As published by Kamloops This Week. For more, visit Kamloops This Week.
The Kamloops Blazers returned to the River City from a three-game Alberta road trip on Sunday, Oct. 23.
KTW asked the club’s communications and media co-ordinator, Tim O’Donovan, to document a day in the life of the Blazers on the road.
The trip took Kamloops to Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
He chose to keep track of the club’s activities on Friday, Oct. 21, when the Blazers played the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.
The Kamloops Blazers were preparing to play the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday as part of a three-game road trip to Alberta.
At 9:30 a.m., breakfast was served.
The team always looks sharp on the road, dressing pro-casual, which means dress pants and a collared shirt.
Each meal is pre-ordered, so we are in and out of the restaurant within 20 to 30 minutes.
Following the meal, the players headed to the Medicine Hat Leisure Centre (MHLC), where the hockey team had hung its gear.
Visiting teams usually store and dry their hockey equipment at the opposing team’s rink.
In this case, however, the Brandon Wheat Kings occupied the visitors’ dressing room at the Medicine Hat Arena because they played the Tigers on Friday night.
Once at the Leisure Centre, the players put their skates out for athletic trainer Colin (Toledo) Robinson to sharpen.
There are certain players that have their skates sharpened every game, including Brendan Ranford and Dylan Willick.
Some players prefer to have duller skates, including Josh Caron and Bronson Maschmeyer.
Toledo, as he is known by the players, is extremely detailed and precise when sharpening skates.
As Toledo worked on the skates, players changed into workout clothes and went to a soccer field with head coach Guy Charron and associate coach Dave Hunchak.
Hunchak organized a game of capture the flag and split the players into two teams.
The goal was to keep guys loose and give them some morning activity.
Following the activity, the players packed their bags and loaded them on the bus.
The team headed back to the hotel at about 11:30 a.m. for some down time.
Between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., most of the players go through their routines.
In general, most players will rest and nap to get some down time before their pre-game meal.
Our pre-game meal was held at 2:45 p.m. across the street from our hotel.
The Wheat Kings, who were staying in the same hotel as the Blazers, had just finished their meal as we entered the restaurant.
As is the case for most pre-game meals, the menu was garden and Caesar salad, spaghetti with a meat sauce or an alfredo sauce, chicken and garlic bread.
The “veteran” move, as some of the players say, is to mix the meat and alfredo sauce together on the pasta and chicken.
Following the meal, the Blazers loaded the bus and drove to Lethbridge. It was about a two-hour drive to Lethbridge and the Blazers arrived at the rink at about 5:10 p.m.
The hockey club then prepared for the game as the coaches orchestrated a brief video session and pre-game meetings.
Toledo then put the guys through a dynamic stretch and each player performed their own rituals to prepare for the game.
Overall, the game went well for the Blazers.
The team did not have its best game of the season, but managed to come away with a 7-4 victory on the road, which was satisfying.
Since this is our only trip to Alberta this season, lots of families waited outside our dressing room to see their boys.
Maschmeyer, a Bruderheim, Alta., product, is a 20-year-old making his final trip through Wild Rose Country, so being able to play in front of his parents was a treat.
The Blazers who had family in the building visited them after the game, while the other players loaded up the bus.
The team then exited the Enmax Centre with a couple of honks of the horn by the bus driver. The honks are traditional for a road team leaving the rink after a win.
The hockey club went to Luigi’s in Lethbridge for their post-game meal.
It was another hearty meal as Caesar salad, garlic bread, steak, potatoes and vegetables were served for the team.
The players were a bit disappointed with there only being one long table for the entire team.
This made it difficult for “shoe checks” to happen. A “shoe check” is when a player sneaks under a table and puts some type of sauce on another player’s shoe.
Once the stealthy player retreats back to his seat, the entire team starts clanging their glasses with a piece of cutlery and everyone knows to look at their shoes.
The targeted player must remove his shoe and show it to the entire team, which has a laugh at his expense.
Following the meal, the Blazers boarded the bus and headed back to Medicine Hat, where they were scheduled to play the Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 22.
The movie choice was Black Swan and it seemed the majority of the bus thought it was too weird for their liking.
Our bus arrived at the Medicine Hat Arena at about 1 a.m.
The players unloaded all of the gear and hung their equipment to dry.
Younger players asked the veterans about the Tigers.
Ranford talked about how he never played well in Medicine Hat, while Colin Smith remembered his hat-trick and the 6-5 shootout win in Medicine Hat last February.
The arena has an old feel to it and the fans are right on top of you.
It can be an intimidating but fun place to play.
Following unloading, the Blazers headed back to their hotel to catch some sleep.
Winning always makes things easier and the Blazers hope to do a lot more of it this season.
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