Tampa Bay
We had two weeks to get to Tampa from the Raleigh area, so we had planned on doing some sightseeing and taking our time getting to Florida for the remaining two games in our schedule. After another night's stay at the rink in Raleigh, we pulled up stakes and headed south. Our destination for the day was Wilmington NC. It was a pretty quiet drive down highway 40. North Carolina also seems to have the messiest highways I have seen in our travels. Along with the ordinary trash, there were chairs, coolers and lots of cooler lids with no coolers. Maybe they haven't done their spring clean up yet. It sure was messy. We stayed in another woodsy campground near Wilmington and enjoyed the warmer weather. After a great breakfast, it was a short drive to the border of South Carolina. The one thing I noticed immediately upon entering SC, was the palm trees. They seemed to appear out of nowhere and everything was so green and colourful. Myrtle Beach is just a short drive from the border of the Carolinas right on the coast. I have never been there before, so didn't know what to expect. It was very touristy, but mostly deserted at this time of year. I guess the golfers and tourists are mostly present in the fall and the spring. It was a cold day with the wind blowing in off the ocean when we were there, so I can see why there weren't many people around. We stayed at a local campground that was again like being in the woods. If there is one thing you can count on seeing when you are in the Carolinas, it is pine trees. I thought Northern Ontario had a lot of pine trees. So do North and South Carolina. Lots and lots of tall ones. There are also lots of living oak trees. They have leaves on them all year round. They shed constantly and are very messy. At every campground they seem to be cleaning up after them with leaf blowers. And very early in the morning too!!! We headed out in the morning for Charleston as our next stop. We travelled along the ocean highway and saw bits and pieces of the water. The area along the northern coastal area is The Grand Strand. There were a lot of bridges to cross when we got to the Charleston area, but we finally found our campground. It too was in a piney woods area in the north of the city. It was mostly quiet till after supper when we kept hearing gunfire. It came in regular rounds and we found out that we were quite near a firing range. That went on for a couple of hours and then it stopped. Ran out of ammunition I guess. After sleeping with one eye open we made our way to the southern coast area. Moonshine Madness on the radio kept us moving while we got ready to go in the morning. As we left the Charleston area, we passed some beautiful homes as we made our way back to Interstate 95. They were every colour imaginable. They were all surrounded by gorgeous trees and bushes. Some were just plain green, but some were flowering. And most of the trees had Spanish moss hanging from them. It looked so wispy and airy. I read in a travel brochure that there is an old tale about why Spanish moss hangs from the trees, that has to do with a young couple. They were travelling under a banner of trees when they were attacked and murdered on the spot. The locals cut the young woman's hair and hung it from the trees where they both died. Spanish moss grows and hangs like hair from the trees in their memory. An interesting old tale indeed. We were now on our way to Hilton Head, where we planned on staying for a few days. The campground we stayed at was indeed one of the nicest we have been to. I would say it is at the top of the list for me. It was a well established campground with many of the lots being owned by the campers. Much like a condo, only with a RV. The landscaping and maintenance of the grounds was beautiful. There were palm trees mixed in with the living oaks and pine trees. Baskets and beds overflowed with lots of colourful flowers, so it was my kind of place. It made me anxious to get home and work in my own gardens. We had dinner with the Ferriers and the Mansers from good old Elmira on two nights while we were at Hilton Head. It was nice to see some people from back home. The grounds were indeed beautiful, but to maintain them they had the leaf blowers running about six hours a day. I grew weary of that noise after the first day. We rented bicycles for three days and did some major biking. For us anyway. There are bike paths to follow everywhere on the island and the main highway loop in the centre of the island has a bike path going beside it the entire way around. We biked for two or three hours everyday and it was a nice way to get around. We even biked several miles on the beach one afternoon. We haven't had a car available to us when we are stopped and camped, so we have to make sure we get our supplies before we make camp or walk when possible. It was nice to bike to the store and do a bit of shopping. We left Hilton Head and the leaf blowers behind and made our way south to Florida. It was the warmest day of our stay here. When we left later in the morning the mercury had already risen to 76F. The warmer weather was now beckoning. We went as far as Jacksonville and camped at a place right by the highway. It too was very woodsy and had a small outdoor restaurant that served barbeque. There was a huge meat smoker going right beside the screened eating area. Lots of locals came for their barbeque. That is one term I have found funny as we have travelled in the southern U.S. At home where we live, you barbeque your food. And you cook it on the barbeque. In the south, you grill your food and you eat barbeque. Every restaurant has claims to having the best barbeque around. And some of them do. We have had some good barbeque!! The next morning it was back on the highway as we planned on getting to the Orlando area by the afternoon. Today is February 23rd, which is Dan's birthday. It seems fitting that we arrived in Orlando where he played for two hockey seasons and won a Turner Cup championship, on this his birthday. It didn't make the day sting as much. For me, he felt close. We camped in the Disney area and met up with some of the Snyder family while there. Jeff, Jacky, Blaire and Nicole were starting a holiday in the Orlando area and we spent two days with them. Finally, we made our way to the Tampa area. We found a place to stay just near Busch Gardens that conveniently had a huge weekend flea market across the highway. It also just happened to be Sunday, so that made for a good way to pass the afternoon. Also, as luck would have it, there was a shooting range (inside a small trailer) right beside the flea market, and we got to listen to gunfire for the evening again. I guess we are in the south. Guns and Barbeque instead of Guns and Roses. Finally on the 27th we made our way to the St. Pete Times Forum, which is where the Tampa Bay Lightening play. The team arranged for us to stay behind the rink at the loading dock for the night after the game. Graham attended the game day skate and I explored the shops on the waterfront. A good deal as far as I was concerned. Game time soon approached and the Lightning had their hands full with the Dallas Stars. During the first period intermission, Executive Vice President and General Manager Jay Feaster and Community Relations Director Nancy Crane presented us with a cheque for the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation in the amount of $3500.00. They made the presentation on the Lightning bench and we were very grateful for their generosity. We also had a nice surprise cheque from Russ and Lorraine Snyder. Lorraine found us in the concourse level at the Tampa arena and we then met Russ. They met Dan when he played his first year in Orlando. They introduced themselves at the beginning of that season and Dan said it would be nice to have "family" at the games. They went to see him when he played his first game in Atlanta. He signed their "Snyder" jersey for them. When Dan passed away, they also sent us his jersey from his first year in Orlando. They bid on it at the end of the year and had Dan sign it for them. It was ripped and sewed in a couple of places and had a lot of holes in it. Russ said that it looked just like the way Dan played. Rough and tumble. It was very generous of them to send it to us and is a treasured keepsake for our family. Their donation to Dan's Memorial Foundation was much appreciated and again they showed us their generosity. The amount reflected the numbers he wore. $1519.37. Very symbolic numbers indeed. Thank you Russ and Lorraine. It was nice to finally meet you. The game went to overtime with the Stars coming out on top by a final score of 2-1. That makes our record 18 wins and 11 losses for the home team. This is stop number 29. One more stop to go. It seems like yesterday that it was stop one with 29 to go. The time has passed quickly. I must say though, the warm weather makes the winter go much faster. It just doesn't seem to work that way in the cold north! Miami and the Florida Panthers, here we come.
Graham's Game Report
Feb 27, 2007
St. Pete Times Forum
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
This game featured two teams who have been playing well lately. As expected it was a close game decided in overtime by recently acquired Ladislav Nagy of the Stars. It was a tense day around the rink today as teams made a multitude of moves on deadline day. The sight of a player heading out of the rink with a hockey bag and sticks slung over his shoulder just a few hours before the game was a reminder how little control players have over their careers and how it changes a family's dynamic in the blink of an eye.
The Stars got off to a quick start and controlled play for long stretches of time even though the game remained scoreless past the halfway point in the match. Jere Lehtinen notched a powerplay marker to break the goosegg but Brad Richards broke loose on a shorthanded breakaway late in the second period and put a slick move on Marty Turco to tie the score. After a scoreless third period with strong goaltending at both ends the above mentioned Nagy quieted the boisterous home fans for the ony time all night. We were pleasantly surprised by the strong support the Lightning receive in a city not recognized as a hockey hotbed. The Cup win I'm sure is a factor but it feels like the Bolts have found a home in Tampa.
It hardly seems possible but we head south to Miami now to see our 30th NHL rink. An amazing journey it's been but we seem to be running out of road.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Raleigh
Raleigh
Weekly travel
It was a quick trip home for 48 hours and it was time to head back to the RV in Atlanta. We were able to have a visit with family and friends and of course with my crazy little Robbie man. The dog that never stops entertaining. I can still hardly believe we are finished with the northeast part of the tour. It was a very fast and furious pace and we are both looking forward to slowing it down a bit when we get back to travelling in the RV. We both missed the RV. It is a really neat way to travel. Everything you need is with you. And you don't have to lug your suitcase in and out of a hotel every day. Yes, it will be nice to slow down a bit. We arrived back in Atlanta on February 5 by mid afternoon and by supper time had picked up the RV and were settled at an RV campground. We had been at the same place before Christmas, so we didn't have to go looking for a site. It was nice to attend another Thrasher's game on the 6th and visit with special friends Michele and Scott. We also made a visit to the Children's Outpatient Clinic at Emory Hospital. We were invited to read to some children at an afternoon clinic. Some were waiting to go in for appointments and some of the kids were siblings. A special thank you to Sarah, Brook, and Kris for arranging our visit. The children come to the clinic for any number of different treatments related to their illness. I was honoured to be a guest reader and they were good listeners, and seemed to enjoy hearing the Robert Munsch story, Thomas' Snowsuit. It was always a favourite bedtime story at our house. It was especially memorable for me because Dan had a brown snowsuit and he, like Thomas, did not like to wear it. We had many a struggle getting that brown snowsuit on. It was always a joke at our house over the years. We finished up with a rousing game of red light green light. We stayed in Atlanta for three days and then made our way towards Raleigh for the next game. The Hurricanes are the only team we have yet to see on our travels. Some teams we have watched three or more times, but we haven't yet crossed paths with the Hurricanes. We were finally able to travel at a more leisurely pace. It is about a 5 to 6 hour drive from Atlanta to Raleigh. We took four days to get there! An hour or so a day. That wasn't too bad. Along the way we got to stop here and there and see some of the Carolinas. We drove through the upper northwest part of South Carolina on the interstate to get to North Carolina. We made our first stop near Anderson. We were at a campground out in the woods. Way out in the woods. We went into town the next day and found a couple points of interest. One of them for me was a home and garden show. It was in the local Civic Centre and was obviously a well attended event. We got free tickets at the local visitor information centre. There were some interesting exhibits and we managed to come away with some amazing wire strippers, much to Graham's dismay (doesn't everyone need some wire strippers) for a mere twenty dollars. A good buy I thought. Then there was the magic indoor stovetop bbq. They were two for the price of one, so what the heck, we got two. And believe it or not, it works great. We drove for a bit and stopped at an out of the way flea market. Now that was interesting to say the least. It was a fairly large flea market and there was a good cross section of merchandise available. Depends on what you are looking for I guess. We drove on to Charlotte and stayed at one our more interesting spots. We were at the Lowe's Nascar Speedway RV Park. It is directly beside the Racetrack at Concord NC. It was of course pretty empty at this time of year, but it was neat to see the track where one of Nascar's main races takes place. The park has over 400 sites and on a race weekend, forget about getting in unless you reserve in advance. The Carolinas are the largest producers of furniture for North America. We saw lots and lots of furniture stores featuring locally made products. Just northwest of Charlotte is the town of Hickory which is a large furniture producing area. By now it was our third day on the road and we stopped just outside of Raleigh-Durham at Chapel Hill. This area has a large grouping of universities and colleges. Duke, Wake Forest, UNC and NC State are just a few. The sporting rivalries are very intense with their close proximity to each other. We arrived at Raleigh the day before the game and Graham attended the practice. They were well prepared for our arrival and had a spot for us to hook up to in the arena parking lot. Raleigh also has one of the best ice makers in the league. Donny the ice man. He conveniently lives behind the arena in the loading dock area in a RV. Hard to get away from your job though. Best of all he drives an Elmira made Olympia ice machine. Check out the pictures in the picture blog. That evening we were invited to speak to the Canes Booster Club and enjoyed talking to one and all. They also gave us a very generous donation to the Memorial Foundation for which we are very grateful. We attended the game on Tuesday the 13th of February. The Canes improved our winning streak to 18 and 10 with their 2-1 victory over the L.A. Kings. It's getting close to the end. This is game number 28 for us. Two more to go.
Graham's Game Report
Feb 13, 2007
RBC Center
Los Angeles Kings vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Southeast Conference has produced the last two Stanley Cup Champions and tonight we saw the defending champs. Just as Tampa Bay did last year, the Hurricanes have struggled with consistency this year. They currently hold down the eighth and final playoff spot and this game was one they needed to maintain their standing. The Kings are playing out the string with no real hope for a playoff spot but they hung tough tonight. The Canes struck first on a goal by their leading scorer Ray Whitney. L.A. answered back halfway through the second to tie it but less than three minutes later ex-Owen Sound Plater and Cambridge WinterHawk Scott Walker notched the winner for a 2-1 Carolina victory. Ironically Walker was assisted on the goal by former Sault Greyhound, Josef Vasicek who had been traded to Nashville for Walker in an off season trade and just last week was dealt back to the Hurricanes. You really never know who you might be playing with when the trade wheel starts spinning in the NHL. It should be an interesting couple of weeks leading up to the trade deadline on Feb 27. The Canes will be a force I'm sure but it looks to be a dogfight for the last few spots in the east.
Weekly travel
It was a quick trip home for 48 hours and it was time to head back to the RV in Atlanta. We were able to have a visit with family and friends and of course with my crazy little Robbie man. The dog that never stops entertaining. I can still hardly believe we are finished with the northeast part of the tour. It was a very fast and furious pace and we are both looking forward to slowing it down a bit when we get back to travelling in the RV. We both missed the RV. It is a really neat way to travel. Everything you need is with you. And you don't have to lug your suitcase in and out of a hotel every day. Yes, it will be nice to slow down a bit. We arrived back in Atlanta on February 5 by mid afternoon and by supper time had picked up the RV and were settled at an RV campground. We had been at the same place before Christmas, so we didn't have to go looking for a site. It was nice to attend another Thrasher's game on the 6th and visit with special friends Michele and Scott. We also made a visit to the Children's Outpatient Clinic at Emory Hospital. We were invited to read to some children at an afternoon clinic. Some were waiting to go in for appointments and some of the kids were siblings. A special thank you to Sarah, Brook, and Kris for arranging our visit. The children come to the clinic for any number of different treatments related to their illness. I was honoured to be a guest reader and they were good listeners, and seemed to enjoy hearing the Robert Munsch story, Thomas' Snowsuit. It was always a favourite bedtime story at our house. It was especially memorable for me because Dan had a brown snowsuit and he, like Thomas, did not like to wear it. We had many a struggle getting that brown snowsuit on. It was always a joke at our house over the years. We finished up with a rousing game of red light green light. We stayed in Atlanta for three days and then made our way towards Raleigh for the next game. The Hurricanes are the only team we have yet to see on our travels. Some teams we have watched three or more times, but we haven't yet crossed paths with the Hurricanes. We were finally able to travel at a more leisurely pace. It is about a 5 to 6 hour drive from Atlanta to Raleigh. We took four days to get there! An hour or so a day. That wasn't too bad. Along the way we got to stop here and there and see some of the Carolinas. We drove through the upper northwest part of South Carolina on the interstate to get to North Carolina. We made our first stop near Anderson. We were at a campground out in the woods. Way out in the woods. We went into town the next day and found a couple points of interest. One of them for me was a home and garden show. It was in the local Civic Centre and was obviously a well attended event. We got free tickets at the local visitor information centre. There were some interesting exhibits and we managed to come away with some amazing wire strippers, much to Graham's dismay (doesn't everyone need some wire strippers) for a mere twenty dollars. A good buy I thought. Then there was the magic indoor stovetop bbq. They were two for the price of one, so what the heck, we got two. And believe it or not, it works great. We drove for a bit and stopped at an out of the way flea market. Now that was interesting to say the least. It was a fairly large flea market and there was a good cross section of merchandise available. Depends on what you are looking for I guess. We drove on to Charlotte and stayed at one our more interesting spots. We were at the Lowe's Nascar Speedway RV Park. It is directly beside the Racetrack at Concord NC. It was of course pretty empty at this time of year, but it was neat to see the track where one of Nascar's main races takes place. The park has over 400 sites and on a race weekend, forget about getting in unless you reserve in advance. The Carolinas are the largest producers of furniture for North America. We saw lots and lots of furniture stores featuring locally made products. Just northwest of Charlotte is the town of Hickory which is a large furniture producing area. By now it was our third day on the road and we stopped just outside of Raleigh-Durham at Chapel Hill. This area has a large grouping of universities and colleges. Duke, Wake Forest, UNC and NC State are just a few. The sporting rivalries are very intense with their close proximity to each other. We arrived at Raleigh the day before the game and Graham attended the practice. They were well prepared for our arrival and had a spot for us to hook up to in the arena parking lot. Raleigh also has one of the best ice makers in the league. Donny the ice man. He conveniently lives behind the arena in the loading dock area in a RV. Hard to get away from your job though. Best of all he drives an Elmira made Olympia ice machine. Check out the pictures in the picture blog. That evening we were invited to speak to the Canes Booster Club and enjoyed talking to one and all. They also gave us a very generous donation to the Memorial Foundation for which we are very grateful. We attended the game on Tuesday the 13th of February. The Canes improved our winning streak to 18 and 10 with their 2-1 victory over the L.A. Kings. It's getting close to the end. This is game number 28 for us. Two more to go.
Graham's Game Report
Feb 13, 2007
RBC Center
Los Angeles Kings vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Southeast Conference has produced the last two Stanley Cup Champions and tonight we saw the defending champs. Just as Tampa Bay did last year, the Hurricanes have struggled with consistency this year. They currently hold down the eighth and final playoff spot and this game was one they needed to maintain their standing. The Kings are playing out the string with no real hope for a playoff spot but they hung tough tonight. The Canes struck first on a goal by their leading scorer Ray Whitney. L.A. answered back halfway through the second to tie it but less than three minutes later ex-Owen Sound Plater and Cambridge WinterHawk Scott Walker notched the winner for a 2-1 Carolina victory. Ironically Walker was assisted on the goal by former Sault Greyhound, Josef Vasicek who had been traded to Nashville for Walker in an off season trade and just last week was dealt back to the Hurricanes. You really never know who you might be playing with when the trade wheel starts spinning in the NHL. It should be an interesting couple of weeks leading up to the trade deadline on Feb 27. The Canes will be a force I'm sure but it looks to be a dogfight for the last few spots in the east.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Detroit
Detroit
It was another quick drive and we were in Detroit before we knew it. We stayed for one night in the suburbs of Dearborn Michigan. Nearby is the Henry Ford Museum. I remember going there with my family as a kid. Now that was a couple of years ago for sure. We drove into the city the day before the game and Graham attended the Wings practice. I got a much needed car wash for the Escapee. It was black with dirt from the snow storm in West Virginia. I went back to pick up Graham and was invited in for the team's monthly barbeque lunch. Ann Marie, their PR Manager, arranges for a barbeque luncheon once a month after practice. She said no one misses that one. And I can see why. What a spread. If you went hungry, it was your own fault. It was fun sitting and having lunch with some of the players. Dominic Hasek sat with us as did Tomas Holmstrom and coach Mike Babcock. They we great hosts and asked lots of questions about our tour. Coach Babcock remembered Dan well from the AHL when he coached against the Chicago Wolves and said he always admired his competitive spirit and tenacity. After lunch we met Steve Yzerman and had a chat with him also. We talked about his new position with Team Canada and he said he was excited about getting started. He'll do a fine job I'm sure. We were fortunate again to stay at a hotel right near the Joe Louis Arena. Our room faced the Detroit River and it was neat looking across to Windsor and thinking that we would be driving there tomorrow on our way home. Game day arrived before we knew it and with the posters all signed and our visiting done, we didn't have to stay after the game. The Red Wings beat the St. Louis Blues to bring our win record to 17 and 10. This is also game #27 and is our last game of our northeastern swing. We have been travelling by car this past month and have seen 12 games in 28 days. And that is also with 5 days off for the All Star break. It was quite a hectic pace and I am looking forward to getting back in the RV and travelling at a little slower pace when we return to Atlanta. Three teams to go. The Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Florida Panthers. Bring on the warm weather.
Graham's Game Report
Feb 2, 2007
Joe Louis Arena
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings
The St. Louis Blues have come a long way since we saw them back in December and they pushed the powerful Wings to the limit tonight before falling 5-3. Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterburg had three and four points respectively to lead the Wings to victory. Detroit went up half a minute after the opening faceoff on a goal by Zetterberg but Stempniak replied less than thirty seconds later for the Blues. Ryan Johnston's shorthanded marker answered Tomas Holmstrom's second period marker to send the teams deadlocked into the third period. The Blues bounced back a third time to tie the score when Tkaczuk tipped home Dennis Wideman's shot from the blue line halfway through the third period. Kris Draper notched the winner shorthanded when he batted home a rebound of Lidstrom's shot on a two on one break. Daniel Cleary iced it with an empty net marker in the last minute. It was our first look at Detroit since an October loss in Edmonton and they look to be a serious cup contender as usual. I enjoyed spending some time in the Wings room after their practice and left with some good memories and a book entitled " What it means to be a Red Wing." Their storied history is retold by many former and current players. A class organization that has known exquisite highs and devastating lows over the years but continues to persevere. I have a feeling we will see them in the fight right to the end this year.
It was another quick drive and we were in Detroit before we knew it. We stayed for one night in the suburbs of Dearborn Michigan. Nearby is the Henry Ford Museum. I remember going there with my family as a kid. Now that was a couple of years ago for sure. We drove into the city the day before the game and Graham attended the Wings practice. I got a much needed car wash for the Escapee. It was black with dirt from the snow storm in West Virginia. I went back to pick up Graham and was invited in for the team's monthly barbeque lunch. Ann Marie, their PR Manager, arranges for a barbeque luncheon once a month after practice. She said no one misses that one. And I can see why. What a spread. If you went hungry, it was your own fault. It was fun sitting and having lunch with some of the players. Dominic Hasek sat with us as did Tomas Holmstrom and coach Mike Babcock. They we great hosts and asked lots of questions about our tour. Coach Babcock remembered Dan well from the AHL when he coached against the Chicago Wolves and said he always admired his competitive spirit and tenacity. After lunch we met Steve Yzerman and had a chat with him also. We talked about his new position with Team Canada and he said he was excited about getting started. He'll do a fine job I'm sure. We were fortunate again to stay at a hotel right near the Joe Louis Arena. Our room faced the Detroit River and it was neat looking across to Windsor and thinking that we would be driving there tomorrow on our way home. Game day arrived before we knew it and with the posters all signed and our visiting done, we didn't have to stay after the game. The Red Wings beat the St. Louis Blues to bring our win record to 17 and 10. This is also game #27 and is our last game of our northeastern swing. We have been travelling by car this past month and have seen 12 games in 28 days. And that is also with 5 days off for the All Star break. It was quite a hectic pace and I am looking forward to getting back in the RV and travelling at a little slower pace when we return to Atlanta. Three teams to go. The Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Florida Panthers. Bring on the warm weather.
Graham's Game Report
Feb 2, 2007
Joe Louis Arena
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings
The St. Louis Blues have come a long way since we saw them back in December and they pushed the powerful Wings to the limit tonight before falling 5-3. Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterburg had three and four points respectively to lead the Wings to victory. Detroit went up half a minute after the opening faceoff on a goal by Zetterberg but Stempniak replied less than thirty seconds later for the Blues. Ryan Johnston's shorthanded marker answered Tomas Holmstrom's second period marker to send the teams deadlocked into the third period. The Blues bounced back a third time to tie the score when Tkaczuk tipped home Dennis Wideman's shot from the blue line halfway through the third period. Kris Draper notched the winner shorthanded when he batted home a rebound of Lidstrom's shot on a two on one break. Daniel Cleary iced it with an empty net marker in the last minute. It was our first look at Detroit since an October loss in Edmonton and they look to be a serious cup contender as usual. I enjoyed spending some time in the Wings room after their practice and left with some good memories and a book entitled " What it means to be a Red Wing." Their storied history is retold by many former and current players. A class organization that has known exquisite highs and devastating lows over the years but continues to persevere. I have a feeling we will see them in the fight right to the end this year.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Columbus and Pittsburgh are very close to each other, but we decided to drive as far as Wheeling, West Virginia and stay put for a couple of days. It was great to catch up on some extra sleep and just relax. Our four days in Las Vegas during the All Star Break didn't somehow allow for much rest. Now it was catch up time. We stayed near a very large shopping mall and theatre complex, so managed to do some shopping and see a couple of movies. Graham had to twist my rubber arm to do some shopping, but I managed to go over and buy a couple of things. We left for Pittsburgh on Monday morning and it was a short one hour drive to get there. Graham attended the morning practice, did some media interviews and met with Mark Recchi and Sidney Crosby to get our posters signed. We were once again fortunate to stay directly across the street from the arena. The Mellon arena is definitely showing its age and indeed doesn't have some of the more lucrative aspects we have seen in other newer facilities, such as lots of luxury boxes. There were a few, but not many. It also has the only retractable roof of any arena in the United States. It was built in the early 1960's as a Civic Centre and was host to many concerts and entertainment venues. It evolved into the arena for the Penguins and has served them since they came into the league. It is a very well maintained building and by no means looks run down or dumpy, but it has seen its day and definitely needs to be replaced. Land has apparently been secured directly across the street from where it now stands and I'm sure the city of Pittsburgh will build them a new facility. We have now watched the Penguins play three times and of all the teams in the league, this one to me is the most exciting. With Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, and Armstrong to name a few, they have such a strong youth movement to build on for the future. They are really fun and exciting to watch. You can feel their passion as they play and that is what playing hockey is all about. They make it fun for everyone. Their teammates, coaches and especially the fans. They are definitely the team to watch for the future and I hope for the wonderful fan base in Pittsburgh, they can remain in that city. We were also very fortunate while in Pittsburgh to meet Cindy Himes with the public/community department. Cindy has been with the Penguins for 30 years and has been there for the good times and the bad. She arranged for us to meet with Hockey in the Hood organizer Cliff Benson and coach Howard Smith. What amazing people and what an amazing bunch of kids that attend the sessions each week. The kids are brought by their parents from all over the city and the Hockey in the Hood organization sees to it that they have all the necessary hockey equipment to play the game. They now have enough kids enrolled to have a couple of older divisions like pee wee and bantam and sometimes play in tournaments. The little guys are so cute. They work hard on the ice under the direction of coaches Howard and Monique. They are very passionate and devoted to the Hockey in the Hood program and are able to make a difference in some children's lives. If anyone reading this would ever like to make a donation to a very worthy cause, this is it. It is a non profit organization that lets children play hockey that might not otherwise be able to play the game because of cost. It furthers sport and promotes a healthy activity. And that is what playing hockey is all about. We also were surprised to meet Dave Hanson at the Hockey in the Hood facility. He is one of the famous Hanson Brothers from the movie Slapshot. He is the facilities manager when he isn't on tour with his "other brothers". He was a very nice man and graciously posed for a picture with us. This is stop #26 and our win record now stands at 16 and 10. Four teams to go. Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!
Graham's Game Report
Jan 30, 2007
Mellon Arena
Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have had little success against the Panthers for a long time now but tonight they maintained their winning streak with a shutout victory. Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding between the pipes and the Pens got all the offense they needed on a late first period goal by Michel Oullet. Moore and Whitney added insurance in the second period to extend their current winning streak and build the confidence of a blossoming young team. It was our third Penguin game and they look better every time we've seen them. Crosby and Malkin are on their way to superstardom already but I've been impressed with youngsters like Jordan Staal, Colby Armstrong and Oullet who get less press but are playing a solid NHL game that all teams need to be successful. This should be a fun team to watch in the future and the sooner they get into the playoffs the tougher it will be on the rest of the league. We enjoyed our stay in Pittsburgh and hopefully this franchise will stay here for years to come.
Columbus and Pittsburgh are very close to each other, but we decided to drive as far as Wheeling, West Virginia and stay put for a couple of days. It was great to catch up on some extra sleep and just relax. Our four days in Las Vegas during the All Star Break didn't somehow allow for much rest. Now it was catch up time. We stayed near a very large shopping mall and theatre complex, so managed to do some shopping and see a couple of movies. Graham had to twist my rubber arm to do some shopping, but I managed to go over and buy a couple of things. We left for Pittsburgh on Monday morning and it was a short one hour drive to get there. Graham attended the morning practice, did some media interviews and met with Mark Recchi and Sidney Crosby to get our posters signed. We were once again fortunate to stay directly across the street from the arena. The Mellon arena is definitely showing its age and indeed doesn't have some of the more lucrative aspects we have seen in other newer facilities, such as lots of luxury boxes. There were a few, but not many. It also has the only retractable roof of any arena in the United States. It was built in the early 1960's as a Civic Centre and was host to many concerts and entertainment venues. It evolved into the arena for the Penguins and has served them since they came into the league. It is a very well maintained building and by no means looks run down or dumpy, but it has seen its day and definitely needs to be replaced. Land has apparently been secured directly across the street from where it now stands and I'm sure the city of Pittsburgh will build them a new facility. We have now watched the Penguins play three times and of all the teams in the league, this one to me is the most exciting. With Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, and Armstrong to name a few, they have such a strong youth movement to build on for the future. They are really fun and exciting to watch. You can feel their passion as they play and that is what playing hockey is all about. They make it fun for everyone. Their teammates, coaches and especially the fans. They are definitely the team to watch for the future and I hope for the wonderful fan base in Pittsburgh, they can remain in that city. We were also very fortunate while in Pittsburgh to meet Cindy Himes with the public/community department. Cindy has been with the Penguins for 30 years and has been there for the good times and the bad. She arranged for us to meet with Hockey in the Hood organizer Cliff Benson and coach Howard Smith. What amazing people and what an amazing bunch of kids that attend the sessions each week. The kids are brought by their parents from all over the city and the Hockey in the Hood organization sees to it that they have all the necessary hockey equipment to play the game. They now have enough kids enrolled to have a couple of older divisions like pee wee and bantam and sometimes play in tournaments. The little guys are so cute. They work hard on the ice under the direction of coaches Howard and Monique. They are very passionate and devoted to the Hockey in the Hood program and are able to make a difference in some children's lives. If anyone reading this would ever like to make a donation to a very worthy cause, this is it. It is a non profit organization that lets children play hockey that might not otherwise be able to play the game because of cost. It furthers sport and promotes a healthy activity. And that is what playing hockey is all about. We also were surprised to meet Dave Hanson at the Hockey in the Hood facility. He is one of the famous Hanson Brothers from the movie Slapshot. He is the facilities manager when he isn't on tour with his "other brothers". He was a very nice man and graciously posed for a picture with us. This is stop #26 and our win record now stands at 16 and 10. Four teams to go. Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!
Graham's Game Report
Jan 30, 2007
Mellon Arena
Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have had little success against the Panthers for a long time now but tonight they maintained their winning streak with a shutout victory. Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding between the pipes and the Pens got all the offense they needed on a late first period goal by Michel Oullet. Moore and Whitney added insurance in the second period to extend their current winning streak and build the confidence of a blossoming young team. It was our third Penguin game and they look better every time we've seen them. Crosby and Malkin are on their way to superstardom already but I've been impressed with youngsters like Jordan Staal, Colby Armstrong and Oullet who get less press but are playing a solid NHL game that all teams need to be successful. This should be a fun team to watch in the future and the sooner they get into the playoffs the tougher it will be on the rest of the league. We enjoyed our stay in Pittsburgh and hopefully this franchise will stay here for years to come.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Columbus
Columbus
It was a long snowy and yucky drive to Columbus from Washington. We left early in the morning and soon were in Virginia driving through the rolling Appalachian Mountains. The weather would go from clear and sunny to stormy with poor visibility and then back to clear and sunny again. It was a strange drive. It once again, made it very hard to see much of the countryside. We did do a lot of up and down driving on winding roads. I thought for a moment that we were back on the coastal highway on the west coast. The snow soon chased that thought out of my mind. We arrived in Columbus in the early evening and stayed downtown in a hotel right across from the Nationwide Arena. We were told that this used to be a very run down part of the city, and with the building of the arena, things changed around. The surrounding buildings are beautifully constructed and the area is aptly named the "Arena District". This is a case where the entire inner city, with good planning has been built up and is certainly something for the city of Columbus to be proud of. Besides the arena, there is lots of green space, shopping, and restaurants. The arena itself is the cornerstone of the area and is one of the nicer rinks we have been to in our travels. It is very large with lots of open concourse space. It is also a short 5 minute walk from a few downtown hotels so is very convenient. The away teams stay at these hotels and the Sabres were staying at the same hotel as us. There were also lots and lots of Sabre fans. There were a few buses that had come down to Columbus and a many also drove. The rink was loud and very noisy for the whole game and when Buffalo scored, it was amazingly loud for an away team goal. They made it lots of fun and it was a great atmosphere. Columbus won 3-2 giving us a 15 and 10 win record. It's getting pretty even with the wins and losses. In the afternoon the wonderful public relations people arranged for Graham to speak to their sales and marketing staff. It was quite a large group and Graham's message was well received. It was back to the hotel after the game and we were on our way in the morning to Pittsburgh. We continue to get closer and closer to our 30 city number. This was stop number 25, giving us 5 more stops to go.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 26, 2007
Nationwide Arena
Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The crowd for this Blue Jackets home game was a noisy sell out but the noise favoured both sides fairly equally as thousands of Sabres fans made the trek to Columbus and made their presence known. The Sabres looked strong in opening up a 2-1 lead after two periods with the Jackets getting strong goaltending from Fredrik Norrena, including a stop on a late period penalty shot by Daniel Paille to keep them in contention. Goals from Rotislav Klesla and Dan Fritsche brought the home team back in the third for a 3-2 Columbus victory. Ted Drury netted two power play goals for Buffalo and Rick Nash notched a powerplay marker for the home side. The game had quite a festive atmosphere with fans of both teams battling for vocal supremacy. This hockey only arena is one of the nicest we've seen on our tour and I'm sure some day soon the Columbus faithful will be rewarded for their support of this young franchise.
It was a long snowy and yucky drive to Columbus from Washington. We left early in the morning and soon were in Virginia driving through the rolling Appalachian Mountains. The weather would go from clear and sunny to stormy with poor visibility and then back to clear and sunny again. It was a strange drive. It once again, made it very hard to see much of the countryside. We did do a lot of up and down driving on winding roads. I thought for a moment that we were back on the coastal highway on the west coast. The snow soon chased that thought out of my mind. We arrived in Columbus in the early evening and stayed downtown in a hotel right across from the Nationwide Arena. We were told that this used to be a very run down part of the city, and with the building of the arena, things changed around. The surrounding buildings are beautifully constructed and the area is aptly named the "Arena District". This is a case where the entire inner city, with good planning has been built up and is certainly something for the city of Columbus to be proud of. Besides the arena, there is lots of green space, shopping, and restaurants. The arena itself is the cornerstone of the area and is one of the nicer rinks we have been to in our travels. It is very large with lots of open concourse space. It is also a short 5 minute walk from a few downtown hotels so is very convenient. The away teams stay at these hotels and the Sabres were staying at the same hotel as us. There were also lots and lots of Sabre fans. There were a few buses that had come down to Columbus and a many also drove. The rink was loud and very noisy for the whole game and when Buffalo scored, it was amazingly loud for an away team goal. They made it lots of fun and it was a great atmosphere. Columbus won 3-2 giving us a 15 and 10 win record. It's getting pretty even with the wins and losses. In the afternoon the wonderful public relations people arranged for Graham to speak to their sales and marketing staff. It was quite a large group and Graham's message was well received. It was back to the hotel after the game and we were on our way in the morning to Pittsburgh. We continue to get closer and closer to our 30 city number. This was stop number 25, giving us 5 more stops to go.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 26, 2007
Nationwide Arena
Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The crowd for this Blue Jackets home game was a noisy sell out but the noise favoured both sides fairly equally as thousands of Sabres fans made the trek to Columbus and made their presence known. The Sabres looked strong in opening up a 2-1 lead after two periods with the Jackets getting strong goaltending from Fredrik Norrena, including a stop on a late period penalty shot by Daniel Paille to keep them in contention. Goals from Rotislav Klesla and Dan Fritsche brought the home team back in the third for a 3-2 Columbus victory. Ted Drury netted two power play goals for Buffalo and Rick Nash notched a powerplay marker for the home side. The game had quite a festive atmosphere with fans of both teams battling for vocal supremacy. This hockey only arena is one of the nicest we've seen on our tour and I'm sure some day soon the Columbus faithful will be rewarded for their support of this young franchise.
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