Today was my first volunteer gig with the Team Canada Families. There is a lounge set up in their hotel for meetings and to provide an alternative to their rooms just to hang out, get information, etc. The Team Canada Family volunteers keep the room ship shape (with the assistance of the very attentive hotel staff) and help the family members when asked.
In their meeting with the parents, Bob Nicholson, other Hockey Canada executives and Dave Branch thanked the families for the long years of dedication, sacrifice and support. These parents here and the hundreds of thousands others across Canada are the bedrock of our national obsession and for that we are all grateful.
Chatting with several of the parents and other family members you really understand that they are just like hockey families across Canada. They have put in years of practices, tournaments, games, the ups, the downs, more than on kid, the whole business. They went a step further than most having sent their sons, in some cases as young as 16 and in some cases as far as three provinces away to someone else's care for months of the year. They take it all in stride.
Watching them standing and chatting - it could have been a group of parents at a community hockey rink for a tournament instead of being in the nations capital while their sons represent the country for a world championship.
I think it's a very big deal. And for their efforts we get some of the best entertainment value possible.
While I was hanging out with the families (and getting my butt kicked at some version of an NHL game on an X-box) the spousal unit was at the Civic Centre watching the Slovak - Latvia game. Despite the score he said it was a very entertaining game. The Latvian fans really made the atmosphere enjoyable (unless you were right in front of the drums I suppose) and despite being outplayed, there was lots of spirit. He observed that the Latvians seemed to understand the concept of hitting but they were still figuring out the execution. He seemed to enjoy the game more than the two blowouts at SBP the day before (although being comfortable at the Civic Centre rather than freezing at SBP might have had a lot to do with it).
Today's schedule has the spousal unit taking in the Russia - Finland game before heading to SBP for the USA - Czech game. I will be with the Team Canada Families for the Kazakhstan - Canada game. I hope to join my ticket buddies for the USA - Czech game once my duties are fulfilled.
I believe today is day 1 of the Bell Cup. Now we are really in the one and only Hockey Country!!
Showing posts with label WJHC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WJHC. Show all posts
December 28, 2008
December 27, 2008
WJHC - Day 1
31 games, 10 teams, 1 city. If you purchased a full package you cannot physically see all the games that you paid for.
No sweat - we sat down and cherry picked the games we want to see and sold or gave away the rest. I will get to 14 games while the rest of our group takes in 16 (I chose volunteer shifts that keep me from the Slovakia - Latvia game today and the Russia - Finland game tomorrow). The 16 games chosen covers seeing every team at least once.
Day 1 had us camped out at SBP to watch the Germany - USA game and the marquee event - Canada versus the Czech Republic.
I won't go through game summaries as there are lots of folks who can do a better job of it than I can. You can check out TSN, the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Sun or Hockey Canada for stories, videos and pictures.
Here's how it was from my perspective:
This is just the start of the hockey madness that will grip the region until January 5th. The Bell Cup starts tomorrow so the city will be wall-to-wall with players, families and fans.
Welcome to Hockey Country!!
No sweat - we sat down and cherry picked the games we want to see and sold or gave away the rest. I will get to 14 games while the rest of our group takes in 16 (I chose volunteer shifts that keep me from the Slovakia - Latvia game today and the Russia - Finland game tomorrow). The 16 games chosen covers seeing every team at least once.
Day 1 had us camped out at SBP to watch the Germany - USA game and the marquee event - Canada versus the Czech Republic.
I won't go through game summaries as there are lots of folks who can do a better job of it than I can. You can check out TSN, the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Sun or Hockey Canada for stories, videos and pictures.
Here's how it was from my perspective:
- The Germany - USA game looked like it might be close when it started. The German goalie, Timo Pielmeier made some outstanding saves to keep his team in the game. But the Americans got it together and started piling up the goals. All in all it wasn't a very exciting game - and not just because of the score. It wasn't nearly as skilled an fast as I expected it. The spousal unit commented that the Windsor Spitfires or the Ottawa 67s on a good day could have taken either team.
- There seemed to be more fans supporting the German team (colours, flags, etc.) than the American team. I ran into a colleague all decked out in his German regalia. He was born in Germany and decided to cheer for his birth country.
- Although reported attendance was over 18,000, there were not 18,000 butts in seats. But it was still a good crowd.
- The second game started with much more excitement, of course. As Alan Panzeri reported in the Ottawa Citizen, up to now, there hasn't much to cheer about in SBP for a long while so there could have been some pent-up hollering that escaped from the excited fans.
- This game was entirely different than the earlier game. I thought the Czechs were more physical, faster and more skilled than either of the teams in the first game. At least to start the game. After the first period it looked like it could go either way. But as we all know now, that didn't last long. Team Canada started asserting itself and basically took over all of the ice. It would be interesting to see the stats on puck possession but I would hazard a guess that Team Canada didn't share it too much with the Czechs.
- I was really happy when Esposito got his first goal, and the third goal of the game. Finally!
- Popular pre-tournament thinking was that Ryan Ellis would be used primarily for the PP but Quinn had him out there for 5-on-5 play as well. Results: a goal and an assist - both at even strength.
- I hate it when the goalie leaves his crease for no good reason and when Tokarski took his little walk with two minutes left I knew something bad would happen. He had no idea that there was a Czech player in the slot. It was a perfect pass from the corner. I imagine he won't let his mind (and hopefully his legs) wander like that again any time soon.
- It was really cold in SBP! Really really cold. Especially for the first game. I ran into Pete, a 67s regular and a pretty hearty fellow and he also noted how cold it was. We used our Canadian flag as a blanket across our knees to keep us warm. More layers next time.
- With two minutes remaining in third period of the first game, the arena announcer announced it, except that he goofed at first and said "last two minutes of the first period". It took him a couple of tries to get it right. It probably didn't help that he was also getting information about a two minute penalty at the same time. We laughed at the mix up. Then Stuntman Stu did the exact same thing in the second game (including getting the period wrong). He is recovery was more graceful. There must be some requirement to announce the final two minutes of the game in international rules. For a moment I though that they might have had the NFL dancing in their heads.
- When will politicians realize that hockey and politics don't mix. Making the player of the game awards for the Canada - Czech game were Eugene Melnyk, John Baird and some other guy. Melnyk and the other guy got warm applause when they were introduced. Baird got booed. Was he not paying any attention during the US election?? Guess the photo-op was too good to pass up.
- A Maple Leafs hockey fan was a couple of rows ahead of us. He had taped the name "Tavares" on the back of his jersey. I didn't have the heart to point out Ottawa stands a better chance of snagging this draft pick.
- It was good to hear that the ATU respected the terms the court set out regarding picketing at the Civic Centre.
This is just the start of the hockey madness that will grip the region until January 5th. The Bell Cup starts tomorrow so the city will be wall-to-wall with players, families and fans.
Welcome to Hockey Country!!
December 24, 2008
Only 2 More Sleeps...
...until the World Juniors start in Ottawa.
But preparations have been underway for some time. Now it's down to the final details.
Work already started at the Civic Center before the 67s - Petes game on Friday and resumed in earnest right after the game.
Flags were put up before the game and the usual press box was taken over by camera crews getting ready for the tournament. Right after the game, the advertising around the rink in front of the first rows were taken down as was all the glass around the ice.
Today, some of the Team Canada Family volunteers gathered at SBP to see the lay of the land and prepare the lounge where the family members of Team Canada players can, among other things, see their boys after the games.
It's down at the ice-level part of the arena and we had Team Canada banners, jerseys of past Team Canada gold medal captains and reminders of the long history of Team Canada success to arrange. If I may say so myself, the lounge looks pretty good. It will be a comfortable place for the families to wait for their brief meetings with their boys. Our job is to be concierges for the Team Canada family members both at SBP and at their hotel.
The Operations and Events folks at SBP were really helpful as we ran back and forth asking for stuff. Vlad was particularly helpful as he has set up this room on many occasions and knows what works in there. It's amazing all the stuff they have squirreled away in the nooks and crannies. I joked whether anyone has ended up down there for days. Vlad just matter-of-factly stated that it's one big circle - keep walking and you'll emerge somewhere.
There was a test game going on - a dress rehearsal for the goal judges, anthem singer, announcers and the like. They actually had a couple of teams of young men (about 12 years old I would guess) playing a game.
TSN has a huge collection of equipment and what looks like a studio on wheels at the loading dock and there is an area just for their crew.
Teams started checking in and we saw the Germans practice. They were at the Ottawa - Dallas game on Saturday so they saw the arena from the 100-level. Today they saw what it looks like from the ice. It probably will be a bit awesome (in the truest meaning of the word) when play their first game on Boxing Day against Team USA.
It was a beehive of activity that might look like random actions to the untrained eye but you could see order emerging. While watching these preparations are impressive, you know that for every bit of effort expended today, there have been days, if not weeks of preparation leading to this. This is quite the undertaking.
Looking forward as a fan and as a volunteer to help making this the best World Juniors ever!
Welcome to Hockey Country everyone. This is going to be great!!
But preparations have been underway for some time. Now it's down to the final details.
Work already started at the Civic Center before the 67s - Petes game on Friday and resumed in earnest right after the game.
Flags were put up before the game and the usual press box was taken over by camera crews getting ready for the tournament. Right after the game, the advertising around the rink in front of the first rows were taken down as was all the glass around the ice.
Today, some of the Team Canada Family volunteers gathered at SBP to see the lay of the land and prepare the lounge where the family members of Team Canada players can, among other things, see their boys after the games.
It's down at the ice-level part of the arena and we had Team Canada banners, jerseys of past Team Canada gold medal captains and reminders of the long history of Team Canada success to arrange. If I may say so myself, the lounge looks pretty good. It will be a comfortable place for the families to wait for their brief meetings with their boys. Our job is to be concierges for the Team Canada family members both at SBP and at their hotel.
The Operations and Events folks at SBP were really helpful as we ran back and forth asking for stuff. Vlad was particularly helpful as he has set up this room on many occasions and knows what works in there. It's amazing all the stuff they have squirreled away in the nooks and crannies. I joked whether anyone has ended up down there for days. Vlad just matter-of-factly stated that it's one big circle - keep walking and you'll emerge somewhere.
There was a test game going on - a dress rehearsal for the goal judges, anthem singer, announcers and the like. They actually had a couple of teams of young men (about 12 years old I would guess) playing a game.
TSN has a huge collection of equipment and what looks like a studio on wheels at the loading dock and there is an area just for their crew.
Teams started checking in and we saw the Germans practice. They were at the Ottawa - Dallas game on Saturday so they saw the arena from the 100-level. Today they saw what it looks like from the ice. It probably will be a bit awesome (in the truest meaning of the word) when play their first game on Boxing Day against Team USA.
It was a beehive of activity that might look like random actions to the untrained eye but you could see order emerging. While watching these preparations are impressive, you know that for every bit of effort expended today, there have been days, if not weeks of preparation leading to this. This is quite the undertaking.
Looking forward as a fan and as a volunteer to help making this the best World Juniors ever!
Welcome to Hockey Country everyone. This is going to be great!!
November 20, 2008
THEY'RE HERE!!!
Our tickets for the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship (gold packages) arrived in today's mail! It's getting close and the excitement is building. Tickets for the Red and White scrimmage are also on sale - showing us just soon we will all be totally obsessed with our national sport.
As mentioned earlier, the front and back covers feature pictures from the last two Canadian gold medal teams. The individual tickets have players such as Ovechkin, Crosby, Patrick Kane. And when you are putting up the big cash, you get to have your team's players on the tickets. Current and former Ottawa Senators who played in the tournament: Dany Heatley (2000 - 2001), Andrej Meszaros (2004 - 2005), Christoph Schubert (2000 - 2002), Jason Spezza (2000 2002), Chris Phillips (1996 - 1997 - he had a pretty healthy beard back then too), and Anton Volchenkov (2001 - 2002). If Redden was still around, he'd be on one too.
Who's bothering with a countdown to Christmas? Only 36 sleeps until the puck drops in the opening game!!
As mentioned earlier, the front and back covers feature pictures from the last two Canadian gold medal teams. The individual tickets have players such as Ovechkin, Crosby, Patrick Kane. And when you are putting up the big cash, you get to have your team's players on the tickets. Current and former Ottawa Senators who played in the tournament: Dany Heatley (2000 - 2001), Andrej Meszaros (2004 - 2005), Christoph Schubert (2000 - 2002), Jason Spezza (2000 2002), Chris Phillips (1996 - 1997 - he had a pretty healthy beard back then too), and Anton Volchenkov (2001 - 2002). If Redden was still around, he'd be on one too.
Who's bothering with a countdown to Christmas? Only 36 sleeps until the puck drops in the opening game!!
October 21, 2008
Welcome to Hockey Country!!
That's what you will hear from the 1500 volunteers for the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa from December 26 - January 5.
I made it through the Police Records check, the reference check and the interview and am among the 1500 chosen ones to make this the best IIHF event ever. Tonight we had our first en masse orientation session where we heard key general level informmation from Bob Nicholson (video), Cyril Leeder and others.
Keep checking the Hockey Canada site for new information. This is going to be pretty fun - can't wait.
I made it through the Police Records check, the reference check and the interview and am among the 1500 chosen ones to make this the best IIHF event ever. Tonight we had our first en masse orientation session where we heard key general level informmation from Bob Nicholson (video), Cyril Leeder and others.
- The tickets are at the printers and should be in our mailboxes by mid-November. The covers for the ticket packages will feature pictures from the last two Canadian gold medal teams. The individual tickets will have pictures of significant past players from all countries.
- We got a sneak-peek at the gold medals that have been designed by the Royal Canadian Mint - niiiiice.
- Team selection should take place early December.
- Visiting teams training camps and exhibition games will take place around the province. If you can't make it to Ottawa for the tournament, maybe you can catch some of the pre-tournament action near you.
- Did you know that the long-standing Team Canada logo was designed by someone from Kanata? Neither did I. It's about time this tournment finally got here! His name was mentioned and I already have forgotten it. Paul Hansen? Someone out there correct me please on this one.
- Eugene Melnyk has guaranteed how much money this tournament will make. In the past, and for the next two times it is in Canada, it was/is the provinces making the guarantee. Props to Mr. Melnyk.
- The logistics are pretty amazing. TSN will have a huge presence of course and all the stuff that goes with that.
- Team dressing rooms have already been assigned in both venues. Team Canada scores big-time - they get the Ottawa Senators space for the whole tourny. Sweden gets the Ottawa 67s dressing room at the Civic Centre.
- The arena-currently-known-as-Scotia-Bank-Place will simply be SBP for the tournament. This was not specifically mentioned during the sesssion but was easy to figure out since any time someone started with Sco...they quickly changed to SBP. Being the clever folks that we are (me and the guy sitting beside me) we realized it's a sponsorship thing. RBC is a big sponsor; Scotia Bank is not. Every mention of the real arena name is a plug for a competitor of a key sponsor.
- We will get our uniforms, volunteer manuals, and detailed orientations including venue tours in early December. I'm part of the Team Canada Family crew that will be taking care of certain things related to the family members of Team Canada.
- They were really clear - if you want to watch a game live - buy a ticket!
- There will be fan events planned outside of the actual games. Look for HHOF stuff to be on display at the Aberdeen Pavillion and if you can't make the Canada-USA game live on New Year's Eve, they are planning some large outdoor (?) place to show the game on a large screen. We're not afraid of no winter here! This is Hockey Country and we know how to embrace winter!! Even if you can't make it to any games (but there should be lots of folks selling tickets they cannot use from their package), there should be lots to take in.
Keep checking the Hockey Canada site for new information. This is going to be pretty fun - can't wait.
March 20, 2008
News Around Major Junior Hockey
OHL Announces Coaches Poll Winners
Created: Mar 19, 2008
The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results for the 2007-08 Coaches Poll.The OHL Coaches Poll provides team coaches with the opportunity to recognize players in several skill categories within their own conference. The top three players in each category from the Eastern and Western Conferences are recognized. Coaches vote for each category within their conference and are not permitted to vote for players on their team. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
Read the rest of the OHL News here and to see how Julien Demers, Logan Couture and Thomas Kiriakou rated in the voting.
Blues sign former 67’s captain
The St. Louis Blues added a young forward, when they signed former Ottawa 67’s centre and captain Julian Talbot to a contract yesterday. Terms were not disclosed. A native of Wahnapitae, Ont., Talbot has appeared in 65 games with Peoria of the American Hockey League this season, recording 20 goals and 21 assists. The 22-year-old currently ranks fourth among league rookies with 41 points. After four seasons with Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League, Talbot made his professional debut last campaign, registering 20 goals and 33 assists in 66 games with Alaska of the ECHL and adding one tally and three points with Providence of the AHL.
(as reported in the Ottawa Citizen today)
Hartsburg won't coach Canada's junior hockey team a third straight year
Canadian Press
Mar 19, 2008, 3:27 PM EDT
The Canadian team chasing a fifth straight gold medal at the next world junior hockey championship in Ottawa will have an entirely new coaching staff.
After two years as head coach and another as an assistant, Craig Hartsburg has reluctantly decided not to coach Canada again in 2009.
rest of the article at NHL.com
Created: Mar 19, 2008
The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results for the 2007-08 Coaches Poll.The OHL Coaches Poll provides team coaches with the opportunity to recognize players in several skill categories within their own conference. The top three players in each category from the Eastern and Western Conferences are recognized. Coaches vote for each category within their conference and are not permitted to vote for players on their team. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
Read the rest of the OHL News here and to see how Julien Demers, Logan Couture and Thomas Kiriakou rated in the voting.
Blues sign former 67’s captain
The St. Louis Blues added a young forward, when they signed former Ottawa 67’s centre and captain Julian Talbot to a contract yesterday. Terms were not disclosed. A native of Wahnapitae, Ont., Talbot has appeared in 65 games with Peoria of the American Hockey League this season, recording 20 goals and 21 assists. The 22-year-old currently ranks fourth among league rookies with 41 points. After four seasons with Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League, Talbot made his professional debut last campaign, registering 20 goals and 33 assists in 66 games with Alaska of the ECHL and adding one tally and three points with Providence of the AHL.
(as reported in the Ottawa Citizen today)
Hartsburg won't coach Canada's junior hockey team a third straight year
Canadian Press
Mar 19, 2008, 3:27 PM EDT
The Canadian team chasing a fifth straight gold medal at the next world junior hockey championship in Ottawa will have an entirely new coaching staff.
After two years as head coach and another as an assistant, Craig Hartsburg has reluctantly decided not to coach Canada again in 2009.
rest of the article at NHL.com
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