Well with thanks to jet lag we didn't get up until 10am. The exact same time they stop serving breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Lucky with all the time changes we weren't that hungry anyway. We had time to freshen up and then had a chat with some of the other Friendship Games parents before walking to the rink (their is a regular shuttle bus but we thought it would be nice to get some fresh air and find our way around the town) to watch the first game of the tournament Aldergrove Bruins Vs Cranbrook Colts - a Canadian grudge match. Connor's host family's son, Jake, is playing for the Bruins so we were keen to cheer them on.
When we arrived at the rink Connor was super excited to tell us that he had a new hockey stick given to him by Jake. He was also keen to convince us we should order him a custom made stick while in Canada. Apparently it only takes two weeks and some video analysis...oh and a few hundred dollars. We tried to explain to him that the rate he keeps growing that wouldn't be the best idea. At the end of a good game, the Bruins had a win, 6-5, in a hard fought match but lost a point in the overall standings due to getting a penalty.
After the game we got a lift back to the hotel with Jan to collect our car and then all headed out to a hockey pro store, "The Zone". Jan couldn't get over how much we pay for hockey gear in Australia so was desperate to take us to some of their favourite hockey stores. We got off relatively lightly this time only buying a Chicago Blackhawks cap, a mini-stick and ball. I'm sure we won't be that lucky next time. Especially as Connor keeps angling to get a custom made stick!!!
On the way back to the hotel, without any children, as Ryan had also gone off with Connor's host family as they have an 8 year old son, Trey, we stopped to collect some fresh fruit from Safeway and have a quick bite of lunch at Subway. We couldn't get over the excellent customer service that we seem to find everywhere we go in Canada. Pity we realised after eating our minestrone soup and sub that we had eaten lunch at 5pm. We jumped in the car and headed back towards Aldergrove with just enough time to get back to the hotel and get ready to go to Connor's first game.
First up he would play against Little Winia from South Korea. The kids were all super eager standing outside the gates waiting to be let on for their warm up.
We watched the kids work off some of their nerves during the 3 minute warm up. Next it came time to line up facing each other and for the kids to exchange gifts. Finally, the time came for the first puck to be dropped and we were excited to see Connor was in the starting 5, playing as a defence man. Seeing him as a defenceman came as a bit of a surprise but it was great just to see him and his team mates ready to put all of their training and hard work to the test.
We couldn't have hoped for a better game. The kids played really well and were rewarded with a final scoreline of 9-2 with no penalties against them. The only downside was that one of our players, Matt, hit a very hard shot at goal which hit the young Korean goalie directly in the face. Despite wearing a full face mask he was obviously hurt and hit the ice hard. After a few minutes of injury time he had to be helped form the ice and an ambulance was called. In order for the game to continue a goalie from the Oakdale Tartan team stepped up and took over to assist Korea.
Although the game was very close throughout the final score of 9-2, was a fantastic way for our team to begin. It was great to get a win on the board from our first game. It was also good news to hear that the Korean goalie, although injured from getting a puck to the cheek bone, would be ok.
After the game the two teams posed together for a photo which was a great way to finish a fabulous first game of the tournament.
When the game was done we said our goodbyes to Connor, and Ryan, who was also spending the night with the host family, and returned to our hotel. We then made our way out to the Boston Pizza Bar for a great dinner with the Winklers. Its really hard to believe how good the service is everywhere we have been.
Tomorrow we have to be up early as Connor has the first game of the day against the Oakdale Tartans, who seem considerably bigger in size than our team. I think it will be a tough one.
Well done Connor - lots more exciting things to come in the tournament.
ReplyDeleteGrandma and Grandad