Buffalo
New Year's Greetings to one and all. I hope that everyone had a good time ringing in the new year and that this year will be happy and safe for all. After a bit of a break for more visiting (and too much eating), it was time to drive to Buffalo. We are also leaving Buffalo to start the next leg of the journey without going home in between. We will be on the road for the next month driving by car and catching the teams in the northeast. After Buffalo, we return to Canada to see Ottawa and Montreal and then return to the States and start with Boston and work our way down the eastern seaboard. Luckily it wasn't snowing in Buffalo, but it was pouring rain. There is no snow there at all which is a rare thing for this time of year. We were lucky to be able to connect with Rich Jurrella the manager of public relations for the Sabres. He had everything all lined up for us and made our stop in Buffalo so easy and worry free for us. He is another amazing "inside" hockey person we have met that is a true credit to their organization. We have met some amazing people within the public relations and community departments of each team and there are about six or seven that are stand outs. Rich is one of them. After attending the game day skate, we were fortunate to have a visit with the coach Lindy Ruff. It was a pleasure to meet and talk with him. We were hoping to visit with Dan's former teamate and friend, Adam Mair, but he was a little under the weather and did not attend practice. We wanted to watch the gold medal game with the World Juniors, but it was only being telecast by TSN and we were doubtful we would find it being televised in the Buffalo area, so we headed back to Canada to watch what else - a hockey game. We booked a hotel room and watched the game with our eyelids closed most of the time. It was another early morning and it was nice to have a nap. We did wake up in time to see Canada win the gold medal though. After some supper, it was time to cross the border again and get to the rink. Graham and I did two interviews when we got there for the local TV stations and I was nervous as usual. The HSBC Arena is also one of the nicest facilities that we have been to so far. It was electric with atmosphere during the game and was packed to capacity. The fans are LOUD and love their Sabres. That's when it is fun to attend a hockey game. When the rink is jammed full, cheering on their team. Unfortunately the Sabres couldn't pull out a win for them and the Penguins were awarded the two points. A very nice surprise for the evening was going up to the press box and receiving a generous donation from the Sabres organization. Play by play announcer Rick Jenerette made the cheque presentation to our family. We were able to see Adam after the game along with his wife and his parents, Dave and Nancy. Adam and Dan were teamates in Owen Sound for four straight years and we got to know him and his parents well. I haven't written much about travel, because well, I guess I have travelled this route so often and it is a lot of highways, traffic and congestion. For people not familiar to the Golden Horseshoe area, it is quite a sight to go and visit Niagara Falls and see the American and Canadian falls. They are magnificent and truly a wonder to see. I should have taken some pictures, but I guess it is one of those things that I have seen so often and I didn't even think to stop for a photo. I'll try and get one another time and get it posted for those that have never seen it. Well, this is stop number 16 and our record is now 10 wins and 6 losses for the home team when we are at a game. The home teams are going to have to kick it up a notch. We'll have to see how Ottawa does on our next stop.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 5, 2007
HSBC Arena
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres
This was our first opportunity to see the high flying Sabres this season. It's a team we have seen many times over the years at the old Aud and now in their spacious home up the street. We've always enjoyed the atmosphere at Sabres games and their exciting team has led to consistent sellouts this season and tonight's game was no exception. The Sabres jumped in frothnt twice during this one but the persistent Penguins eventually prevailed by a 4-2 margin. This marked only the second time this year the Sabres have dropped two in a row. Given the adversity faced by the organization the last number of years a two game losing streak for a first place team is no cause for alarm. Former Kitchener Ranger Derek Roy and co-captain Chris Drury scored tonight for this well balanced lineup. Whitney, Moore, young gun Malkin and even younger teamate Jordan Staal tallied for the Pens. This is our second look at the Penguins and I've been very impressed with the responsibility given the 18 year old Staal. He looks to be a long term star in the game. It was great to chat with Dan's former Plater teammate and friend Adam Mair of the Sabres who continues to play his robust style for this exciting team. We also had a chance to chat with coach Lindy Ruff and GM Darcy Regier and the character of both these men is evidenced in the great team play of the Sabres. I'm sure we'll see this team go deep into this year's playoffs.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Toronto
Toronto
Well folks, here we are back on the road again. The trip to Toronto to see the Leafs is like a home game for us. We are about an hour and a half from the ACC, so this trip was a piece of cake. We have been enjoying our time at home, but it has been busy too. Lots of friends and family to see and lots of mail to sort out. It seems our kitchen table turned into a mail sorting center for Canada Post. It is amazing how much mail you can get in a couple of months. And Erika kindly sorted out the junk for us. If she hadn't done that, she would have had to use the dining room table too! It was a very early start to make our way to Toronto. We left home at 7:30 AM so we could make our way to the downtown area by 10:00. Graham had some media commitments and we were attending the game day skate. Driving in Toronto is no different that some of the larger American cities we have visited. They are mostly the same when it comes to driving - congested. Luckily it was Saturday morning and we didn't have to fight everyone making their way to work. After the skate, Graham had a good chat with Bryan McCabe and he signed our poster for us. Of all the people that were at Dan's funeral, I still distinctly remember Bryan and Tie Domi coming up to me afterwards and expressing their condolences. It's funny how you only remember snippets of a time like that, but I still vividly recall talking to them both and how very kind they both were. I was pleased to be able to visit with Dallas Eakins. Dallas and Dan played together with the Chicago Wolves and won the the Calder Cup together. Dallas was someone Dan respected and admired so much and we are very proud of his coaching accomplishments and wish him all the best with the Leafs. After the game day skate and the media commitments, we had to put in some time till the game. After a good lunch and long walk, we found a movie theatre and spent the afternoon watching a movie. It was hard to stay awake after getting up so early. Game time came and went and before we knew it, it was time to head home again. Unfortunately, the leafs lost to Ottawa giving us an 10 and 5 win record for the home team when we are in attendance. We were able to chat with some friends downstairs after the game and Mats Sundin graciously signed our captain's poster for us. We visited with Ron McLean and Don Cherry and had another picture taken together, minus the pink feather boa. It does add a little pizazz though. I was going to put it on the online auction, but I'm thinking of keeping it for myself now. Finally we were at home by 12:30 AM. It was a long, long day. It is going to be busy still for the remainder of the week, just getting ready to go on the road again. The next part of the trip will be by car and the schedule is hectic with games almost every other day for two weeks. Let's just cross our fingers and hope for good weather. It is the halfway mark for our tour. Toronto is the 15th stop, so we now have 15 stops to go.
Graham's Game Report
Dec 30, 2006
Air Canada Centre
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
It was a short trip down the 401 tonight for what will be the closest we get to a home game on this tour. The Leafs and Sens have both struggled at times this year and have each faced adversity in the form of injuries to top players. Both teams seemed tentative in the early going but the Leafs jumped ahead late in the first period on a powerplay marker by Alex Steen. Ottawa tied it shorthanded on a Dean McCammond marker and both teams recieved solid goaltending to remain tied well into the third. Boyd Deveraux broke the tie with a hard wrist shot to the top corner just after Andrew Raycraft had stoned Dany Heatley with a quick glove hand at the other end. The Leafs hopes for a regulation time win over their division rivals went up in smoke when Chris Kelley was left wide open in front and he shoveled in the tying goal with under two minutes reamaining. The extra point also went out the window when Chris Philips redirected Heatley's pass past Raycraft in the OT period. Both teams should be able to remain in the playoff hunt with the calibre of goaltending they received last night but will have to get outstanding team efforts to overcome the injuries. We had the pleasure of chatting with Leafs assistant coach Dallas Eakins who was a veteran leader on the Chicago Wolves team that won an unlikely Calder Cup during Dan's time there. His leadership skills will serve him welll in his new career. We also had a chance to cht with Boyd Deveraux who often played against Dan for the Stratford Cullitons and Kitchener Rangers. It was good to see him take advantage of another opportunity in the NHL after overcoming some serious injuries in his career. The Leafs were gracious hosts again and it was a real treat to be back in "hockey country" over the Christmas season.
Happy New Year
Well folks, here we are back on the road again. The trip to Toronto to see the Leafs is like a home game for us. We are about an hour and a half from the ACC, so this trip was a piece of cake. We have been enjoying our time at home, but it has been busy too. Lots of friends and family to see and lots of mail to sort out. It seems our kitchen table turned into a mail sorting center for Canada Post. It is amazing how much mail you can get in a couple of months. And Erika kindly sorted out the junk for us. If she hadn't done that, she would have had to use the dining room table too! It was a very early start to make our way to Toronto. We left home at 7:30 AM so we could make our way to the downtown area by 10:00. Graham had some media commitments and we were attending the game day skate. Driving in Toronto is no different that some of the larger American cities we have visited. They are mostly the same when it comes to driving - congested. Luckily it was Saturday morning and we didn't have to fight everyone making their way to work. After the skate, Graham had a good chat with Bryan McCabe and he signed our poster for us. Of all the people that were at Dan's funeral, I still distinctly remember Bryan and Tie Domi coming up to me afterwards and expressing their condolences. It's funny how you only remember snippets of a time like that, but I still vividly recall talking to them both and how very kind they both were. I was pleased to be able to visit with Dallas Eakins. Dallas and Dan played together with the Chicago Wolves and won the the Calder Cup together. Dallas was someone Dan respected and admired so much and we are very proud of his coaching accomplishments and wish him all the best with the Leafs. After the game day skate and the media commitments, we had to put in some time till the game. After a good lunch and long walk, we found a movie theatre and spent the afternoon watching a movie. It was hard to stay awake after getting up so early. Game time came and went and before we knew it, it was time to head home again. Unfortunately, the leafs lost to Ottawa giving us an 10 and 5 win record for the home team when we are in attendance. We were able to chat with some friends downstairs after the game and Mats Sundin graciously signed our captain's poster for us. We visited with Ron McLean and Don Cherry and had another picture taken together, minus the pink feather boa. It does add a little pizazz though. I was going to put it on the online auction, but I'm thinking of keeping it for myself now. Finally we were at home by 12:30 AM. It was a long, long day. It is going to be busy still for the remainder of the week, just getting ready to go on the road again. The next part of the trip will be by car and the schedule is hectic with games almost every other day for two weeks. Let's just cross our fingers and hope for good weather. It is the halfway mark for our tour. Toronto is the 15th stop, so we now have 15 stops to go.
Graham's Game Report
Dec 30, 2006
Air Canada Centre
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
It was a short trip down the 401 tonight for what will be the closest we get to a home game on this tour. The Leafs and Sens have both struggled at times this year and have each faced adversity in the form of injuries to top players. Both teams seemed tentative in the early going but the Leafs jumped ahead late in the first period on a powerplay marker by Alex Steen. Ottawa tied it shorthanded on a Dean McCammond marker and both teams recieved solid goaltending to remain tied well into the third. Boyd Deveraux broke the tie with a hard wrist shot to the top corner just after Andrew Raycraft had stoned Dany Heatley with a quick glove hand at the other end. The Leafs hopes for a regulation time win over their division rivals went up in smoke when Chris Kelley was left wide open in front and he shoveled in the tying goal with under two minutes reamaining. The extra point also went out the window when Chris Philips redirected Heatley's pass past Raycraft in the OT period. Both teams should be able to remain in the playoff hunt with the calibre of goaltending they received last night but will have to get outstanding team efforts to overcome the injuries. We had the pleasure of chatting with Leafs assistant coach Dallas Eakins who was a veteran leader on the Chicago Wolves team that won an unlikely Calder Cup during Dan's time there. His leadership skills will serve him welll in his new career. We also had a chance to cht with Boyd Deveraux who often played against Dan for the Stratford Cullitons and Kitchener Rangers. It was good to see him take advantage of another opportunity in the NHL after overcoming some serious injuries in his career. The Leafs were gracious hosts again and it was a real treat to be back in "hockey country" over the Christmas season.
Happy New Year
Atlanta
Atlanta
It was a very short trip to Atlanta. It was a mere three hour drive to the north part of the city. After some of our long stretches of driving, three hours is a piece of cake. We travelled to the suburb of Marietta where we stayed for two nights and days. We had some catching up to do with paperwork and housecleaning before we headed home. It was nice to have a couple of days to relax in one spot with no travelling. We met with Chris Simpson on Tuesday and did an interview with her for Rogers Sportsnet. We have got to know Chris the past three years and she is a wonderful person. It is our pleasure to say we know her. On Wednesday morning we were at school bright and early. We went to the middle school that our young author friends attended. Darren Elliot met us at the Duluth practice facility which is where the Thrashers practice. He drove us to the girl's school which was way on the south side of the city. I don't know if I could ever get used to some of the driving you have to do in these big cities. Of all the cities we have been to, I would say that Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Atlanta have the heaviest traffic. It certainly makes it hard to maneuver, especially when you are in a 37 foot RV. It was a pleasure to meet with the girls again. They entered a junior authors contest two years ago and won with their story "The Life of Dan Snyder". They worked very hard writing and illustrating their book and we are very proud of their effort. Graham gave a brief talk to their classmates after they introduced him. We were presented with school t-shirts which we will always wear with pride. We returned to Duluth just in time to catch the end of the Thrasher's practice and then got a chance to visit with a lot of the guys.
That evening, Graham was part of an on ice hockey clinic for young players that is run by the Thrashers and spoke to a group of young hockey players. He hasn't played any hockey this year and it was his first time on skates. He said he was just glad he didn't fall. The nice thing about coming back to Atlanta is visiting with all the friends we have made. I was able to go out for supper with one of those new friends Mark Holland, while Graham was at the hockey clinic. It was also time to finish cleaning out our fridge in the RV and Mark was the recipient of the contents. Graham the food police was happy he didn't have to throw anything out!!!
The next day we finished getting the RV ready to leave behind in Atlanta. We had storage arranged courtesy of Michele and Wayne Daniels. Wayne was storing the RV for us at his United Van Lines business. It was nice to know that the 37 machine was going to be safe and sound till we returned to Atlanta in February to pick it up. I finished getting everything packed up to take home. I had managed to do most of my Christmas shopping along the way and got it all organized too. I sure was glad I brought along an empty suitcase to haul everything home in. It was a tight squeeze getting the zipper closed. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the rink. Graham spoke briefly to a group of season's ticket holders and was very well received. We met a number of them when he was finished they were so kind with their words. I would like to also thank the lovely lady that gave me the gift basket with all the honey products. I'm sorry, I can't remember your name, but the honey was delicious and I would love your recipe for the lip balms. I make them too and that recipe is a good one. We also enjoyed the homemade cookies and could taste the hint of honey baked into them too. Thank you for your generosity.
The Thrashers beat the Penguins putting our home team record at 10 and 4. We are now at stop 14 with 16 to go. We stayed at an airport hotel for the night and easily made our way over to the terminal for our morning flight. I was pretty anxious to get home to see everyone and wasn't happy that we were delayed for three hours. Oh well, such is life and we made it home safe and sound for the Holidays.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and we will be back in the New Year with reports on the next leg of our journey. Thanks to everyone for your responses to our website and most of all thanks for taking the time to read it and send your thoughts and comments along to us. I don't have time to respond to all the emails, but will try and get to as many as I can.
Graham, LuAnn, Erika, Jake and Dawn, (and our little Robbie man too)
Graham's Game Report
Dec 21, 2006
Philips Arena
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Tonight was our first visit to an Eastern Conference team and a firsthand look at the newest young guns in the NHL. The Thrashers who have been either red hot or ice cold this season, were coming off a shootout win in New Jersey which had halted a five game skid. They prevailed again tonight in a 4-3 shootout win over the Penguins who have also been struggling. The Thrashers looked in control for the first half of the game building a 2-0 lead on goals by Niko Kapanen and Ilya Kovalchuk. A turnover allowed Jordan Staal to walk in all alone while shorthanded and he quickly converted the opportunity to halve the lead. Atlanta regained a comfortable 3-1 lead late in the same penalty when Slava Kozlov's wrister from near the boards eluded Thibault . Scoring sensation Sidney Crosby's tap in with 45 seconds remaining tied the game after he had assisted on Ryan Malone's goal earlier in the third period. He showed several flashes of the brilliance that should make him one of the all time greats in the game as his line at times seemed unstoppable controlling play for extended periods of time. After a scoreless overtime we saw why the Thrashers are a good bet in any shootout. Kari Lehtonen stopped both the Penguin shooters and Slava Kozlov snapped one over Thibault's glove and Marian Hossa found his five hole for a quick extra point. Kozzy is threatening to catch Jusse Jokinen's 12 of 15 shooting for the Stars as he has upped his mark to 10 of 13 in the shootout. Pretty amazing shooting stats in any league much less facing the top tenders in the world. The Thrashers look like they are playoff bound for the first time but still searching for the consistency of champions. It was great to meet up with many Thrasher friends both on and off ice this week and a fitting way to wrap up the first leg of our tour as we return home for a Christmas break.
It was a very short trip to Atlanta. It was a mere three hour drive to the north part of the city. After some of our long stretches of driving, three hours is a piece of cake. We travelled to the suburb of Marietta where we stayed for two nights and days. We had some catching up to do with paperwork and housecleaning before we headed home. It was nice to have a couple of days to relax in one spot with no travelling. We met with Chris Simpson on Tuesday and did an interview with her for Rogers Sportsnet. We have got to know Chris the past three years and she is a wonderful person. It is our pleasure to say we know her. On Wednesday morning we were at school bright and early. We went to the middle school that our young author friends attended. Darren Elliot met us at the Duluth practice facility which is where the Thrashers practice. He drove us to the girl's school which was way on the south side of the city. I don't know if I could ever get used to some of the driving you have to do in these big cities. Of all the cities we have been to, I would say that Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Atlanta have the heaviest traffic. It certainly makes it hard to maneuver, especially when you are in a 37 foot RV. It was a pleasure to meet with the girls again. They entered a junior authors contest two years ago and won with their story "The Life of Dan Snyder". They worked very hard writing and illustrating their book and we are very proud of their effort. Graham gave a brief talk to their classmates after they introduced him. We were presented with school t-shirts which we will always wear with pride. We returned to Duluth just in time to catch the end of the Thrasher's practice and then got a chance to visit with a lot of the guys.
That evening, Graham was part of an on ice hockey clinic for young players that is run by the Thrashers and spoke to a group of young hockey players. He hasn't played any hockey this year and it was his first time on skates. He said he was just glad he didn't fall. The nice thing about coming back to Atlanta is visiting with all the friends we have made. I was able to go out for supper with one of those new friends Mark Holland, while Graham was at the hockey clinic. It was also time to finish cleaning out our fridge in the RV and Mark was the recipient of the contents. Graham the food police was happy he didn't have to throw anything out!!!
The next day we finished getting the RV ready to leave behind in Atlanta. We had storage arranged courtesy of Michele and Wayne Daniels. Wayne was storing the RV for us at his United Van Lines business. It was nice to know that the 37 machine was going to be safe and sound till we returned to Atlanta in February to pick it up. I finished getting everything packed up to take home. I had managed to do most of my Christmas shopping along the way and got it all organized too. I sure was glad I brought along an empty suitcase to haul everything home in. It was a tight squeeze getting the zipper closed. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the rink. Graham spoke briefly to a group of season's ticket holders and was very well received. We met a number of them when he was finished they were so kind with their words. I would like to also thank the lovely lady that gave me the gift basket with all the honey products. I'm sorry, I can't remember your name, but the honey was delicious and I would love your recipe for the lip balms. I make them too and that recipe is a good one. We also enjoyed the homemade cookies and could taste the hint of honey baked into them too. Thank you for your generosity.
The Thrashers beat the Penguins putting our home team record at 10 and 4. We are now at stop 14 with 16 to go. We stayed at an airport hotel for the night and easily made our way over to the terminal for our morning flight. I was pretty anxious to get home to see everyone and wasn't happy that we were delayed for three hours. Oh well, such is life and we made it home safe and sound for the Holidays.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and we will be back in the New Year with reports on the next leg of our journey. Thanks to everyone for your responses to our website and most of all thanks for taking the time to read it and send your thoughts and comments along to us. I don't have time to respond to all the emails, but will try and get to as many as I can.
Graham, LuAnn, Erika, Jake and Dawn, (and our little Robbie man too)
Graham's Game Report
Dec 21, 2006
Philips Arena
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Tonight was our first visit to an Eastern Conference team and a firsthand look at the newest young guns in the NHL. The Thrashers who have been either red hot or ice cold this season, were coming off a shootout win in New Jersey which had halted a five game skid. They prevailed again tonight in a 4-3 shootout win over the Penguins who have also been struggling. The Thrashers looked in control for the first half of the game building a 2-0 lead on goals by Niko Kapanen and Ilya Kovalchuk. A turnover allowed Jordan Staal to walk in all alone while shorthanded and he quickly converted the opportunity to halve the lead. Atlanta regained a comfortable 3-1 lead late in the same penalty when Slava Kozlov's wrister from near the boards eluded Thibault . Scoring sensation Sidney Crosby's tap in with 45 seconds remaining tied the game after he had assisted on Ryan Malone's goal earlier in the third period. He showed several flashes of the brilliance that should make him one of the all time greats in the game as his line at times seemed unstoppable controlling play for extended periods of time. After a scoreless overtime we saw why the Thrashers are a good bet in any shootout. Kari Lehtonen stopped both the Penguin shooters and Slava Kozlov snapped one over Thibault's glove and Marian Hossa found his five hole for a quick extra point. Kozzy is threatening to catch Jusse Jokinen's 12 of 15 shooting for the Stars as he has upped his mark to 10 of 13 in the shootout. Pretty amazing shooting stats in any league much less facing the top tenders in the world. The Thrashers look like they are playoff bound for the first time but still searching for the consistency of champions. It was great to meet up with many Thrasher friends both on and off ice this week and a fitting way to wrap up the first leg of our tour as we return home for a Christmas break.
Nashville
Nashville
What a great city. We easily found the Gaylord Centre in the downtown area of the city. We weren't attending the practice so we decided to park and explore the downtown. We parked in a city lot and paid for two spaces!!! A quick walk found us on Music Row. We were going to try and find a fancier restaurant to celebrate our anniversary that day, but settled on the Wildhorse Saloon. It's a very large well known local establishment. It has a very large stage in front of a huge dance floor area. If there isn't a live band playing, they show country and western videos on the huge screen over the stage. It was pretty empty when we were there, but can get pretty full in the evening, especially on the weekends. After having one of their sampler plates (that had three kinds of barbequed meat), we walked on further to check out some of the local honky tonks but they were pretty quiet too. We found a RV campsite out near Opryland. We did check out their shuttle service and purchased tickets for The Grand Ole Opry show for the next night. Graham was happy, his favourite female entertainer Emmy Lou Harris was going to be performing. The line up was impressive. Other performers that would be appearing were: Vince Gill, The Charlie Daniels Band, Mike Snider and friends, Diamond Rio, Little Jimmy Dickens and many more. The Opry performances for the winter are also held at the Ryman Theatre right near the arena, so that was going to be a bonus to see "The Mother Church" of country music. I wouldn't say we are avid country music fans, but we do enjoy all music. The chance to see an Opry performance at the Ryman Auditorium is too good to miss.
Graham was attending the team practice this morning and since I wasn't that keen on attending, he took a taxi to the arena and I stayed at the camp and did some much needed catching up. Laundry, paperwork, cleaning. Some of my favourite things to do. NOT. But, they gotta get done. I got a lot accomplished and Graham returned by mid afternoon with Darcy Hordichuk in tow. Darcy was kind enough to give Graham a ride back to the RV park. It was nice to see him again. We had a brief visit with Darcy at the beginning of our tour, but he had to get going to catch the bus after the game in Minnesota. I was over talking to our very interesting neighbours when Graham returned. We met some fellow sports travellers. Jay and Karen and their boys. They are travelling to all the NFL cities. They are on a Tailgating Tour. It is their business. They travel to each NFL city and set up for the tailgating before the game. They quickly organize a cooking contest for the best grilled food in the parking lot. Entries are judged and the winner gets a Big gas grill and is included in their tailgating cookbook. They covered half the NFL last season and are finishing up this year. They gave us a copy of last years cookbook with the winning entries from each city they visited. Their three boys are home schooled along the way and are a big help setting up and getting organized at each parking lot. They will be finished at the end of this year's NFL schedule and will publish another cookbook from this season's travels. They donate all funds raised to the Arthritis Society. They are a fun family and it was really neat to meet them. They also have a motorized cooler that was fun to drive around. Darcy seemed to enjoy it too. After a great barbequed supper we took the shuttle bus into the Ryman Auditorium for the Grand Ole Opry performance. It was a great show and it was fun to see the performance at the historical Ryman. It was an early night to get ready for a long day tomorrow.
We headed back into the rink this morning and Graham attended the game day skate. The team arranged for us to park nearby and we went back to Music Row to do some exploring. It was nap time in the afternoon. We walked across the street early for the game and Graham was part of a live pre-game radio show. Nashville won the game in a shoot out. After the game, it was a thrill for me to meet Paul Kariya. Darcy introduced us and asked me to tell Paul my story about our little dog Spike and his favourite toy which just happened to be a Paul Kariya beanie bear. He thought it was pretty funny. He also graciously signed a t-shirt with his name and number on the back for me. It will be a treasured souvenir of our trip for me. After the game, we went back out to the music district and saw it in full swing. The hockey crowd had overflowed into the streets and the bars and honky tonks were full. There was lots of good live music, lots of refreshments, and lots and lots of people. We made our way over to Printer's Alley which is a small alley way with more live music bars. We went into a blues bar and thoroughly enjoyed the live performers. After a fun (and late) night we made our way back to the arena where we stayed in the underground loading dock area. So many of the arenas around the league have had us stay right at their facility after a game and Nashville was kind enough to have us stay with them too. We have certainly had some interesting spots to sleep for the night. I should have kept a journal of each place where we have stayed for the night. That alone would make for interesting reading. We are off to Atlanta in the morning for our last stop before we go home for Christmas. It is hard to believe we have been on the road for two and a half months. I am definitely looking forward to going home even if it is for a short time.
Graham's Game Report
Dec 16, 2006
Gaylord Entertainment Center
St. Louis Blues vs Nashville Predators
We saw the Blues for the second time in five days and after a few practices with their new coach. They were much more disciplined this time and probably deserved better than the point they earned in the 3-2 shootout loss but the Preds are a strong team coming off a 6-0 spanking of the Ottawa Senators two nights earlier. The Blues jumped out to the lead only 30 seconds into the game and began trapping almost immediately. They added a second goal on a two man advantage later in the period as Elmira native Dennis Wideman set up Doug Weight for a one timer from the point that found the back of the net. The home side battled back with a rocket from the stick of Paul Kariya midway through the second and a late solo effort from Scott Nichol with only seventeen seconds left in the second period to knot the score at two. Both teams had chances to win it in the third and overtime periods but Mason and Legace were solid between the pipes to send the game to a shootout. Kariya scored the only goal of the shootout to give the homeside the extra point.
We had a chance to catch up with Dan’s former Orlando teammate Darcy Hordichuk who is enjoying his role with this strong Nashville team. The assistant coach for the Predators is Peter Horacek who coached the Orlando team to a Turner Cup in the last year of the IHL. It was nice to remember that very special time in Dan’s career. Nashville will definitely be a team to watch in a strong Western Conference in this year’s playoffs.
What a great city. We easily found the Gaylord Centre in the downtown area of the city. We weren't attending the practice so we decided to park and explore the downtown. We parked in a city lot and paid for two spaces!!! A quick walk found us on Music Row. We were going to try and find a fancier restaurant to celebrate our anniversary that day, but settled on the Wildhorse Saloon. It's a very large well known local establishment. It has a very large stage in front of a huge dance floor area. If there isn't a live band playing, they show country and western videos on the huge screen over the stage. It was pretty empty when we were there, but can get pretty full in the evening, especially on the weekends. After having one of their sampler plates (that had three kinds of barbequed meat), we walked on further to check out some of the local honky tonks but they were pretty quiet too. We found a RV campsite out near Opryland. We did check out their shuttle service and purchased tickets for The Grand Ole Opry show for the next night. Graham was happy, his favourite female entertainer Emmy Lou Harris was going to be performing. The line up was impressive. Other performers that would be appearing were: Vince Gill, The Charlie Daniels Band, Mike Snider and friends, Diamond Rio, Little Jimmy Dickens and many more. The Opry performances for the winter are also held at the Ryman Theatre right near the arena, so that was going to be a bonus to see "The Mother Church" of country music. I wouldn't say we are avid country music fans, but we do enjoy all music. The chance to see an Opry performance at the Ryman Auditorium is too good to miss.
Graham was attending the team practice this morning and since I wasn't that keen on attending, he took a taxi to the arena and I stayed at the camp and did some much needed catching up. Laundry, paperwork, cleaning. Some of my favourite things to do. NOT. But, they gotta get done. I got a lot accomplished and Graham returned by mid afternoon with Darcy Hordichuk in tow. Darcy was kind enough to give Graham a ride back to the RV park. It was nice to see him again. We had a brief visit with Darcy at the beginning of our tour, but he had to get going to catch the bus after the game in Minnesota. I was over talking to our very interesting neighbours when Graham returned. We met some fellow sports travellers. Jay and Karen and their boys. They are travelling to all the NFL cities. They are on a Tailgating Tour. It is their business. They travel to each NFL city and set up for the tailgating before the game. They quickly organize a cooking contest for the best grilled food in the parking lot. Entries are judged and the winner gets a Big gas grill and is included in their tailgating cookbook. They covered half the NFL last season and are finishing up this year. They gave us a copy of last years cookbook with the winning entries from each city they visited. Their three boys are home schooled along the way and are a big help setting up and getting organized at each parking lot. They will be finished at the end of this year's NFL schedule and will publish another cookbook from this season's travels. They donate all funds raised to the Arthritis Society. They are a fun family and it was really neat to meet them. They also have a motorized cooler that was fun to drive around. Darcy seemed to enjoy it too. After a great barbequed supper we took the shuttle bus into the Ryman Auditorium for the Grand Ole Opry performance. It was a great show and it was fun to see the performance at the historical Ryman. It was an early night to get ready for a long day tomorrow.
We headed back into the rink this morning and Graham attended the game day skate. The team arranged for us to park nearby and we went back to Music Row to do some exploring. It was nap time in the afternoon. We walked across the street early for the game and Graham was part of a live pre-game radio show. Nashville won the game in a shoot out. After the game, it was a thrill for me to meet Paul Kariya. Darcy introduced us and asked me to tell Paul my story about our little dog Spike and his favourite toy which just happened to be a Paul Kariya beanie bear. He thought it was pretty funny. He also graciously signed a t-shirt with his name and number on the back for me. It will be a treasured souvenir of our trip for me. After the game, we went back out to the music district and saw it in full swing. The hockey crowd had overflowed into the streets and the bars and honky tonks were full. There was lots of good live music, lots of refreshments, and lots and lots of people. We made our way over to Printer's Alley which is a small alley way with more live music bars. We went into a blues bar and thoroughly enjoyed the live performers. After a fun (and late) night we made our way back to the arena where we stayed in the underground loading dock area. So many of the arenas around the league have had us stay right at their facility after a game and Nashville was kind enough to have us stay with them too. We have certainly had some interesting spots to sleep for the night. I should have kept a journal of each place where we have stayed for the night. That alone would make for interesting reading. We are off to Atlanta in the morning for our last stop before we go home for Christmas. It is hard to believe we have been on the road for two and a half months. I am definitely looking forward to going home even if it is for a short time.
Graham's Game Report
Dec 16, 2006
Gaylord Entertainment Center
St. Louis Blues vs Nashville Predators
We saw the Blues for the second time in five days and after a few practices with their new coach. They were much more disciplined this time and probably deserved better than the point they earned in the 3-2 shootout loss but the Preds are a strong team coming off a 6-0 spanking of the Ottawa Senators two nights earlier. The Blues jumped out to the lead only 30 seconds into the game and began trapping almost immediately. They added a second goal on a two man advantage later in the period as Elmira native Dennis Wideman set up Doug Weight for a one timer from the point that found the back of the net. The home side battled back with a rocket from the stick of Paul Kariya midway through the second and a late solo effort from Scott Nichol with only seventeen seconds left in the second period to knot the score at two. Both teams had chances to win it in the third and overtime periods but Mason and Legace were solid between the pipes to send the game to a shootout. Kariya scored the only goal of the shootout to give the homeside the extra point.
We had a chance to catch up with Dan’s former Orlando teammate Darcy Hordichuk who is enjoying his role with this strong Nashville team. The assistant coach for the Predators is Peter Horacek who coached the Orlando team to a Turner Cup in the last year of the IHL. It was nice to remember that very special time in Dan’s career. Nashville will definitely be a team to watch in a strong Western Conference in this year’s playoffs.
Weekly Travel
Weekly Travel
It was an uneventful drive leaving St. Louis. Interestingly enough, we crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis Missouri and were in East St. Louis Illinois. It seemed funny that we started in Chicago and were back in Illinois. The State of Missouri is bordered by five other States. It is no wonder then that it is the gateway to the east and the west.It seemed like a very short drive to the southern part of the State and we were in Kentucky. We stopped at Paducah for the night and enjoyed a great meal on the barbeque. We were up in the morning and it was a very, and I mean very short drive through the western part of Kentucky. We were quickly in Tennessee for our second time on this trip. Our destination was Nashville and we had lots of time to get there before the game on the 16th.
It was an uneventful drive leaving St. Louis. Interestingly enough, we crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis Missouri and were in East St. Louis Illinois. It seemed funny that we started in Chicago and were back in Illinois. The State of Missouri is bordered by five other States. It is no wonder then that it is the gateway to the east and the west.It seemed like a very short drive to the southern part of the State and we were in Kentucky. We stopped at Paducah for the night and enjoyed a great meal on the barbeque. We were up in the morning and it was a very, and I mean very short drive through the western part of Kentucky. We were quickly in Tennessee for our second time on this trip. Our destination was Nashville and we had lots of time to get there before the game on the 16th.
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