The hard knocks school of hockey
Nov 25, 2004 19:01:23 GMT -5
Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Nov 25, 2004 19:01:23 GMT -5
Pierre Durocher
Journal de Montréal
25/11/2004
In the NHL, the players are treated preciously by the organizations. They are cocooned: private planes, five star hotels, sumptuous meals in-flight, everything is done to ensure their comfort. Before arriving in the NHL, hockey players must however learn their lessons in the junior ranks and the AHL, where life is not so rosy. One could say that in order to be entitled to cake, one must eat one's coarse bread. The AHL is a tough school.
The bus trips are long and exhausting. The hotels are much more modest than those frequented by the NHL millionaires. As for the food, it's essential to like pizza, chicken wings or subs. This grub is gobbled at speed on the bus after the games because it's necessary to get to the next city.
A typical weekend
Benefiting from the NHL lockout, the Journal de Montréal thought it would be interesting to follow the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens farm team, step for step over the course of a typical weekend of three games in three nights.
In the company of photographer Luc Laforce the author of these lines last weekend travelled nearly 1,500 kilometers by bus with the Bulldogs, who journeyed to three vibrant cities (!) - Syracuse, Rochester and Wilkes-Barre.
A beautiful experience all the same because on the bus one has the chance to know the players better, as well as the team's staff.
Everyone was very cordial and co-operative, in spite of the fact that the Bulldogs were then suffering through an unpleasant string of defeats. Let's just say that no-one sang Valderi Valdera on the bus!
We even obtained permission to photograph head coach Doug Jarvis while he delivered his pre-game speech to his players. Difficult to imagine that such a thing is possible in the NHL, especially during a losing streak.
Ward and Hainsey don't complain
This AHL voyage allowed us to see for ourselves that the rhythm of life for these players who are knocking on the NHL's door is not at all restful.
These weekends of three games in three nights are currently the norm in the AHL because the teams make a point of presenting games on the weekends in order to draw better crowds.
Such a calendar is exhausting for the players, but also for the people in charge of the equipment, Québécois Patrick Langlois and Stéphane Gauthier, who have nights of little sleep.
"It's a fact that life in the AHL does not compare at all with that in the NHL", admitted Jason Ward, a first choice of the Canadiens in 1997 who has played 105 games in the NHL compared to 236 games in the AHL.
"The bus trips are long, the games are closer together, the hotel rooms are less comfortable and one must often eat fast food on the bus. Despite everything it's not all that bad."
"What matters is being able to play hockey and I am quite glad to do it during the lockout", added the captain of the Bulldogs.
Ward spent last season with the Canadiens and agreed to sign a minor league contract in order to play in Hamilton instead of wasting his time during the conflict.
American defenseman Ron Hainsey did the same, signing an AHL contract.
"I play hockey and I try to improve, with the aim of returning to the NHL when the conflict is resolved", Hainsey said. "The bus trips are part of the reality of the minor leagues. You don't complain. You get used to it."
Not easy to eat properly on the bus
When the Hamilton Bulldogs players must deal with a schedule of three games in three nights on the road, they hardly have time to eat properly.
The team provides them an allowance of 54 dollars per day and they make use of it to place their orders before the game.
On a sheet of paper they write down what they wish to eat and they leave the money with Stéphane Gauthier, one of the people in charge of equipment.
They can order quickly prepared foods from a corner restaurant like pizza, submarines, chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches and salads.
Dépanneur break
When the game is over, the meals are laid out on a bench inside the bus with bottles of water and ice cold soft drinks.
The players eat on the way to the next city. One can't say that this is very good for the stomach, but at their age, they are surely able to take it!
If the trip is very long, the driver stops at a dépanneur to load up with delicacies, which is hardly better for the health.
A busy guy
"There is nothing more difficult than these series of three games in three nights on the road", pointed out the Bulldogs physical therapist, Franco-Ontarien Luc LeBlanc. "There is no time for the players to recover and to feed themselves well."
In addition to taking care of the physical condition and good health of the players (he sends a daily report to the Canadiens management on the state of the injured), LeBlanc helps Patrick Langlois and Stéphane Gauthier transport the equipment.
He must also play the role of road secretary since he deals with the bus and hotel reservations. A busy guy this LeBlanc. But when you like your work, time passes quickly.
Very few flights
The Hamilton Bulldogs travel by plane only when they must go to Western Canada (Edmonton or Winnipeg) as well as Saint John's, Newfoundland.
These trips are on commercial flights and not in a comfortable charter plane, as it is the case in the NHL.
Bulldogs will experience their most exhausting part of the season over the holidays.
After a game on December 27 in Hamilton, they will begin, on December 29, a trip of three games in three nights which will lead them to Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids. A 27 hour picnic on the bus.
A hell of a way to end the year, one could say!
The Journal de Montréal does not intend to follow the team during this trip...
*
Here is the schedule to which Doug Jarvis' players were subjected:
Friday November 19
13:00: team meeting at Copps Coliseum
14:00: departure from Hamilton by bus
15:00: American customs, the inspector checks the passports aboard the bus
17:30: arrival at War Memorial Arena in Syracuse
19:30: game against the Crunch, a 4-1 defeat
22:30: the bus leaves the arena
0:15: arrival at the Clarion Hotel in Rochester. The players go to their rooms. No question of a cold beer in the bar with the journalists!
Saturday November 20
10:00: the players leave the hotel for the Blue Cross Arena, located on the other side of the river
11:15: intense 45 minute practice
12:30: team meal at the hotel
17:15: the bus leaves for the arena, but the players prefer to go there by foot
19:35: game against the Americans, Bulldogs lose 3-1
22:30: departure from Rochester by bus
2. 10: arrive at the Holiday Inn in Wilkes-Barre
Sunday November 21
11:00: team meal at the hotel and meeting with the coaches
14:45: the bus leaves the hotel for the very beautiful Wachovia arena in Wilkes-Barre
17:00: game against the Penguins, 6-1 loss. Doug Jarvis is extremely dissatisfied while Michel Therrien smiles broadly
20:00: departure from Wilkes-Barre to return home
20:30: stop at a dépanneur to buy soft drinks (no beer!) and delicacies
1:30: through Canadian customs in record time
2:10: arrival at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. The players go to their respective residences while the equipment guys empty the bus.
- texte français original
Journal de Montréal
25/11/2004
In the NHL, the players are treated preciously by the organizations. They are cocooned: private planes, five star hotels, sumptuous meals in-flight, everything is done to ensure their comfort. Before arriving in the NHL, hockey players must however learn their lessons in the junior ranks and the AHL, where life is not so rosy. One could say that in order to be entitled to cake, one must eat one's coarse bread. The AHL is a tough school.
The bus trips are long and exhausting. The hotels are much more modest than those frequented by the NHL millionaires. As for the food, it's essential to like pizza, chicken wings or subs. This grub is gobbled at speed on the bus after the games because it's necessary to get to the next city.
A typical weekend
Benefiting from the NHL lockout, the Journal de Montréal thought it would be interesting to follow the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens farm team, step for step over the course of a typical weekend of three games in three nights.
In the company of photographer Luc Laforce the author of these lines last weekend travelled nearly 1,500 kilometers by bus with the Bulldogs, who journeyed to three vibrant cities (!) - Syracuse, Rochester and Wilkes-Barre.
A beautiful experience all the same because on the bus one has the chance to know the players better, as well as the team's staff.
Everyone was very cordial and co-operative, in spite of the fact that the Bulldogs were then suffering through an unpleasant string of defeats. Let's just say that no-one sang Valderi Valdera on the bus!
We even obtained permission to photograph head coach Doug Jarvis while he delivered his pre-game speech to his players. Difficult to imagine that such a thing is possible in the NHL, especially during a losing streak.
Ward and Hainsey don't complain
This AHL voyage allowed us to see for ourselves that the rhythm of life for these players who are knocking on the NHL's door is not at all restful.
These weekends of three games in three nights are currently the norm in the AHL because the teams make a point of presenting games on the weekends in order to draw better crowds.
Such a calendar is exhausting for the players, but also for the people in charge of the equipment, Québécois Patrick Langlois and Stéphane Gauthier, who have nights of little sleep.
"It's a fact that life in the AHL does not compare at all with that in the NHL", admitted Jason Ward, a first choice of the Canadiens in 1997 who has played 105 games in the NHL compared to 236 games in the AHL.
"The bus trips are long, the games are closer together, the hotel rooms are less comfortable and one must often eat fast food on the bus. Despite everything it's not all that bad."
"What matters is being able to play hockey and I am quite glad to do it during the lockout", added the captain of the Bulldogs.
Ward spent last season with the Canadiens and agreed to sign a minor league contract in order to play in Hamilton instead of wasting his time during the conflict.
American defenseman Ron Hainsey did the same, signing an AHL contract.
"I play hockey and I try to improve, with the aim of returning to the NHL when the conflict is resolved", Hainsey said. "The bus trips are part of the reality of the minor leagues. You don't complain. You get used to it."
Not easy to eat properly on the bus
When the Hamilton Bulldogs players must deal with a schedule of three games in three nights on the road, they hardly have time to eat properly.
The team provides them an allowance of 54 dollars per day and they make use of it to place their orders before the game.
On a sheet of paper they write down what they wish to eat and they leave the money with Stéphane Gauthier, one of the people in charge of equipment.
They can order quickly prepared foods from a corner restaurant like pizza, submarines, chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches and salads.
Dépanneur break
When the game is over, the meals are laid out on a bench inside the bus with bottles of water and ice cold soft drinks.
The players eat on the way to the next city. One can't say that this is very good for the stomach, but at their age, they are surely able to take it!
If the trip is very long, the driver stops at a dépanneur to load up with delicacies, which is hardly better for the health.
A busy guy
"There is nothing more difficult than these series of three games in three nights on the road", pointed out the Bulldogs physical therapist, Franco-Ontarien Luc LeBlanc. "There is no time for the players to recover and to feed themselves well."
In addition to taking care of the physical condition and good health of the players (he sends a daily report to the Canadiens management on the state of the injured), LeBlanc helps Patrick Langlois and Stéphane Gauthier transport the equipment.
He must also play the role of road secretary since he deals with the bus and hotel reservations. A busy guy this LeBlanc. But when you like your work, time passes quickly.
Very few flights
The Hamilton Bulldogs travel by plane only when they must go to Western Canada (Edmonton or Winnipeg) as well as Saint John's, Newfoundland.
These trips are on commercial flights and not in a comfortable charter plane, as it is the case in the NHL.
Bulldogs will experience their most exhausting part of the season over the holidays.
After a game on December 27 in Hamilton, they will begin, on December 29, a trip of three games in three nights which will lead them to Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids. A 27 hour picnic on the bus.
A hell of a way to end the year, one could say!
The Journal de Montréal does not intend to follow the team during this trip...
*
Here is the schedule to which Doug Jarvis' players were subjected:
Friday November 19
13:00: team meeting at Copps Coliseum
14:00: departure from Hamilton by bus
15:00: American customs, the inspector checks the passports aboard the bus
17:30: arrival at War Memorial Arena in Syracuse
19:30: game against the Crunch, a 4-1 defeat
22:30: the bus leaves the arena
0:15: arrival at the Clarion Hotel in Rochester. The players go to their rooms. No question of a cold beer in the bar with the journalists!
Saturday November 20
10:00: the players leave the hotel for the Blue Cross Arena, located on the other side of the river
11:15: intense 45 minute practice
12:30: team meal at the hotel
17:15: the bus leaves for the arena, but the players prefer to go there by foot
19:35: game against the Americans, Bulldogs lose 3-1
22:30: departure from Rochester by bus
2. 10: arrive at the Holiday Inn in Wilkes-Barre
Sunday November 21
11:00: team meal at the hotel and meeting with the coaches
14:45: the bus leaves the hotel for the very beautiful Wachovia arena in Wilkes-Barre
17:00: game against the Penguins, 6-1 loss. Doug Jarvis is extremely dissatisfied while Michel Therrien smiles broadly
20:00: departure from Wilkes-Barre to return home
20:30: stop at a dépanneur to buy soft drinks (no beer!) and delicacies
1:30: through Canadian customs in record time
2:10: arrival at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. The players go to their respective residences while the equipment guys empty the bus.
- texte français original