Those of you who didn't go to Kamloops with the team, feel free to listen in on this email with covetous ears, all the while wallowing in deep depression and tremendous regret for not making it to yet another epic hockey tournament. 

It started off rough with an 8 hour drive into the motherland and down the Coquihalla highway.  Pretty standard really.  I truly do believe that Walker would have wet his pants before admitting he had to take a leak, leaving it to me to harbour all the abuse from the boys for stopping so much.  I can also truly say that quite possibly the worst part of the whole week is the fact that now I'm addicted to gangster rap. 

We arrived into Kamloops to the smiling faces of the rest of the team and the Labuda suite.  Amazing what he can get for a couple of chocolate bars.  We started off the evening quite reserved, all the while remembering the ice calling our names the next morning at 7:45am.  What a brutal game time.  I think it was Kamloops partially polite way of saying, "Thanks for coming, Yanks, now hit the ice".  They would have given us an earlier time but the zamboni driver refused to get up any earlier than 7:30am. 

 

Our first game was against the dreaded LA City F.D.  A tight game with back and forth action.  The fans would have been going wild, autographs would have been signed, pictures taken, interviews performed, and replays replayed if anyone was there to do all that stuff.  It's a good thing all our fans didn't come to that game because that metal clad pole barn structure would only hold 10 fans max.   

But the ice was hard and ready to play, so hit the ice we did.  I don't have the all powerful stats sheet for that game but this is what I do recall:

-Walker's guarantee of no goals and poking in two.  one tipped in from mid air.

-Mikey's guarantee and overwhelming confidence of a shootout goal which convinced us all.

-Tommy cashing in on Mikey's overwhelmingly confident guarantee of a shootout goal.

-Almost putting Buda into the shootout lineup.

-Kanoff's 5 goal guarantee

-Kanoff's disappointment at no goals

-Tom O's unbelievable saves.

-Pete scoring from centre ice

 

Player of the game:  Tom O.  He kept us in the game and even though Walker's two goal game, and Tommy's game winner in the shootout was awesome Tom O pulled it off once again.

 

Our next game was against the Vancouver Old Timers.  We heard they were good but weren't ready to bow out to their reputation.  They definitely lived up to that rep.  They were amazing hockey players.  We learned a lot that game but probably the most valuable lesson was that old, fat, washed up used to be hockey players can still kick our butts. 

But really, they did teach us a lot about the game and how to play it.  If we stick together for that long maybe we can be that good together.  Like Peanut butter and Chocolate.  Good together.

 

Goals scored that game:

Monte from Ryan

Kevin

Ryan from Tommy

 

Penalties:

Pete - tripping

Klaus - slashing (wasn't that the one where we all were wondering what he was doing waving his stick about after the call then slamming the gate to the box.  I think it was his failed attempt at showing his aggression)

Kferg - roughing

Mikey-hooking

Kferg - hooking and almost getting knocked out by the leader of the OHL back in 1956

 

Rough loss to them 8-3.  Player of the Game was Travis.  He played a good game, displayed good puck handling skills and developed some good chances in their end with shots and passes to Walker.

Kanoff, remind me that I owe you a puck.

 

Next was Vernon.  The team that actually looked like they out partied us.  The game may have been worse if they were sober but since they weren't we put up a good fight barely losing 3-1.  Ryan got our only goal set up by Me.  Tom played well again and actually this was our best game.  We skated hard, passed the puck around, had our chances, and played good positions.  Our only struggle was getting the puck out of our zone at times.  A much needed brush up in practice.  They were a good team to play and we played well against them.  It could have gone either way with them getting their insurance goal late in the game. 

Player of the Game, voted by the team and not by me was Me.  A well respected icon of hockey (Mikey) said that it was the best game he has seen me play.  Next thing I know I was getting tossed the game puck.  Thanks guys, that means more than you can know. 

 

All in all I would say that in all three games our best period was the third.  You guys remember the third, right?  That was the period in the locker room after the game where clothing was shed, bran muffins were revealed, beer was cold, and showers were warm.  Good times, Good times. 

 

(for those of you confused, the games were 2 / 20 min. periods stop time)

 

We should be proud of our performance out there last week.  We made a name for ourselves as a great group of guys both on and off the ice.  We went 8 goals for and 14 goals against but out of the 8 goals scored their were 6 contributors.  We were getting production from many different goal scorers including our D.  That's what makes a well rounded team. 

 

There is no doubt our team bonded in Kamloops.  We became closer as a club thanks to all that was done in the locker room, the hot tub, and especially in room 105.  OK, maybe some bonded more than others.  I remember Kevin telling me of him walking by our room and with the door open and peered in to see Walker and Tommy laying in the same bed together with no shirts on, covers up to their tummy's, watching TV.  What a sight.  No wonder the cleaning ladies were giving each other high fives when we left. 

 

Passion was displayed by all and I was very happy to see the PFHC doing what we do best, coming together as a team playing the best we can and leaving with a win.  We brought home something far more precious than a trophy.  It was closer friendships, a tighter team, some great stories, and a pride in saying we played our best.  Thanks guys for a job well done.

 

Until we play again, here's to early morning hockey, Fergy Dogs, watching Tommy have an anaphylactic reaction to Denny's, fruit bowls, and 4 dudes in two twins.  Oh yea, I almost forgot, Tom O is the PFHC player of the tournament with countless amounts of saves and keeping up with the unfortunate task of almost always keeping us in the game.  As Ryan said, we probably don't appreciate or realize how well you do for us.  Good job.