easy night as the team defended well throughout the game. The Devils were curiously passive on the forecheck even when they trailed by two in the third period. It was a much needed win for the home team.
Off to the Rockies to see Joe Sakic and the Avs on Saturday.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel

We reluctantly left our great spot on the California beach and headed further south to San Diego. The terrain changed and became more desert like as we went down south. It was hilly and rolling along areas when the highway followed along the coast. We stayed at one of the fancier RV parks that we have been at so far. There was a large market on site along with a small restaurant that had the best barbequed chicken I have had in a long time. The park was right on the north part of Mission Bay. Once again, it was quite warm and we went for a swim at 9:00 in the evening and the temperature was still in the low eighties. Entertainment poolside was in the form of a rather drunk guy in a cowboy hat playing the harmonica. He was pretty good actually and quite funny. He rambled on a fair a bit and then blurted out that last year he found out the man he always thought was his father wasn’t his biological father. Imagine that he says. Finding out something like that when you are 50 years old. Then just as quick he says, I guess mom was kind of promiscuous. Man I love that woman. I couldn’t keep a straight face. I had to leave. We have met some different people along the way, that’s for sure. From San Diego we were making our way over to Phoenix. We decided to drive as far as Yuma the first day. It was 90F when we left San Diego first thing in the morning. I love this warm weather. We climbed a fair bit again into some hilly areas and ended up reaching 3000 ft. elevation at one point and then 4000 ft elevation as we went through the Vallecito Mountains. The temperature dropped into the seventies when we were in the higher elevation, but it was still nice and warm. Still definitely not too hard to take.
We camped outside of the city of Yuma at the Cocopah RV and Golf Club. Again, a very nice spot. The Yuma is one of the largest suppliers of winter vegetables to the US and Canada. 98% of all head lettuce for distribution is grown in the Yuma area. There were fields and fields of celery, romaine lettuce, broccoli, head lettuce, parsley, and cotton. The raised rows had hundreds of plants growing in each one. A good supply of water in the area, even though it is considered a desert region, allows for generous irrigation. All the different colours and textures of the plants made it look like a giant quilt when you looked over the fields. It was pretty neat to see where all the vegetables are grown that we consume during the winter months.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

After settling at El Segundo, we spent a quiet day at the beach. The driving around the Los Angeles area is everything we had heard and more. Mostly terrible. I thought it was difficult driving in Chicago. We went to see someone on the Friday and what should have been a twenty to twenty five minute drive each way, ended up taking almost an hour and a half each way. Ridiculous and crazy. I could never live in that congested an area. To each his own I guess. We were going to the Kings game on Thursday evening and got there early. Jeff Cowan and his girlfriend Leigh Ann picked us up at the RV Park. Jeff played with Dan in Atlanta and has been on the injured list. We made plans to go out after the game with the Cowans and the Weavers. Mike Weaver also plays in Los Angeles for the Kings and he played with Dan in Orlando, Chicago, and Atlanta. Weaves (as he is known) scored his first goal of the season (or actually his first NHL goal), but it was called back by the referee. Next time Weaves. The Flyers came out flying again and surprisingly put down the Kings 4-3. They have certainly since the beginning of the season but were pretty dominate against the Ducks and the Kings. They were pretty happy to get four points on the road against two good teams. We went out after the game and had a great visit. It always feels good to be with Dan’s friends and share stories. We decided to stay another day at El Segundo at the beach. It was so warm and such a nice spot. After our sojourn across Los Angeles we made our way back to the beach and had Lisa, Jeff and Leigh Ann, Mike and Rhianna, and Mike’s sister Jen over for a steak barbeque. We had way too much food (as usual) and lots of fun. It was a beautiful evening on the beach. The stars in the sky were amazing.

Graham's Game Report

Thu Nov 16
Staples Centre
Los Angeles Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers

A little parlay action with the Flyers providing the long odds would have been a huge payoff in L.A. but alas I missed the crystal ball on this one. Our strong home record on this trip was dealt a severe blow by the Flyers but you have to love the parity in the new NHL. The Kings were on top 2-1 in the third period when lightning struck and our old buddy Mike Weaver struck for his first NHL goal and we were on our feet cheering wildly. For reasons unknown the referee ruled that he had blown his whistle in error and the goal was disallowed even though the Flyers never gained possession on the delayed penalty. Too bad for Weavs who scores about once a decade and even though the Kings went up 3-1 a little later it came back to bite them as Philly scored three quick goals and hung on to win 4-3. Sean Avery showed a few of the skills he flashed back in Owen Sound and stayed away from the stupid stuff that hurt him last year. Unfortunately Dan’s Thrasher linemate Jeff Cowan was still on the injured list for this one but hopes to be back very soon. Very tough loss for the Kings who have struggled out of the gate but a learning tool none the less. It was interesting to see the number of Flyers jerseys in the stands at both LA rinks and for a change they had lots to cheer about.

Anaheim

Anaheim

We drove to Los Angeles on Monday afternoon and went straight to see Lisa. Lisa was Dan’s girlfriend just before he passed away. We have stayed in touch with her and were looking forward to seeing her. We were greeted immediately by her very large mixed breed dog named Zipper. He is as gentle as a kitten, but I wouldn’t want to tick him off. He is one big puppy. We stayed at her place for two days and got a personal guided tour of the LA area, including Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Hollywood.
A short drive away, we were going first to see the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. We went to the team practice on Wednesday morning and to the game on Thursday evening. The Ducks have been on a bit of a tear and had only lost one game till that point in their schedule. The Flyers came into town and cleaned up though and handed them their second loss of the season. The community department for the team took us for a visit with a group of children before the Ducks game, that were involved in an after school program for kids from a mostly Hispanic neighbourhood. We saw one group at their local roller rink where they played roller hockey and then went over to the Paul Revere Elementary School and met with another group there. They are huge hockey fans and Graham spoke for a bit to the kids at the school about dreams and goals. They are all involved in the Disney Goals program and are crazy about hockey (and the Ducks) and setting goals for yourself. They were a great group of kids that asked a lot of good questions about hockey. Disney and the Junior Ducks and the Anaheim organization have partnered to fund a program for kids that normally wouldn’t be able to afford to play hockey or the equipment. Check out their pictures on the site. We stayed at a RV park near The Pond (which is now called the Honda Center) that was pretty neat. They had citrus fruit trees at each site and encouraged you to pick the fruit. We got some pretty tasty oranges and limes right off the tree. It was also quite warmer in the LA area and didn’t cool down as much at night. After one night staying in Anaheim, we went back to the LA area and camped right at the beach in a State Park at El Segundo. Talk about nice. The temperature averaged 80F the two days we stayed there. Not hard to take for these two sun starved canucks. Another loss for the home team while we are on tour and our record now stands at 5 and 2. We now have 7 teams down and 23 to go.

Graham's Game Report

Wed Nov 15
Honda Centre
Anaheim Ducks vs. Philadelphia Flyers

This game looked to be a mismatch with the 30th place team facing #1 on their own pond. Glad I wasn’t betting in Vegas with Tom S. We would have lost our shirts. The Flyers jumped out to a 5-1 first period lead and even though the Ducks pressed hard the rest of the way it ended as a 7-4 upset. Shots were more than two to one in the Ducks favour but the Flyers defended well and made Anaheim pay for every mistake. Forsberg, Gagne and Knuble are a strong first line and Michael Richards still leads by example as he did in Kitchener. Scott Niedermayer is the smoothest D in the game and the Ducks are very strong on the backend. A little small up front but very quick and skilled. Young Dustin Penner had a strong game up front and adds some much needed size. It was good to see Dan’s Chicago Wolves teammate, Joe DiPenta getting a regular shift on the blueline. He was steady as always back there. Well done Flyers for a rare two points on the road.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel

Upon leaving San Jose, it was time for a bit of a holiday. We were heading over to Las Vegas to meet our friends Mike and Marni and Tom and Janie. We arrived on November 8 and stayed till the 12th. We had a great time. Got to see the new Cirque de Soleil show about the Beatles called LOVE. The music was fantastic. The interpretation of the music on stage by the actors was different, but tied in with the sixties psychedelic era theme. The sound system is amazing and it was great just to sit back and listen to some Beatle’s tunes. We also went out for lunch to the Mesa Grille. Graham was pretty pumped about that one. He is a huge Bobby Flay fan and could have eaten one of everything on the menu. For six meals, three entrees, and drinks, the bill was very reasonable and the food and company was great. We played some cards and had fun playing a slot machine called gold fish. The time with our friends went by too quickly, but it was a nice break. We left Vegas on the Monday morning bright and early and made our way back to Los Angeles.

San Jose

San Jose

It was a short drive to San Jose from San Francisco. It seems like it is just one huge metropolitan area. You don’t know where one city starts and another ends. We made our way to HP Pavilion and were greeted by Scott Emmert the director of media relations. He took us to our seats and made arrangements for us to meet him in between each period. Graham was interviewed by a local radio station for their show between the second and third period. Scott took us up to the owner’s box – Mr. Greg Jamison for the third period. Mr. Jamison was a very gracious host and sat down with us to discuss Dan and our purpose for this trip. He was a very kind sincere man and said the Sharks would be making a donation to the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation. He told us he admired what we were doing, but admired our son for his community involvement. He said their team is involved in numerous community ventures and feels strongly about players being involved in local community events. We managed to talk a bit of hockey too. He loves the game and we were able to see why everyone in the organization is top notch. It starts at the top with good leadership and the rest as they say, looks after itself. The San Jose Sharks got our winning streak back on track with a 3-1 win. We are now 5 & 1 for the home team. The count stands at 6 teams down and 24 to go.

Graham's Game Report

San Jose vs Minnesota

Nov. 7, 2006

HP Pavilion

Another full house greeted the Sharks and they were full value for a 3-1 victory over the always tough Wild. Joe Thornton continues to show great vision and Patrick Marleau and Scott Hannan strong leadership for a young Shark’s team. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and despite missing many power play opportunities, hung on to tame the Wild. The Pacific Division is going to be a real dog fight this year. This should provide some exciting hockey for fans in the Western Conference.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel

After we left Vancouver we were making our way to the western coast of the US for drive down along Washington, Oregon, and into California. We wanted to take the coast highway to see as much of the scenery as possible. It was a very winding drive. Up and down and around and around. And in the pouring rain most of the time. Some of the scenery was a lot of very large trees in places, but we did see the ocean regularly. The coast of Oregon can only be described as rugged. The rock formations along the beaches, called haystacks rose out of the water in many places along the beaches. As we drove further south in the state of Oregon and got closer to California, we started seeing more and more of the giant redwood cedar trees. They are quite a sight indeed. So tall and so big around some of them. We stopped in one spot at a tree called the grandfather tree. It is over 1800 years old, 285 feet high, and 55 feet around. That is one big tree. We took a few pictures for our picture gallery on the website. Graham and I look pretty insignificant standing beside it.
We finally made our way through the very winding roads that are Highway 1 on the coast region. The tightest turns I have ever seen and they never seemed to end. It was 6-7 hours of straight winding, turning, and up and down. Not an easy feat in a 37 foot RV. Graham was exhausted by the time we got to our campsite. I had my eyes closed a lot of the time, so I guess it was a good idea that I didn’t do any driving on this stretch. Sheer rock cliffs that drop hundreds of feet to nothing but rocks below with a churning boiling ocean surf coming in was much of the view along northern California’s highway 1. And very few if any barricades along the road’s edge. The soft shoulders with crumbling road broken away also did a lot for my level of safety. Beautiful countryside and gorgeous scenery, but now that I have seen it, I think I’ll remember what it looks like and I don’t need to go back and see it again.
Our travels took us next to San Francisco. We had time to stop there before we went to San Jose for the game there. This is the fun part of this tour. Stopping and seeing so many places and things that we had read about, and are now able to see. We had a nice campsite right in the city across from Monster Park (formerly Candlestick Park) and took a shuttle to Fisherman’s Wharf. Lots of sights and sounds (and food) to check out there. We did all the touristy things in that area and took lots of pictures. We were in the Wharf area for 7 hours and didn’t even get to see all we wanted to see. Oh well. We’ll just have to go back. We did go on a harbour tour and cruised under the Golden Gate Bridge and by the infamous island of Alcatraz. Such history behind both sites. It was also interesting to hear how San Francisco survived and re-built after two very disastrous earthquakes.

Vancouver

Vancouver

In Vancouver, we were staying with Graham’s cousin Darrell and his wife Tamara. We stayed for five days and once again it was nice to be in one spot for a few days with no driving. We did a lot of visiting and touring around in those five days with "Elmira" friends that now live in Vancouver and of course ate too much. The relaxing part was great too. The Vancouver organization was great to us and Darrell, Graham, and I attended the game. We sat way, way high up this time in the media section. Heights are not my specialty, but the view was great and after a while, you don’t notice how high you actually are. The Canucks unfortunately went down to defeat late in the third period and ruined our perfect record. We are now 4 & 1 for the home team. The official countdown is now at 5 teams down and 25 to go.

Graham's Game Report

Vancouver vs Nashville

Oct. 31, 2006

GM Place

The Canucks are off to a great start this year playing the majority of their games on the road. Tonight they fell behind 2-0 early in the game and battled back to tie the game in the third only to give up a late goal and lose 3-2. Nashville has not lost since the game in Chicago on Oct. 12. Their pre-season picks as favourites by experts looks to be well deserved. A very tough team to play against. The Canucks got good leadership from Captain Markus Naslund and great goaltending from Roberto Luongo. The Canucks look play-off bound this year.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel

It was time to start the climb up and through the Canadian Rockies. There were a lot of small lakes and streams along the way. The main road is built along and follows the path of the streams. Lots of winding and at times lots of climbing. Some areas had snow and others had none at all. I don’t know how the locals drive some of these roads regularly. They are so high at times above canyons and cliffs. It is a loooooooooong way to the bottom. Another neat thing was the wildlife overpasses. Instead of car overpasses, in some places they had wildlife overpasses so the animals could cross the road back and forth without being on the highway. Almost all the areas along the highway had very high heavy fencing along the road so the elk and deer couldn’t run out on the road. Then every so far, there would be an overpass over the road so that they could cross over. Visiting their friends, I guess. Once into British Columbia, we stopped at the visitor centre in Golden and got a bunch of maps and tourist info. By afternoon the temperature had gone up to a balmy 51F. Not hot, but sure warmer than this morning. We stopped at Sicamous for the night and enjoyed a barbeque cooked up by chef Graham.
The next morning we were off to Vernon and stopped there to visit former Elmira Sugar King Andrew Coburn. He is playing hockey in Vernon. After a nice lunch and visit with Andrew, we made our way through the Okanagan Valley to Kelowna and stayed with Ron and Liz Ruppel. We stayed at their house for the night and then in the morning we were up and moving on to Vancouver. It is a beautiful drive through the valley area along Lake Okanagan. The road we travelled on was crazy to drive on, but it was worth it to see the spectacular scenery. We went through the Roger’s Pass on this stretch of driving and reached an altitude of 5,619 feet. The temperature dropped quite a bit. It was high enough for me, and I was glad when we eventually started making our descent.

Calgary

Calgary

Up and at em again and we headed down the Calgary Trail to Calgary. We passed through Ron McLean’s home town of Red Deer, Alberta on our way there. We found a nice campsite at the outskirts of Calgary. Internet access has been sketchy at some spots, but we did manage to update some stuff at an office inside the main building. We have had no luck contacting the Flames representative the past week, so we camped for two days and went into the city and found the Saddledome. We managed to get parked out the front with the help of Bob who is in charge of security. A team rep did come out and took our posters in to hopefully get them signed, but we weren’t allowed in to see anyone. We got our tickets and put in time till game time with a nice walk along the river and Stampede grounds which are attached to the arena. It covers quite a large area. Graham met with a local sports station host named Bruce Dowbiggin and was on his show for 45 minutes in the afternoon. He dropped by the RV to meet me and graciously gave us a book he has written. We once again had great seats for the game and Calgary won handily by a score of 6-1. We are now 4 & 0 for the home team while on our tour. 4 teams down and 26 to go. We waited after the game for our posters which were being done and Liz from the concierge desk after checking for them, retrieved them for us. We were on our way right after the game to drive out of the city. It’s not so busy and hectic in the morning trying to maneuver the 37 machine around in rush hour traffic. We drove to Canmore, Alberta and stopped there for the night. It of course was dark when we got there, but in the morning it was amazing getting up early and watching the sun come up shining so brightly on the mountain tops. It was quite a sight. Our waitress at one point looked out and said that she never gets tired of looking at the mountains. I can see why. The colours reflected from the sun are hard to describe. It was also a cool 21F and we had no heat.

Graham's Game Report

Calgary vs Phoenix

Oct. 24, 2006

The Saddledome

Calgary has been struggling to this point, but tonight they coasted to an easy 6-1 victory over the Coyotes. Not much went right for Phoenix tonight but they looked to be a little stronger than what they showed. Some tough breaks and too many penalties left them behind after the first period and they were never able to get in the game.

Edmonton

Edmonton

We were followed into Edmonton with the HNIC crew and a TSN crew. We split the trip up from Lloydminster with each crew. We stopped at a town named Veigerville that hd the world’s largest easter egg. It was huge. Very beautiful too. It was a Ukranian design with copper inlayed into the design. We switched camera crews at that point and made our way into Edmonton. We camped for one night at a very muddy spot and made our way back into Edmonton the following morning for the game day skate. Graham got to go in and sit with G.M. Kevin Lowe and talk hockey with him and Scotty Bowman whom had come in at the same time. J.J. Hebert had things all set up for us upon arrival and made our stay very special. We once again stayed right at the arena on the back ramp area where the teams come in and out. They gave us a dressing room for our own use. We spent the day doing some media interviews, did some walking, and relaxing. It’s nice to stay in one spot for a bit and not have to drive. We had a tour of the CBC truck that produces the HNIC show before the game started. Don Metz who is in charge of production at the Edmonton facility toured us through and then came and got us during the game and took us through again so we could see it when the things were running on live time. We went and had a visit with Ron McLean and Don Cherry during the second period when they weren’t on air. As you can see by a couple of the pictures, Don had me wear the boa he had on at the beginning of the show. It was breast cancer awareness night at Rexall Place and he wore it to liven things up with his usual touch of humour. He told me to keep it, so I have it along with me now in the RV. You never know when it might come in handy to have a hot pink feather boa to wear!!!
We were also honoured to be special guests of G.M. Kevin Lowe and his wife Karen in their family box for the game. Kevin’s mom Jessie was there too as were two of the Lowe children. A very nice family and they made us feel so welcome. J.J. also kindly gave us an autographed Oilers playoff jersey from last year that will go for auction. It is the dark navy colour and I think I like it better than the white ones. It was a long day and we gladly crawled into bed that night. The countdown stands now at 3 teams down and 27 to go.

Graham's Game Report

Edmonton vs Detroit Oct. 21, 2006 at Rexall Place

Edmonton is off to a good start this year despite not playing their best hockey, according to the coaches and the players. They came out on top with a couple of identical break away goals late in the game. Detroit has been struggling on their current road trip and looked frustrated at times. Strong goaltending from Dwayne Roloson kept Edmonton in the game till their offense got going. Don’t count Detroit out just yet.

Weekly Travel

Weekly Travel

We had some interesting stays along the way besides the arenas in Chicago and St. Paul. The wind managed to slow down a bit by the time we had almost driven out of Minnesota. I thought we were going to blow off the road at times. We also managed to hit two large flying buckets that are used to wash floors. The big ones with the wheels and handle on them. Some (insert synonym here – idiot, dufus, moron, bonehead) failed to tie down the items in his pick up truck. Somewhere between Chicago and St. Paul, when the wind was at its fiercest, the buckets flew off his truck and right into our path. The 37 Machine took a pretty stiff check to the front right bumper, but kept going, leaving in its path, a strewn mess of "bucket stuff". Luckily it didn’t hit the windshield.
Then there was Buffalo Lake State Park. We parked there one night. Right near Fargo North Dakota. Not a camper in sight. Nor a buffalo, or a lake. But I will tell you what seemed to be in abundance. Snakes. Little garter snakes kept sneaking around by my feet. They seemed to enjoy having me jump and scream, because they kept appearing. So it was a quiet night, just Graham and I, and the snakes and Ranger Rick at the Ranger Station. Almost creepy, yet so soothing and peaceful.
We also make a quick stop in Winnipeg to visit with the Leis family. David, Cheryl, Sophie and Adrian had us for supper and we had a nice visit with them. David was a neighbour of Graham’s when they were growing up. And David’s father Vernon Leis married us many moons ago. After spending a night in Winnipeg we traveled on to Saskatoon and stayed with another member of the Leis family. David’s brother Tim and his wife Anne and family graciously had us stay for the night. We enjoyed another nice meal and visit and in the morning were on our way to Lloydminster.

Minnesota

St. Paul

The Minnesota Wild play in the St. Paul area at the Xcel Centre. A very beautiful arena. It was built specifically for hockey and no other sports share the facility. The 18,000 venue is sold out for each game. You are in the "State of Hockey" when you are in Minnesota. Wayne Carlson was our contact for the Wild, and he had us all fixed up in no time. We went to the game day skate and were very happy to meet with Kurtis Foster afterwards. Kurtis played with Dan in Chicago and was the first recipient of the Man of the Year Award that was renamed after Dan. He is having a good start to the season and is really enjoying playing for the Wild organization. We got the next set of signatures for the posters also. We had a nice visit with Kurtis and went back to the RV.
If the picture is clear enough to make out in the picture gallery, you can see that we are parked on loading dock #2 which is in the basement of the Xcel Centre. That was our spot for the day and night. We were made to feel so welcome by everyone in the organization and in the entire building. A special thanks to security people Jackson and Nick for looking after us. That is the good part about this tour. The people we meet. A kind person can show you what kind of person they actually are. We met so many truly kind people during our stay in St. Paul. The Wild won the game handily over the Columbus Blue Jackets making us a perfect 2 and 0 for the home team. Lets see how many wins we can get. Next stop, Edmonton to see the Oilers. Two cities down, 28 to go.

Graham's Game Report

Minnesota vs Columbus Oct. 14,2006 at the Xcel Center

A sell out crowd had a festive night in St. Paul’s as the Wild cruised to a 5-0 victory to remain undefeated. The Wild look to have a much stronger offence than in past years, while not sacrificing their usual stifling defense. Brian Rolston and Marian Gaborik looked unstoppable up front and the defense was solid. Manny Fernandez in goal earned his shutout. The Wild look like they will be a real force this year.

Chicago

The windy city. What can I say. It was windy, windy, and windy. What a blustery day as Winnie the Pooh would say. We made our contact with the Blackhawks organization through Angela Armbruster and arrangements were made to meet with her before the game. But first, it was off to the Allstate Arena. Home base for us. A place we are familiar with in Chicago. Dan played two seasons there with the Wolves and won a Calder Cup. So many friends and such a wonderful organization. Dan loved his time in Chicago and every time I go back there I realize why.
We were set up right behind the rink and stayed for two nights. The weather was pretty chilly and it dipped below freezing both nights. And of course the wind never settled down. We had to get the RV winterized. If anyone has ever had an RV, you know you can’t have it out in below freezing temperatures without having it winterized. The pipes are small and freeze very quickly. Day two had us getting the 37 Machine (as we have nicknamed it) a winterizing and we slept better knowing that the plumbing was OK. It was a bit inconvenient not being able to use the plumbing till we got to warmer climates out on the west coast, but it was worth it. Kevin Kacer set us up with a dressing room to shower everyday complete with towels and supplies.
We got to the game early with our friends Billy and Laurie and met up with Angela. She very graciously gave us an authentic Blackhawks jersey signed by the whole team. A very generous gift for our end of trip auction. We also started our poster signings. We have two posters that have been made up for the tour and we hope to get them signed at each city. One by the captain of the team and the other by a member of the team. We hope to auction them at the end of the tour and donate the money to the fundraising for the new recreation complex in our home town of Elmira. We met with the captain Adrian Aucoin after the game and he was kind enough to sign the poster for us and stay for a quick chat. Chicago won the game so our record is 1 and 0 for the home team. We have 1 city down and 29 to go.

A journey begins with a single step as the saying goes. We’ve made a few steps, but still have a lot to go. But all the steps will add up and we will be finished before we know it. Thanks to all who are reading this for joining us on our journey and making it easier along the way. Next stop, St. Paul to see the Minnesota Wild.

Graham's Game Report

Chicago vs Nashville Oct.12, 2006 at the United Center

The smallest crowd in the history of the United Center was on hand to see the Blackhawks post a well deserved 3-1 victory. Sad to see a once proud franchise suffering through lean times. Tonight they looked like the Hawks of old. Martin Havlit and Michael Handzuis up front and Adrian Aucoin on defense and the Bulinwall sent the Predators to their third straight defeat this year. Things are looking better for the Hawks this year.

Welcome to 37 Rising Stars

Welcome to the 37 Rising Stars Blog! Keep up with Graham and Lu Ann Snyder and their tour of every NHL city in North America! Read about the tour as it stops in each city, their daily travel adventures, and a report on each game from Graham. Check out the website www.37risingstars.com for their full schedule, photos, and more. Thanks for visiting and be sure to leave a message for Graham and LuAnn!