In January when my son's West London midget team was in Franklin, TN., for a tournament, I used my "down" time to do a little travel writing. The first of two stories I researched that weekend is published today in the Toronto Sun and posted on canoe.ca. Everyone should visit downtown Nashville at least once - put Music City on your bucket list. There's also more on my travel blog, Wayne's World of Travel.
Minor Hockey Moments
Showing posts with label Hockey tournaments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hockey tournaments. Show all posts
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sniff test
Are all teenage hockey players immune to the stench of their gear?
Getting ready for a weekend tournament in Franklin, Tenn., I offer to wash everything possible from my son's bag.
He insists I just did it last week and it shouldn't have to be done again.
Wrong. That stuff's going to be in our hotel room every night, testing the science behind Febreze. At least we can start the weekend fresh.
For the record, the scent is still lingering in the laundry room.
Getting ready for a weekend tournament in Franklin, Tenn., I offer to wash everything possible from my son's bag.
He insists I just did it last week and it shouldn't have to be done again.
Wrong. That stuff's going to be in our hotel room every night, testing the science behind Febreze. At least we can start the weekend fresh.
For the record, the scent is still lingering in the laundry room.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Our tournament time goes south
The Christmas break is tournament time for thousands of minor hockey players and parents.
Mostly a week for house league events, we never had to do the travel/hotel thing during our Christmas years, unless you count going back and forth to Brantford for the annual Wayne Gretzky competitive tournament.
For those who've never been, the Gretzky tournament is a cut above most others in terms of the effort to make it a show of friendship and love of hockey. An Olympic-style opening ceremony at the Brantford Civic Centre, an historic old barn strategically located next to the city's casino, is an awesome experience.
Or at least it should be. The year our team played in Brantford, there was such a gap between games all but three players went back to London. It didn't leave much of a team representation to march onto the ice. But other teams were there, including some from far away, drawn by the fun of playing in the home town of hockey's greatest star.
Brantford has an arena and swimming pool complex named in honour of Gretzky and this year's tournament marks a milestone of sorts for that facility. It is undergoing extensive renovations and this is the last year will be played on the old ice pads.
Just by coincidence, the tournament has 99 teams entered this year. Another odd coincidence? It's 99 kilometres from our driveway to the Gretzky arena.
As for our current team, we're off the ice during the Christmas break. When we found out our own West London Minor Hockey Association had cancelled our midget division in a February tournament because only three teams had registered, I found a replacement tournament this week in Hespeler. But while I found a tournament, I lost a team with most families and our coach having made other plans.
Given that we played our most recent league game with only 10 players, entering a tournament would've been a disaster.
Meanwhile, the focus is on a mega-trip in January to Franklin, TN, a half-hour drive south of Nashville where we'll line up against the Huntsville Chargers, South Florida Golden Wolves and Houston Wild.
It's a day-long, two-driver, $7,000 chartered bus ride to get to this tournament, so it's a little different than scooting done to Western Fair or St. Thomas for a few games.
Our teenagers will appreciate it, right?
Mostly a week for house league events, we never had to do the travel/hotel thing during our Christmas years, unless you count going back and forth to Brantford for the annual Wayne Gretzky competitive tournament.
For those who've never been, the Gretzky tournament is a cut above most others in terms of the effort to make it a show of friendship and love of hockey. An Olympic-style opening ceremony at the Brantford Civic Centre, an historic old barn strategically located next to the city's casino, is an awesome experience.
Or at least it should be. The year our team played in Brantford, there was such a gap between games all but three players went back to London. It didn't leave much of a team representation to march onto the ice. But other teams were there, including some from far away, drawn by the fun of playing in the home town of hockey's greatest star.
Brantford has an arena and swimming pool complex named in honour of Gretzky and this year's tournament marks a milestone of sorts for that facility. It is undergoing extensive renovations and this is the last year will be played on the old ice pads.
Just by coincidence, the tournament has 99 teams entered this year. Another odd coincidence? It's 99 kilometres from our driveway to the Gretzky arena.
As for our current team, we're off the ice during the Christmas break. When we found out our own West London Minor Hockey Association had cancelled our midget division in a February tournament because only three teams had registered, I found a replacement tournament this week in Hespeler. But while I found a tournament, I lost a team with most families and our coach having made other plans.
Given that we played our most recent league game with only 10 players, entering a tournament would've been a disaster.
Meanwhile, the focus is on a mega-trip in January to Franklin, TN, a half-hour drive south of Nashville where we'll line up against the Huntsville Chargers, South Florida Golden Wolves and Houston Wild.
It's a day-long, two-driver, $7,000 chartered bus ride to get to this tournament, so it's a little different than scooting done to Western Fair or St. Thomas for a few games.
Our teenagers will appreciate it, right?
Monday, December 27, 2010
Windsor tournament re-named for Probert
Hockey officials in Windsor, Ont., have renamed that city's annual Christmas novice tournament in honour of Bob Probert, the former Detroit Red Wing and Chicago Blackhawk enforcer who died of a heart attack at age 45.
To those who think of Probert only as a feared NHL tough guy who had brushes with the law might find this curious. But Probert was much more than that to his hometown. His image was positive.
Still, it's likely best that it's a novice tournament carrying his name. No telling how midgets would act playing under the Probert moniker.
To those who think of Probert only as a feared NHL tough guy who had brushes with the law might find this curious. But Probert was much more than that to his hometown. His image was positive.
Still, it's likely best that it's a novice tournament carrying his name. No telling how midgets would act playing under the Probert moniker.
Debate rages over tournaments using city's best arena
When you travel to an out-of-town tournament, you expect to be treated royally. Welcome gifts for kids or player of the game awards are often part of the formula. Playing in the host community's best rink is a given.
Or not. At least if you're heading to Kingston, Ont., where a debate has erupted over whether or not hockey tournaments should be held in the city's spiffy new four-pad facility.
The local economic development department wants the new facility to be the headquarters for tournaments. Why not? Well, at least one minor hockey official says it's not fair because it bumps local players to lesser facilities.
Seriously. When you invite company, don't you clean up a bit and use the best china?
Tournaments, when well organized, are fantastic cash cows for local associations and a major boost for local hotels and restaurants. The economic development people see this.
To follow the Kingston debate, start with this story from the Whig-Standard and read through to the many comments posted at the bottom of the newspaper story.
Or not. At least if you're heading to Kingston, Ont., where a debate has erupted over whether or not hockey tournaments should be held in the city's spiffy new four-pad facility.
The local economic development department wants the new facility to be the headquarters for tournaments. Why not? Well, at least one minor hockey official says it's not fair because it bumps local players to lesser facilities.
Seriously. When you invite company, don't you clean up a bit and use the best china?
Tournaments, when well organized, are fantastic cash cows for local associations and a major boost for local hotels and restaurants. The economic development people see this.
To follow the Kingston debate, start with this story from the Whig-Standard and read through to the many comments posted at the bottom of the newspaper story.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Tournament time: Nashville or bust
I've entered minor hockey teams in almost 40 tournaments over my son's career, from hockey hotspots such as Clifford (my hometown) to Mississauga, Ont. We've gone international in Niagara Falls, NY, and Ann Arbor, Mich.
But this year's plan sets a personal record for logistics and cost.
It's a winter road trip to Nashville, Tenn., to play in an Advanced Tournaments event. (Hopefully, we'll be the only team from north of the 49th. Not like a few years ago when my son's squad went to Niagara Falls and played a bunch of Canadian teams.)
We've chartered a bus (cha-ching, $7,000 please) decked out in University of Western Ontario colours and are bracing for the 11-hour ride. And that's not counting the idle time as the thorough US customs agents do their thing. (Note to American friends: No terrorists ever entered from Canada. Especially on a chartered bus filled with smelly hockey gear.)
We're planning to take in an NHL game between the Predators and Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Ironically, most nights fans can buy tickets on game day, but not this time. A Preds official told me today this game is likely to be one of Nashville's rare sell-outs.
On that count - a rockin' full house for an NHL game - we'll feel like we're in Canada.
But this year's plan sets a personal record for logistics and cost.
It's a winter road trip to Nashville, Tenn., to play in an Advanced Tournaments event. (Hopefully, we'll be the only team from north of the 49th. Not like a few years ago when my son's squad went to Niagara Falls and played a bunch of Canadian teams.)
We've chartered a bus (cha-ching, $7,000 please) decked out in University of Western Ontario colours and are bracing for the 11-hour ride. And that's not counting the idle time as the thorough US customs agents do their thing. (Note to American friends: No terrorists ever entered from Canada. Especially on a chartered bus filled with smelly hockey gear.)
We're planning to take in an NHL game between the Predators and Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Ironically, most nights fans can buy tickets on game day, but not this time. A Preds official told me today this game is likely to be one of Nashville's rare sell-outs.
On that count - a rockin' full house for an NHL game - we'll feel like we're in Canada.
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