I am trying to catch up on some blogs and wanted to give a recap of our recent trip to Boston. The trip was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. The team flew out on Thursday, Jan. 2, for a 4-day stay just outside of Boston. The trip included two games against Eastern opponents, starting with nationally ranked Hobart on Saturday, Jan. 4. However, before that game there was a lot that happened.
We arrived in Boston with no problems on the flight or getting checked in. As a staff, we kept joking that we were checking off steps of the trip. We got all the guys checked in through the Delta group check-in counter and arrived at the gate with no issues. The flight was on time and there were no issues at all with baggage or anything. When we arrived in Boston we had to go and get our rental vans, as we rented two 15-passenger vans to get us around the town. This ultimately proved to be one of the more stressful things with the trip as driving a large van around downtown Boston was not fun. We also had to run and get a U-Haul that we were going to use to get our gear to and from the rink and airport. This is when the roller coaster took the steep dive to the bottom of the first hill.
One of the assistant coaches, no names will be mentioned, accidentally tried to turn the U-Haul around in a parking garage and took part of the roof off the U-Haul. This was all happening while the players were waiting at the airport to get to the hotel. To say the least, this caused some stress for all of those involved. Ultimately, we managed to get the U-Haul out of the parking garage and decided to make the rest of the trip work with the hole in the roof of the U-Haul. We also said a quick prayer for no major rain or snow. We got everyone to the hotel with their gear and moved on to the next adventure.
We were all very excited for that evening as we all went to the Bruins vs. Blue Jackets game at TD Garden in downtown Boston. Everyone in the van was excited and ready to go. This is when we hit the next dip in the roller coaster. I would not recommend driving two 15-passanger vans into downtown Boston for a Bruins game and expect to find parking and not experience some major stress.
It all started when we hit the tunnels heading into Boston. We were using our GPS on our phones to get us to our location. Well, when we hit the tunnels, we lost our service and the directions. Both vans ended up on a tour of Boston during rush hour and the 15-minute drive turned into a 30-minute drive and a couple mental breakdowns by the drivers. Let’s remember we already crashed a U-Haul earlier in the day, so please give the drivers a break on this. We made it to the Garden, but the fun was just beginning. Time to find a parking spot! We dropped off the players at the front entrance, so they did not get to experience the next mental challenge for the drivers. Ultimately, $70 later and some tight maneuvering of large vans into tight parking spots, we got it done and were ready for the game.
The game was great. The guys had a lot of fun and even managed to get on the jumbotron at the game. The highlight was our manager, Adam Donlin, getting in a dance off with another kid and getting beat bad. The game got over and we all made it back to the hotel with no issues.
The next day we got to have a skate at the Boston Bruins practice facility where we would be playing the games. It was a beautiful facility and reminded me a lot of the Wild’s new practice facility.
That night we dropped all the guys off in the North End of Boston and let everyone find their own way for dinner. Some ate with family, some went off in groups, and some found a slice of pizza. The coaching staff went to a nice Italian restaurant called Limoncello’s. We were enjoying our meal when Connor McDavid (considered the best hockey player in the world) and four other Edmonton Oilers walked into the restaurant. Assistant coach, Chad Hommerding’s nephews got a picture with him and Donlin came over and waited for them to get done eating to also get a picture. For a hockey fan, this was exciting. It was a great night and we got everyone back to the hotel to rest up for the games that would start the next day.
The first game was at 3pm on Saturday and we played nationally ranked Hobart. We played well for most of the game until about 10 minutes left when we gave up an odd-man rush and they scored to make it 3-2. We struggled the rest of the game to get any momentum and ended up losing 4-2 with an empty net against. The shots were even throughout the game, but we just couldn’t find a way to win the game.
The next day we played again at 3pm against tournament-host Nichols College. The game was even again, with Nichols out-shooting us by a bit. I don’t think we played as well as we did the night before, but the difference was we found a way to win this time. We got a big goal from Travis Brown with less than a minute left in overtime. This was a big step for our team in that we found a way to win. The win also made the rest of the trip, and the flight a lot more enjoyable.
It was an amazing trip and experience for the players and staff. This type of trip really helps with recruiting and gives the current players an experience that they will always remember. This trip would not have been possible without the generous donations from all the alumni, family and friends of Johnnie Hockey. The players did not have to take any money out of their own pockets for flights and we were able to give them an experience that they will always remember.
Thank you for all your support and for helping me give these guys these memories
