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.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
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.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Washington
Washington
The driving is easy on this part of the tour, but we move along quickly. We arrive at a place, watch the game, and move on to the next place after the game. I'm having trouble remembering where I am sometimes. But for the people who know me, they'd say that's normal!!!! I'm glad I have a calendar all mapped out with the schedule, or I'd have trouble remembering what day it is. We left Philadelphia after the game and drove part way to Washington DC. It is another short drive, but we stopped for the night outside of the city. In the morning, we drove into the city and Graham attended the practice. It was in one of the most unusual spots I'm sure in the whole NHL. The Caps practice rink is on top of a parking garage that is attached to a large downtown shopping mall. There are two ice surfaces and they are right on the top floor of the parking garage. One ice pad is a public rink and there were a number of people out for a public skate. The other ice pad is where the Caps practice. A most unusual location for sure. The St. Louis Blues have their practice rink attached to a shopping mall, but it is at ground level. Afterwards we checked out the local sights. It was once again pretty neat to see buildings that I have heard so much about or have seen on television, right in front of me. The building that of course stood out right away was the Washington Monument. It rises out of the city like a giant upside down icicle and you see it from everywhere. Nearby are the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Monument. Across a nearby bridge you are in the community of Arlington which is where the Arlington National Cemetery is located. It is also where the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is, and the final resting place for President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Buried alongside them are two children who died in infancy. A guard is stationed at their gravesite at all times and the eternal flame burns constantly. It is a very peaceful calm spot. As you walk around, you see row after row of simple white headstones which identify each soldier that is buried there. The white markers are very similar to the ones in the Mennonite Cemeteries near our hometown of Elmira, Ontario. Our touring ended with nightfall approaching and we returned to our hotel near the airport. Gameday started early. The game was at 1:00 PM. The Caps looked flat for most of the game and lost by 4-1. This puts our record at 14 and 10. Some home teams need to start winning. It is now the All Star Break which goes into next week. We didn't get picked for the all star team, so with this being our 24th stop, we decided to take a break. We have seen 9 games in 15 days. We are off to Vegas. Now that should be a relaxing rejuvenating break. NOT. See you after the break.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 20, 2007
Verizon Center
Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals
Today marked the last games before the players and these two tired travellers take a five day break for the All-Star festivities. I had the chance to catch up with a few of the Capitals at practice the day before the game at their practice facility which is located on the 8th floor of a parking garage attached to a large mall. Being a little weary ( and naturally a bit slow) I actually phoned our team contact on the way to the rink to ask where I could park. Doh! I had a chance to chat with three former OHLers with ties to our family. Brent Johnson was the goaltender in Owen Sound during Dan's first two seasons in Owen Sound and Matt Bradley played in Kingston during Dan's junior years and he and I share some fastball connections from the Stittsville area. Steve Eminger also played for the Kitchener Rangers during my brother Jeff's time there as an assistant and then head coach. I also chatted with Guelph native, GM George McPhee, who remembered skating in the old Elmira bandbox for the Guelph Jr B club. Unfortunately Dan's former teammate Brian Pothier from the Turner Cup champion Orlando Solar Bears was under the weather and didn't attend practice. Dan and Brian played their first NHL games together after being called up from Orlando for a late season game against the Ottawa Senators. An exciting time and a cherished memory.
The game was a brutal one for the home team which was very surprising given that both teams have a realistic shot at a playoff run. The Caps started quickly with a powerplay goal from Zubrus but that was all the fans had to cheer about except the spectacular goaltending of Ollie Kolzig. He gave the home side a chance to steal points until an empty net goal with under a minute left sealed the deal for the Panthers who outshot and outworked the home side and left town with a 4-1 victory. Shots were 42-18 Panthers as Eddie Belfour needed to withstand only a few brief Cap flurries for the win. A series of giveaways by both the forwards and defence kept Kolzig busy throughout and allowed Florida many point blank chances including a second period Washington powerplay which resulted in Josef Stumpel's game winner. I'm sure the Capitals will want to forget this one as quickly as possible and start the second half with a fresh perspective.
The driving is easy on this part of the tour, but we move along quickly. We arrive at a place, watch the game, and move on to the next place after the game. I'm having trouble remembering where I am sometimes. But for the people who know me, they'd say that's normal!!!! I'm glad I have a calendar all mapped out with the schedule, or I'd have trouble remembering what day it is. We left Philadelphia after the game and drove part way to Washington DC. It is another short drive, but we stopped for the night outside of the city. In the morning, we drove into the city and Graham attended the practice. It was in one of the most unusual spots I'm sure in the whole NHL. The Caps practice rink is on top of a parking garage that is attached to a large downtown shopping mall. There are two ice surfaces and they are right on the top floor of the parking garage. One ice pad is a public rink and there were a number of people out for a public skate. The other ice pad is where the Caps practice. A most unusual location for sure. The St. Louis Blues have their practice rink attached to a shopping mall, but it is at ground level. Afterwards we checked out the local sights. It was once again pretty neat to see buildings that I have heard so much about or have seen on television, right in front of me. The building that of course stood out right away was the Washington Monument. It rises out of the city like a giant upside down icicle and you see it from everywhere. Nearby are the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Monument. Across a nearby bridge you are in the community of Arlington which is where the Arlington National Cemetery is located. It is also where the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is, and the final resting place for President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Buried alongside them are two children who died in infancy. A guard is stationed at their gravesite at all times and the eternal flame burns constantly. It is a very peaceful calm spot. As you walk around, you see row after row of simple white headstones which identify each soldier that is buried there. The white markers are very similar to the ones in the Mennonite Cemeteries near our hometown of Elmira, Ontario. Our touring ended with nightfall approaching and we returned to our hotel near the airport. Gameday started early. The game was at 1:00 PM. The Caps looked flat for most of the game and lost by 4-1. This puts our record at 14 and 10. Some home teams need to start winning. It is now the All Star Break which goes into next week. We didn't get picked for the all star team, so with this being our 24th stop, we decided to take a break. We have seen 9 games in 15 days. We are off to Vegas. Now that should be a relaxing rejuvenating break. NOT. See you after the break.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 20, 2007
Verizon Center
Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals
Today marked the last games before the players and these two tired travellers take a five day break for the All-Star festivities. I had the chance to catch up with a few of the Capitals at practice the day before the game at their practice facility which is located on the 8th floor of a parking garage attached to a large mall. Being a little weary ( and naturally a bit slow) I actually phoned our team contact on the way to the rink to ask where I could park. Doh! I had a chance to chat with three former OHLers with ties to our family. Brent Johnson was the goaltender in Owen Sound during Dan's first two seasons in Owen Sound and Matt Bradley played in Kingston during Dan's junior years and he and I share some fastball connections from the Stittsville area. Steve Eminger also played for the Kitchener Rangers during my brother Jeff's time there as an assistant and then head coach. I also chatted with Guelph native, GM George McPhee, who remembered skating in the old Elmira bandbox for the Guelph Jr B club. Unfortunately Dan's former teammate Brian Pothier from the Turner Cup champion Orlando Solar Bears was under the weather and didn't attend practice. Dan and Brian played their first NHL games together after being called up from Orlando for a late season game against the Ottawa Senators. An exciting time and a cherished memory.
The game was a brutal one for the home team which was very surprising given that both teams have a realistic shot at a playoff run. The Caps started quickly with a powerplay goal from Zubrus but that was all the fans had to cheer about except the spectacular goaltending of Ollie Kolzig. He gave the home side a chance to steal points until an empty net goal with under a minute left sealed the deal for the Panthers who outshot and outworked the home side and left town with a 4-1 victory. Shots were 42-18 Panthers as Eddie Belfour needed to withstand only a few brief Cap flurries for the win. A series of giveaways by both the forwards and defence kept Kolzig busy throughout and allowed Florida many point blank chances including a second period Washington powerplay which resulted in Josef Stumpel's game winner. I'm sure the Capitals will want to forget this one as quickly as possible and start the second half with a fresh perspective.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
We left for Philadelphia right after the game in New Jersey. It was about an hour drive so we were in Philly before we knew it. We actually stayed in the south of New Jersey near the Flyer's practice facility. They practice right across the Pennsylvania border in Voorhees, New Jersey. Graham once again attended the practice and I got to have a much needed sleep in at the hotel. I am wearing down on this part of the tour and am not getting enough sleep. We drove into Philadelphia the next day and found the Wachovia Center. This is their new rink and like many others, it is a beautiful facility. The Flyer's organization treated us great. Upon our arrival, Graham did a pre-taped TV interview and then we were given sport bags and hats for ourselves. Very nice. Despite the tough times for the team, there was a good crowd and they were very, very loud and boisterous. I think the horn they blew when the Flyers scored is the loudest one I have heard in the entire league so far. It was ear drum shattering loud. Unfortunately, it didn't get to sound very often and the Flyers lost to the New York Islanders. In the first period we were honoured to be presented with a Simon Gagne autographed jersey and stick by Bob Kelly and Gary Doernhoffer who are ambassadors for the Philly organization. The presentation was live on the jumbotron and the fans were very supportive. These items will also be part of our online auction at the end of the tour. Here it is the 23rd stop on our tour, giving us 7 more stops. Our win record is now 14 and 9. On to Washington.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 18, 2007
Wachovia Center
New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers
We caught the Flyers at their best in November when they posted back to back wins on the road over Anaheim and Los Angeles. Tonight we saw a team who have lost all confidence. The game was tied after two periods at deuces with Randy Jones and Simon Gagne tallying for the Flyers. The Isles took over the game in the third period when in a stretch of less than eighty seconds the Islanders popped two goals and the Flyers visibly wilted. The effort seemed to be there but these Flyers looked as if they were waiting for bad things to happen and eventually they did. On paper the Flyers look to be a highly competitive team with veterans like Kuble, Gagne, Zhitnik and Forsberg complementing youngsters like Richards, Carter and Umberger. The results however have not been coming this year as Philly fans suffer through their first losing season in many years. I'm sure with the quality of the organization that things will turn around eventually but for now both fans and the team are learning lessons in humility and patience.
We left for Philadelphia right after the game in New Jersey. It was about an hour drive so we were in Philly before we knew it. We actually stayed in the south of New Jersey near the Flyer's practice facility. They practice right across the Pennsylvania border in Voorhees, New Jersey. Graham once again attended the practice and I got to have a much needed sleep in at the hotel. I am wearing down on this part of the tour and am not getting enough sleep. We drove into Philadelphia the next day and found the Wachovia Center. This is their new rink and like many others, it is a beautiful facility. The Flyer's organization treated us great. Upon our arrival, Graham did a pre-taped TV interview and then we were given sport bags and hats for ourselves. Very nice. Despite the tough times for the team, there was a good crowd and they were very, very loud and boisterous. I think the horn they blew when the Flyers scored is the loudest one I have heard in the entire league so far. It was ear drum shattering loud. Unfortunately, it didn't get to sound very often and the Flyers lost to the New York Islanders. In the first period we were honoured to be presented with a Simon Gagne autographed jersey and stick by Bob Kelly and Gary Doernhoffer who are ambassadors for the Philly organization. The presentation was live on the jumbotron and the fans were very supportive. These items will also be part of our online auction at the end of the tour. Here it is the 23rd stop on our tour, giving us 7 more stops. Our win record is now 14 and 9. On to Washington.
Graham's Game Report
Jan 18, 2007
Wachovia Center
New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers
We caught the Flyers at their best in November when they posted back to back wins on the road over Anaheim and Los Angeles. Tonight we saw a team who have lost all confidence. The game was tied after two periods at deuces with Randy Jones and Simon Gagne tallying for the Flyers. The Isles took over the game in the third period when in a stretch of less than eighty seconds the Islanders popped two goals and the Flyers visibly wilted. The effort seemed to be there but these Flyers looked as if they were waiting for bad things to happen and eventually they did. On paper the Flyers look to be a highly competitive team with veterans like Kuble, Gagne, Zhitnik and Forsberg complementing youngsters like Richards, Carter and Umberger. The results however have not been coming this year as Philly fans suffer through their first losing season in many years. I'm sure with the quality of the organization that things will turn around eventually but for now both fans and the team are learning lessons in humility and patience.
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