30 Games In 30 Nights

Finally....The First Of The Envelopes, Please

2007-12-12T13:55:00.000-05:00

The worst thing about going away for 30 days is that when you return, there’s 30 days worth of things to catch up on. 30 days of dust to wipe off the floor, 30 days of e-mails to respond to at work, 30 days of time with the family to make up. You get the picture. But now I’m caught up and it’s time to hand out a few awards.

Let me establish something a few things right up front. My views are subjective, so there's no whining allowed! Plus I’m going from memory, which fades fast at my age! And this is not like those grade school awards where everyone wins a prize. If you don’t see your team, don’t cry yet, as I’ll be adding plenty more awards to the list.

With disclaimers out of the way, let’s get going!

The Game Seven Award for best atmosphere goes to Montreal’s Bell Centre. With Henri Richard on ice pre-game and Carey Price’s home debut, the atmosphere in the building was simply electric. South of the 49th parallel, St. Louis takes the cake.

The Abandoned Airplane Hangar Award for lack of atmosphere goes to Washington, who narrowly edges out Florida for the bottom spot, simply because it was a Saturday night and the fans still sat on their hands all evening.

The Archie Bunker Award for most comfortable chair goes to my seat behind the net at the Nassau Coliseum. It was deep and so comfy, I didn’t want to get up. Plus the beer vendor visited regularly, so I didn’t have to!

The Don Rickles Award for best insult goes to an unnamed fan in Edmonton. The heckler wasn't happy with Minnesota enforcer Derek Boogaard. he yelled, "Hey Boogaard, I'm gonna take your mother out tonight (insert long pause here)....and never call her again!". Esoteric, yet effective.

The Pink Floyd Award for best imitation of The Wall, goes to Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Edmonton’s Mathieu Garon, who stopped every shot in their 0-0 tie (Yes, I know Ales Hemsky scored in the shootout to give the Oilers a win, but a scoreless tie sounds like a better story)..

The Takeru Kobayashi Award (Part 1) for best hot dogs eaten (all four of them) goes to the Chien Chaud at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The Knife & Fork Dog in Dallas is right up there too.

The Takeru Kobayaski Award (Part 2) for the hot dog that came back out the same place it went down goes to the one I ate in Edmonton. (Although I did receive a call later from the head of operations at Rexall Place, who was genuinely concerned about my health, and maybe it was just the chicken I ate at a restaurant earlier).

The Ron Burgundy Award for best TV interview goes to Steve Coates, host of Coatesy’s Corner on Comcast in Philadelphia. We talked about everything but hockey and I couldn’t keep a straight face!

The Garrison Keillor Award for best radio interview goes to Adrian Harewood at CBC in Ottawa. His erudite style, perceptive thoughts and snappy questions made me feel like Dan or Casey in Aaron Sorkin’s underrated TV show, “Sports Night” as I responded. You can listen here, look for the Nov 6th show.

The Monty Python Award for silliest name goes to Nashville for the Sommet Center. The “T” is silent in Sommet, as are most people when asked what does Sommet mean? Honorary Mention goes to the Jobing.com Arena where the Coyotes play. Have you been jobing lately?

That wraps up the first few awards.

For those of you with HD TVs, HDNet will be running a feature on my Philadelphia Flyers visit tomorrow night (Thursday 12/13) at 6.30pm Eastern. I haven’t seen it yet, but we had lots of fun taping it, and hopefully that will come across on the air! The NHL Network will rerun the show later for those of us without HD.

David Amber from ESPN.com also did a wrapup interview with me that you can read here.

More awards are on the way….. Click the little orange button to get an RSS feed when I update the site.

Rankings Are Tough To Complete...

2007-11-28T17:12:00.001-05:00

Now that 30 Games In 30 Nights is over and done, I planned to rank the attributes of each arena, but that's no easy task, so the heck with it, at least for today! Here’s a quick story from each city that I forgot to mention the first time around. This will buy me some time while I finish compiling my thoughts on each team and arena, right?

Detroit

Most of the Wings had pink tape on their stick blades during warmups, and I was waiting to see if anyone was brave or manly enough to leave it on for the game. No such luck.

Los Angeles

The Staples Center is the only arena with genuine Taito drummers instead of an organist. A super cool sound.

Anaheim

I went out on a limb and tried fish tacos at the concession stand. They weren’t so good, and I pretty much stuck to my hot dog diet after that game!

NY Rangers

Every franchise should copy the Rangers players gathering at center ice after a win and saluting the crowd with a wave of their sticks. Just like shaking hands after the playoffs, it’s one of those traditions that bond the team to their fans. Of course, I’d have preferred that the Rangers would have lost the game to Tampa Bay, then I wouldn’t have seen the salute until I got to Minnesota, where the Wild do the same thing.

Montreal

OK, I promise not to mention hot dogs again, but the “chein chaud” in Montreal, served fresh in butter toasted buns that were split at the top, were the best I sampled and I’d kill for one right now

New Jersey

On my to the game, I was pulled over by a New York State Trooper for talking on my cell phone while driving. I’m from Florida, and had no idea it was illegal. He said, “You’re lying because I saw you hang up the phone when I pulled you over”. I told him, “Of course I hung up; I was being pulled over by a cop”. I showed him my Florida license and registration, but he could care less, and I got my first ticket since 1985!

NY Islanders

While some venues have a plaza full of activities for the kids, the Islanders’ idea of pre-game entertainment consisted of one solitary bounce house, manned by a creepy-looking guy who scared away any kid who came near it!

Dallas

The Stars wore their road whites for the game, and I thought to myself, wouldn’t it look cool if they wore matching white pants as well? Think John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever” on skates! The Capitals wore white pants for a while back in the ‘70’s, and Charlie Finley’s California Golden Seals wore white skates before that. Tom Hicks, whaddya say?

Phoenix

Plenty of Ducks fans made the trip out to Arizona and one turned me on the best beer I tasted on the road, Oggi’s California Gold Blonde Ale. I wonder who Oggi is?

Columbus

The Blue Jackets presented me with a customized jersey (#30 of course) with my name on the back. I was hoping for some skates so I could sneak out on the ice for warmups, but no such luck! More musical notes….as the Blues’ Jay McKee was sent to the penalty box for hooking, they fittingly played “He’s In the Jailhouse Now”, an old country song from the 1950’s.

Florida

I truly can’t remember anything else interesting that happened in Sunrise. If I write a book about my trip, it will be the shortest chapter! Ooh ooh Mr. Kotter, I just remembered something. In the bowels of the building, I got to see what the NHL officials do at the game.

Ottawa

As the Sens lined up for the national anthem, six little skaters joined them on the ice and one stood next to each player, which was a touching image. Then they skated off and the fans started booing Mats Sundin loudly. Game on!

Pittsburgh

I know that The Igloo is a throwback building with old school fans, but I was still surprised when the entire building started doing the wave! I must confess that after a couple of laps, I actually joined in too! Is it true that Seattle Seahawks fans invented the wave back in the old Kingdome?

Boston

A photographer from The Hockey News brought me out onto the ice before warmups to take my picture, and I had to wear those goofy black slip-on straps under my shoes, so that I wouldn’t fall on my butt and sue the crap out of the Bruins.

Chicago

Poor Jay McKee. This time, when the St. Louis defenseman was sent to the penalty box to feel shame, Elton’s John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, blasted over the sound system. A nice subtle touch from the Blackhawks.

Washington

The Verizon Center is surrounded by dozens of trendy bars and restaurants, but I never got to try them out because I was so late arriving. Plus the parking garage closed right after the game, so our postgame drink to celebrate the Lightning’s lone victory was not in some funky downtown dive, but at the bland Ruby Tuesday’s next to our hotel

Colorado

Erin from the Avalanche was so nice to me and invited me to ride on the Zamboni, but I had to say no. To me, Zamboni rides are for little kids and pretty girls. I couldn’t imagine that the sight of a 190 lb middle-aged guy strapped to the side of a giant ice-making machine would be appealing to the crowd! Erin, I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings, but you did have a sad look on your face!

San Jose

When I saw San Jose play in Detroit on the first night of my trip, Kyle McLaren was wearing a neon yellow Day-Glo visor, and didn’t play very well, but tonight he was wearing a regular clear visor and played much better. Note to hockey parents, keep those yellow highlighter pens out of your kids’ reach, they don’t help!

Calgary

Are they that short of cash in Calgary that they have to show regular TV commercials on the Jumbotron? Guess they’re saving up for Dion Phaneuf‘s next contract. Man, he’s a solid hockey player.

Vancouver

In my blog, I forgot to thank Wes, the Canucks fan who invited me to the game with him. We had fun at GM Place, and even more afterwards at the bar. Somehow, I got on the SkyTrain, found the right bus and made it safely back to the Delta Airport hotel with the fluffy towels.

Edmonton

For the dozens of you who asked, yes I really did get sick on the plane after the game. I felt so bad for the poor lady next to me, who was so traumatized she may never fly again!

St. Louis

I didn’t even wear my jersey to the game, as I felt so tired and miserable that I didn’t want anyone to recognize me. The Blues souvenir store was the best (and most crowded) I encountered, but I forgot my money and credit cards in the hotel room, so I couldn’t even buy anything.

Philadelphia

Before my trip, I probably hated the Flyers more than any other NHL team, but their staff and players were so nice to me that now I only hate them just a little bit! Look for a feature about my Philly visit on “Inside The NHL”, which will air on HD Net and The NHL Network in December. I’ll post the exact dates when I find them out.

Minnesota

Right before the faceoff, a speedy little kid skated out with flag in hand, circled the ice, executed a fancy hockey stop spraying snow everywhere and planted the flag pole right into the ice on the red line. Very cool move, now if I could only remember what flag he was carrying?

Atlanta

His mother named him Vaclav Prospal, but props to the Atlanta PA Announcer for calling him Vinny Prospal, just like we do in Tampa, after he assisted on Vinny Lecavalier’s goal.

Toronto

If you’ve been to an NHL game lately, you’ve seen the auctions of autographed memorabilia that most teams hold on the concourse to support their charitable foundation or other deserving cause. Most items sell for $300 and up and probably generate $3,000-$5,000 nightly. But think carefully before you bid in Toronto, as there is no charity involved! It looks like the money just goes straight in the team’s pockets to help pay Pavel Kubina’s $5,000,000 annual salary.

Buffalo

I didn’t see the “Beef On Weck” sign until I’d stuffed myself with a foot long dog, and still had to leave room for some wings at the Anchor Bar , so I never did find out what “Beef On Weck” is. Actually, I get the Beef part, but what’s the Weck? It sure looked good! I have no idea how, but I managed to lose five pounds on this trip, despite my diet. Perhaps it was the free fruit for breakfast at the Hampton Inn.

Nashville

I never did get to eat any turkey on Thanksgiving Day in Nashville, although I did get to watch 43 year-old Dominik Hasek flap around like a bird trying to avoid the carving knife!

Carolina

What can I say about Carolina that hasn’t been said already? How about, “I really like their new red uniforms with the extra white pinstripe under the nameplate.” That’ll do.

Tampa Bay

I must thank Bill Wickett and the rest of the Lightning PR staff, who appreciated every aspect of my 30 Games In 30 Nights journey, and provided me with quality assistance, solid advice, good contacts and great company during my time on the road.

I’ll rack my brain and come up with some bests and worsts of my trip over the next few days, so hang in there!

The Best 30 Days Of My Life!

2007-11-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

30 Games, 30 Nights, 30,000 Miles. Now I’m ready for 30 hours of sleep! I arrived home after midnight and slept for 13 hours. You have no idea how good it felt not to hear an alarm clock today!

Yesterday was my 30th and final game back home in Tampa Bay as the Lightning hosted New Jersey. The Devils have eliminated the Lightning from the playoffs twice in the past five years, but there isn’t the same animosity toward them as there is when the Flyers or Panthers come to town. To make a long story short, The Devils won 3-2, although the Lightning had the tying goal disallowed on a review from the war room in Toronto. I must admit, they made the right call as players, goalies and sticks crashed into the net, but somehow the puck never crossed the line.

The Lightning have been supportive of my trip from the beginning, and they invited me on to the ice before the game to say the invocation. I mean the three magic words you hear before every game in Tampa (and Minnesota too), “Let’s Play Hockey!” Standing out there while the anthem is playing and looking up at the thousands of fans sent tingles down my spine, and I imagine the players feel the same way.

Similar to the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, most of the fans enter the St. Pete Times through one main entrance, which adds to the allure of any building. After a big win, there’s no better feeling than walking down the twin giant stairways into the plaza along with thousands of cheering fans. The open plaza is filled with activities for kids of all ages before the game. There’s always a live band playing, and I remember bopping to Cheap Trick out there before a playoff game a couple of years ago. There’s even a snow machine set up on the roof of the building that sprinkles snowflakes over the plaza, a nice touch when its 80 degrees outside.

The Lightning invited a bunch of friends and I to sit in Club Level seats and treated us to dinner before the game. Most arenas have a fancy restaurant where privileged ticket-holders can eat buffet-style before the game. In Pittsburgh, I ate at the Igloo Club which had potato and mushroom croquettes to die for. Tampa Bay’s buffet restaurant is called Medallions, but this buffet is no tacky Golden Corral, we’re talking succulent roast beef, grilled sea bass, tasty veal medallions and a huge selection of sugary desserts. Plus the biggest, freshest shrimp I’d ever tasted. After an hour of non-stop gorging, Bronner, Carmen, Cary, Heather, Larry, Mike, Paul, Paula, Susan and I were stuffed, But fear not, I deliberately saved room for a hot dog later in the game!

Inside, the St. Pete Times Forum was plainer than I remembered, especially compared to themed buildings like those in Dallas and Minnesota. I had my 30 Games jersey made up at the customized jersey booth inside the arena before my trip started, and the guys at the booth greeted me with high fives as they were so excited that their handiwork had been shown off all across the country.
The scoreboard in Washington was the best I'd seen so far, but the one above center ice in Tampa is simply spectacular. They shoot all the in-arena footage in HD and it's like watching a movie on the huge wraparound scoreboard. But with the HD cameras, that show every wrinkle and imperfection, I probably looked like Rod Brind'Amour when they zoomed in on me as I did the "Let's Play Hockey" thing! So I won't show that sight, I'll show you this good-looking view instead.

New this year in Tampa is the Five Guys stand. This chain started in Washington and serves burgers that are too greasy for my liking, but I love their bacon cheese dog! They slice the dog open before they grill it, and the bacon is super crispy. Mmmm mmmm good. The St. Pete Times Forum has a number of name brand concessionaires. Only in Tampa can you grab a medium rare steak from Outback and eat it in the comfort of your seat.

On my trip, I saw eight Tampa Bay games, and the Lightning went 1-7. That was disappointing, but I’m sure I had more fun watching the games live and experiencing each arena than if I’d had to watch those depressing games at home on TV.

I haven’t mentioned Vincent Lecavalier as much as I should have. He’s the leading scored in the league and for those of you, especially in the Western Conference, who haven’t seen him play in person, you must buy tickets when the Lightning come to town. Vinny has matured into the most solid player in the league. You can see on TV that he has wonderful hands and a wicked wrist shot, but you can’t appreciate how strong he is without seeing him in person. The goal he scored in Carolina on Friday night while shrugging off Bret Hedican who was trying to tackle him like a linebacker was simply unbelievable!

My trip is over, but I’ll continue to share some thoughts on this site for a while. I’m going to go through my notes and rank the teams and their arenas in a number of categories, share a few more stories that I didn’t have time to write about, and thank a number of wonderful people who made this trip special.

Planning, traveling and watching 30 Games In 30 Nights has been the most gratifying challenge I’ve ever attempted in my life, and to have succeeded is a sensational feeling. I have had a smile on my face every night, still feel like a million bucks, and look forward to one day being the doddering guy telling my 30 Games In 30 Nights story to my grandchildren, great-grandchildren and any one else in the old folks home who will listen!

Hockey In The Deep South, Lightning In Deep Trouble

2007-11-23T23:01:00.000-05:00

After visiting 28 arenas, I thought I'd seen it all, but there is one sporting tradition that I hadn't seen at a hockey game until today......tailgating! Honest-to-goodness chicken-grilling, beer-drinking, burger-flipping, whiskey-sipping tailgating! Surrounded by Carolina pines, the RBC Center is stuck in the middle of nowhere and the parking lot was filled with BBQ grills, pickup trucks, potato salad and 18-packs of Busch! Perhaps I should have just stayed outside freezing my butt off and drinking heavily with my new friends, so I wouldn't have had to watch the Lightning blow their second straight two-goal lead in the third period.

This one was painful. The final score was Carolina 4 Tampa 3, just the same as in Atlanta on Monday night. Deja vu all over again!

I felt as though I was in hillbilly hockey heaven. Hell, they showed Ric Flair on the scoreboard more often than Cam Ward! The dozens of retired NC State basketball jerseys on the ceiling dwarfed the Hurricanes Stanley Cup banner. And the crowd was remarkably unaware that coming back from 3-1 down in the 3rd period deserves a serious standing ovation.

Some random thoughts...I cracked up when I saw this. One of the arena billboards in the RBC Center was for HurricanesGiveway.com. I haven't been to the site, so I'm not sure if it describes how Carolina distributes game tickets or the Hurricanes defense plays on their bumpy ice! On the bright side, I had an aisle seat and didn't have to get up once for my rowmates to go to the bathroom during the game! And is there any doubt that Rod Brind'Amour is the ugliest pro athlete since Jim Plunkett? Perhaps that's why he wins so many faceoffs.

In a few arenas, the home team fans yell during a word of the Star Spangled Banner that relates to their team. In Dallas they yell, "Whose broad stripes and bright STARS through the perilous fight". It scared the crap out of me when I heard it the first time! In Atlanta you hear, "Gave proof through the NIGHT that our flag was still there". That's a throwback to the days when the IHL Atlanta Knights were the only game in town, so I appreciate that one. Here in Carolina they borrow the concept from NC State with, "And the rocket's RED glare". Did I mention that famed Irish tenor, Ronan Tynan performed "God Bless America" in Buffalo? He's good, but he's no Kate Smith!

Ray Whitney of the Canes is such a wonderful playmaker, and Erik Cole looked strong in his first game back from his latest injury. With Cory Sarich and Nolan Pratt (who I saw in a Sabres uniform the other night) gone, the Lightning defense looks afraid to go down and block shots like they have in past years. Other than Sugar Shane O'Brien and Mike Lundin, who show flashes of how good they'll be in a couple of years, this is a mediocre group indeed.

Am I bitter tonight, yes! My team blew it again and I'm in a crappy mood. So Carolina fans, if I have offended you with my description of tonight's game experience, I'm sorry. Just take solace in the fact that we handed you the victory tonight! Two points for you, none for us.

In a few hours, I'll be heading home to make history as Tampa Bay takes on the New Jersey Devils. 30 Games, 30 Nights, 30 NHL Arenas. They've been the best 30 nights of my life, and I hope you've enjoyed following along. It's taken me less than an hour to write most of these blog entries and there are lots of stories that I haven't had time to share. My life has been a blur, but once I return to Orlando I'll have time to tell you a few more, so don't go away yet!

Nashville - No Stars, But Enough Goals

2007-11-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Brooks & Dunn weren't at the game, and Hank Jr. was nowhere to be found, but I did see Jason Arnott, Martin Erat and Radek Bonk put the puck past The Dominator in Nashville's thrilling 3-2 victory over the Red Wings at the Sommet Center. This was a game that was so exciting, I didn't want to see it end.

The Predators served me a big helping of Southern hospitality, as the bubbly and vivacious Gerry was my hostess for the evening. She sat me in the Predators luxury suite for the opening period and I got to eat as many preztels as I wanted! Detroit had six power plays in the period, including two 5-on-3 chances, but amazingly the Preds hung in there against Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom et al, and it was 1-1 after one!

Perhaps I was causing too much trouble in the suite, because for the second period, I went up to Section 303, where the loudest fans sit. I promise you this, you will never hear more original chants than those in Section 303. Because I was new, they even gave me a printed cheat sheet so I could join in with the abuse. Here's a couple of my favorite chants:
To the ref, in unison, "Zebra, zebra, short and stout, find your head and pull it out!"
After a big hit, one guy yells, "Somebody get a building permit", and the rest of the section yells, "Cause he just got nailed!" You get the picture. Section 303 even has their own website and I had lots of laughs up there.

The Preds hooked me up with a seat on the glass for the final period, and all the action was down my end, as the Wings desperately tried to beat Chris Mason (another #30) in the Nashville net. No luck, and the Nashville fans were delirious at the sound of the final whistle!

There were more empty seats than I had expected for a Detroit game, and I was told that the team had raised prices for this and a few other big games, which kept some fans home. Heard a great nickname for the transplanted fans that wear Nashville jerseys to the games but wear red and white when Detroit comes to town - Pred Wings fans!

The building is pronounced the So-May Center, with a silent T in Sommet, as in French, but I never did find out who or what Sommet is! Something to do with financial services would be my guess. The arena was nothing special to look at, but they did have a live rock band, the Naked Beggars, playing in the seats behind the goal, that was a first! And props to the VeeJay for playing a timely clip from an old Kung Fu movie, where the warlord says to the prisoner they're torturing, "Take him to Detroit", and the prisoner screams, "No, not Detroit, aaarrggh!"

Forgot to add this to my Buffalo blog, but here's the video of my fun intermission interview Buffalo.

I made it to Carolina and am heading over to the RBC Center for my penultimate game tonight, where the visiting Lightning need a big win. After 29 days of travel I still feel remarkably fresh. I guess if you're doing what you love, you can just keep going and going and going!

Wins And Wings In Buffalo

2007-11-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

Remember how I told you that Mother Nature is a hockey fan? For the entire 18 hours I was in Buffalo, the temperature was in the mid-30s, and it was raining like a banshee! They must have received at least a couple of inches, and as one inch of rain equals one foot of snow, I was just a few degrees away from being stuck in two feet of snow. She IS looking out for me! It was just beginning to freeze as my plane left early this morning, and the rain was predicted to turn to sleet, then snow and continue throughout the day.

I arrived at the HSBC Arena two hours before game time and hoped to find a parking garage, so I wouldn’t drown as I walked to the arena. No such luck, but there was a lot directly in front of the building, and parked and I sprinted the 40 yards to the arena entrance like a rookie at the NFL combine, and made in about six seconds flat (wind-aided).

Sabres fans don’t like the Ottawa Senators, especially after their recent playoff battles, and as soon as Michael Ryan stuffed a goal past Ray Emery just ninety seconds into the game, the mocking chant of “Eeemmmmmerrrrryyyyy “ rang down from the rafters, and when the period was done, the Sabres had a 3-0 lead. Buffalo never looked like they were in trouble and coasted to an easy 4-2 victory.

Buffalo has long been thought of as “a shot and a beer” town, and I knew the crowd would be passionate, as I’d been having a really hard time getting hold of a ticket, but didn’t have lofty expectations for the building itself. So I was quite surprised that the HSBC Arena had the biggest entrance foyer I’d seen to date. Visually, it was akin to an airport terminal with glass and steel towering all around, but the green floor looked like a blackboard filled with “X”s, “O”s and arrows like a coach drawing up plays. Quite an innovative look.

As I was stuffing down a foot-long chili cheese dog, next to a father and his daughter, we started chatting about my trip and he told me he was a lieutenant with the Buffalo Police. He asked me if I was going out after the game, as the night before Thanksgiving is supposed to be a huge party night in Buffalo. I said I was, and he handed me his card, telling me that if I got in any trouble tonight, this would get me out of it! I need a friend like him back home in Orlando!

I could even afford a shot and a beer, as the concession prices seemed the lowest of any arena. The large beer that was $13 a hundred miles away in Toronto was only $6 in Buffalo. I passed on the shot, as I was to be a guest on the MSG broadcast between periods with Kevin Sylvester and Mike Robitaille.

I made up for it after the game, when I went to the famous Anchor Bar with Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell, the local guys who have been to all 121 major pro sports venues over the past few years. I got back to the hotel at 12.30 am, and when I awoke at 5.05 am, Andrew had already updated his blog with a blow-by-blow account of our night out, saving me from having to write about it here! Lots of people ask me what’s next after I finish my trip…..how about 121 Games in 121 Nights….Hmmmmm? Never say never!

Since I began this trip, I’ve developed a fondness for goalies who wear number 30, like Martin Brodeur, Pittsburgh’s Dany Sabourin, and a couple of others. Add Buffalo’s Ryan Miller to that list. As I was milling about by the bar on the club level, an attractive dark-haired woman stopped me and introduced herself as Ryan Miller’s mother, so we chatted for a while. During the intermission, I hear the unmistakable staccato intro to “The Chicken Dance”, and the camera keeps cutting to this lady standing up, flapping her arms and leading the crowd throughout the song. Yep, you guessed right, Ryan Miller’s Mom was doing the chicken dance! Pretty funny, as I’m sure most of the crowd had no idea who she was!

Relax Ottawa fans, Chris Neil seemed to be on good behavior last night, so I couldn’t find anything bad to say about him. Although I do find the caption to this picture quite fitting!

It’s Thanksgiving Day and I’m in Nashville now listening to Arlo Guthrie sing Alice’s Restaurant, as I do every year at this time. It’s the ultimate Thanksgiving song, “you can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant, excepting Alice....”

The Predators take on Detroit tonight in Game 28 and I’ll look for a turkey leg at the concessions stand!

The Leafs Fall Asleep Late, Just Like Me!

2007-11-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

For the first time in a couple of weeks, I slept late this morning, just like the Maple Leafs did last night. After taking an early 2-0 lead, Toronto fell asleep and let the Bruins skate by them for four unanswered goals late in the game.

The Toronto media were whining that it was poor form for Boston to start rookie goalie, Tuukka Rask (what a great name) in his first NHL game in front of Maple Leafs managment, who they traded him from Toronto to Boston in exchange for Andrew Raycroft, who has been so weak in the Leafs net, they were forced to trade high drafts picks to get Vesa Toskala from the Sharks instead. Rask looked a bit shaky, but made some big saves to get the win.

The Air Canada Centre is built to maximize every possible revenue stream. The platinum seats down low have individual private boxes behind them. You can't see the game from in there, but you can eat and drink to your heart's content. There are, private boxes, skyboxes, luxury boxes, every kind of box imaginable. Hey, there were even a few seats left for regular fans too! Toronto is still a tough ticket, despite not winning a cup in 40 years.

My seats were up in the 300 level, courtesy of my new friend Geoffrey, who gave me a thorough tour that included every nook and cranny of the building, from the locker room hallway, to the aforementioned suites, to Rickard's Brewery where they make beer. This unauthorized tour was possible because Geoffrey seemed to know every single usher in the entire arena, who waved us through every door with a smile. We were an odd pairing as we walked around the concourse, fans greeting me, and ushers gushing over him!

I bought a $13.00 beer at the ACC, a record that I'm sure won't be beaten. It was a big beer, and it was Molson Canadian, which tastes great, but it was still a $13 beer!

Here's a picture from the game that seems to sum up my trip pretty well!

I have an easy drive down to Buffalo today and with just four games left, I'm beginning to think about what happens after my trip ends on Saturday. I'm trying to imagine what my own bed feels like, but I just can't remember!

Finally, I See A GREAT Hockey Game

2007-11-20T00:20:00.000-05:00

What is a Thrasher anyway? I assume it's the modernist dino-bird on the roof of the Philips Center that shoots fire from its mouth whenever Atlanta scores. Tonight, my eyebrows were singed once too often as the Thrashers came back from 3-1 down to burn my Lightning 4-3 in OT.

From start to finish, this was just a great hockey game, the best I've seen all month. With Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa on the ice, the skill level was unbelievable. No trapping, no holding, no dumping, just great passing, solid goaltending and stars doing what they're supposed to do on national TV. We Southeast Division fans get to see this skill regularly, and I hope the Versus audience appreciated what they saw. After a week of grinding, trapping and headhunting in the Western Conference, it was great to see these stars in action!

The stands weren't anything close to full, but the fans were loud and the overall experience was much better than I expected. Atlanta outplayed Tampa in the first period, winning all the battles, but Moose Hedberg gave up a couple of costly rebound goals in the second. I was feeling confident until the Thrash got a 5-on-3, courtesy of ref Dave Jackson, who is by far the worst official in the league (not just because of this call, but hundreds of others over the years). He wears the number 8 on his back, and I think it represents the number of calls he gets right each year! I'll blame the Lightning defense for the last two goals, as the d-men simply let the wingers skate around them twice. Why don't defensemen stand forwards up at the blue line anymore?

They showed some weird videos on the Jumbotron. One was two minutes of a faux Lightning fan and a guy in a suit singing in the penalty box, and the second was just animal bloopers! Ever see a camel bite a guy in the butt? They loved it in Atlanta! I've learned that there is a sub-culture of important men (and women) in charge of "game presentation" or some similar title. They run the scoreboard, select the music, plan the TV timeout and intermission activities, pick the anthem singer, etc., all designed to "engage the fans" (remember that phrase from my Edmonton blog?) and make them feel like part of the excitement.

Recently, I mentioned to one of these guys, that I thought St. Louis had the best overall game presentation, and he said that when John Davidson took over, he hired the game presentation guy from the Capitals. I thought whoever took over in Washington put on a mediocre show, and today the Thrashers told me that their game presentation guy has just been hired by the Caps. Sounds like a game of musical chairs to me, but it makes a big difference to the feel of each venue. So Caps fans, get ready for animal bloopers in the Verizon Center!

They're moping in Toronto, as the Argonauts lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and aren't going to the CFL Grey Cup, but I'll be there to cheer them up tomorrow as the attention shifts back to the hapless Leafs.

Mother Nature Is A Hockey Fan

2007-11-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

She must be, as I've had no weather problems on my trip at all (knock on wood). The XCel Energy Center in St. Paul was my 24th stop, but the first time I've even seen rain since my first game in Detroit. I'm hoping my luck holds in Toronto and Buffalo this week.

The weather forecast in the Minnesota paper simply said, "dreary", which doubles as an apt description of the Minnesota Wild's play in the three games I've seen them play in the last week. Maybe it was their new red jerseys, but the Wild came alive last night and dominated the Colorado Avalanche en route to an easy 4-1 victory.

When I arrived at the Minneapolis airport I saw numerous guys wearing camouflage caps, vests or pants throughout the building. At first glance, I thought perhaps they were troops heading overseas, but then I realized, no, Minnesota was full of hunters. All the commercials during the Vikings game on the radio were for hunting equipment, there were sporting goods stores on every corner and I assume something was in season, as there were a bunch of pickup trucks headed out of town. As a guy whose never shot anything more powerful than a Nerf gun, it was a little culture shock!

I bring this up because the XCel Energy Center reflects the outdoor lifestyle of Minnesotians (is that a word?) and reminds me of a giant log cabin on steroids! The colors are all browns and greens, and I even saw a couple of fireplaces in the lounges. Many Minny fans had e-mailed me to say that I would think their building was the best in all of hockey. It was a nice building, but even though their team played well, the crowd sat on their hands most of the game. Some fans did a sports doubleheader; the Vikings/Raiders game in the Metrodome at noon and the Wild game at 5pm.

I forgot to tell you a quick story from Edmonton....Scott and I were waiting to pick up our tickets at the window and we start talking to the guy next to us, who says in this hushed voice, "My son's playing tonight". You could tell he was so proud, tuned out his son was Wild rookie James Sheppard and he had flown in from Nova Scotia for the game. He just couldn't contain his excitement, and as a father, I can understand completely. His son didn't do much in that game, but had two assists last night for the Wild.

I am finally caught up with this blog after getting behind in Edmonton. Sorry to those of you who have e-mailed me lately and not received a response yet, I'm going as fast as I can!

Here's a link to a few pictures from the trip so far, enjoy!

Off now to see the Lightning beat the Thrashers, I hope!

W.C. Fields Was Right....

2007-11-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

When he said, "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia". Its a down and dirty hockey lovin' city, where neighborhood kids playing street hockey outnumber skateboarders practicing their kickflips. Philly fans know their hockey, even if they do watch it through orange-colored glasses!

It was too early for Philadelphia fans to boo Santa Claus again, but I got my share of boos as I wandered the Wachovia Center on Saturday night. My brother Pete came down from Connecticut to join me at the game and even though I'm far from a Flyers fan, the team provided us with the royal treatment. The Flyers publicist, Shauna, gave us a tour of the entire rink, from the skybox to the locker room, and a camera crew from the NHL followed us around the entire time, which was a new experience.

As I checked out the concourse between periods, I met plenty of Flyer fans, and their reaction to my 30 Games Lightning jersey was about 50/50. Half the fans appreciated what I was trying to accomplish, and the other half treated me like I expected, with graphic descriptions of which bodily parts I could stuff my jersey into. I even got booed more than the few stray Devils fans I saw. Must be the leftover resentment from the Eastern Conference Championship in 2004 when Tampa Bay bested the Flyers in seven.

Despite all that, I was rooting for the home team, but the final score was 6-2 as New Jersey handed the Flyers their first home loss in regulation. After just missing out on Modano's record and Roenick's freaky 500th goal, I took solace in seeing Martin Brodeur notch his 500th NHL win. It was a classy move for the Philly P.A. announcer to congratulate Marty, even though the remaining Flyers faithful booed him one last time.

Steve Coates is the host of Coatsey's Corner, a popular yet irreverent segment on the Flyers telecast and is a true character. We had fun taping his show together and he invited Pete and I to sit on the Flyers bench during the warmups. Shauna wasn't sure if that would be OK, but that didn't slow Coatsey down as he dragged us past security onto the bench. Being that close to the players without any glass was unbelievable, and I was hoping that the Flyers wouldn't "accidentally" flip a puck toward the head of the guy wearing the Lightning jersey. Both Jeff Carter and Mike Knuble came over to ask how me the trip was going, and where was I headed next, etc.

As a fan, I'm completely satisfied with seeing the players on the ice. I don't collect autographs or go to player appearances at the local car dealership, but I can't deny that I was thrilled that Knuble would take a minute and half DURING warmups to chat about my 30 Games In 30 Nights trip.

Pete was more excited about meeting legendary hockey icon Stan Fischler, who was standing by the Zamboni entrance furiously scribbling game notes like a young cub reporter covering his first game. Guess that's why he's still one of the best.

I can now say I've done two touristy things so far. I spent ten minutes at the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago and realized that I'd just paid $25 to see the same view I see out the airplane window every day! In Philly, I had a cheesesteak at the world-famous Pat's. You can order it "wit or witout" onions, and either way, I'd say it was overrated. The cheese was nothing but Cheese Whiz, what a letdown! Next time, I'll try Geno's!

I have to thank Shauna, Zack, Anthony, Marty Biron and the rest of the Flyers who made Pete and I feel like part of their team for the night. They even gave me a Philly jersey with my name on the back (Perhaps so I could make it safely back to the car!)

Here's my brother Pete trying to steal a soccer ball without Shauna noticing.

Now off the XCel Energy Center in Minnesota, where I get to see the Wild play for the fourth time this week! Lucky me!

Sleeping My Way Through The Blues Game

2007-11-18T00:45:00.000-05:00

I drank no beer in St. Louis. I ate no hot dogs in St. Louis. And I was fast asleep in my seat when Paul Kariya scored the first goal of the game on a tip-in. I only know he tipped it in because the loud blast of the goal horn woke me right up in time to see the replay on the big screen. I never said I was going to stay awake for 30 Games In 30 Nights, did I? The Blues beat Columbus 3-2 in a game I thought would never end.

It was Al MacInnis night at the Scottrade Center and while Al's pre-game ceremony was certainly well-deserved, it sure didn't help me stay awake after my miserable day of travel from Edmonton. On less than two hours of sleep, and with a stomach that was turned inside out, I spent the day drinking Gatorade and hoping it was a 7pm start for the Blues vs Blue Jackets tilt, so I could just get through the game and go to bed early. Alas, start time was 7.30, and I got to listen to Dave Checketts and Gary Bettman drone on about how the legendary defenseman should have won not just the Norris Trophy, but also Best Supporting Actor, Most Likely To Succeed and the Nobel Peace Prize too. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little!

I truly could not keep my eyes open during the first period, but the building was so damn loud, and so damn cold, that I couldn't stay asleep either, even though the seat was big and comfy compared to my tiny one in Edmonton the previous evening. Yes, I said loud. The game was a sellout and this was the definitely the loudest crowd I've heard on my tour. And the arena folks put on one helluva show too. Any organist who can pull off "Touch Me" by The Doors is either a showoff, or just really good. Great graphics and great music kept the crown rollicking and rolling all evening.

There's a sense of hockey history in St. Louis, which I appreciated. The walkways have giant backlit wall displays featuring Blues greats of the past, although journeymen might be a more appropriate description for many of the players displayed. They also have a nice display showing every player who has ever scored a hat trick for the Blues. The Blues used to have a wonderful photo gallery online featuring pictures of every Blues player, even one game wonders like Robbie Irons. When the NHL came in and standardized each team's web site this summer, the photo gallery magically disappeared. Hopefully it still exists somewhere in cyberspace, but I can't find it. Someone in St. Louis really cares about the Blues' heritage.

Hundreds of fans wore MacInnis jerseys to the game, and I realized how many different styles of jerseys the Blues have worn over the years. Has any team switched up their unis more? Not that I can think of.

Here's my favorite picture of the night, the scoreboard at the end of the game! I slept like a baby after this one, despite my snoozles during the game.

A tremendous crowd and a great game made this a memorable night. Philly next, and a cheesesteak at Pat's, or should I try Gino's?

More (Finallly All) From Edmonton

2007-11-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

When I stepped off the plane in Edmonton, I was greeted by two camera crews from the local TV stations. Hailing from Florida, it is constantly amazing to me how popular hockey is up here in Canada. I can't imagine there'll be any camera crews waiting for me at the airport in Atlanta next week!

My Edmonton visit was short, as I arrived at 2.20pm, and had a 12.30am flight right after the game, so my host for the day picked me up at the airport. His name was Scott Pfeiffer and he is a champion Canadian Curler. What is a curler, you may ask? Curling a sport that's big in Canada, but hasn't made a mark south of the border. Perhaps you've seen it in the Olympics....a skater slides a round stone slowly down the ice, while his broom-wielding teammates frantically sweep stray ice out of the way. Still doesn't ring a bell?

Turns out that Scott is quite the celebrity in Edmonton and everybody from the TV camera guys to the President of the Oilers seemed to know him. He took me out to eat, but I won't tell you where, as my attorneys tell me we have a pretty good case in what I'll call "The Great Food Poisoning Caper". It was either the chicken at the restaurant or the hot dog at the game that did me in! I swear it wasn't his wife's cooking!

I'm in Philadelphia now and am just heading over for a cheesesteak from Pat's before the game (my stomach is back to normal, I hope). My brother Pete is meeting me here, and the NHL Network will be taping us at the game, so it should be a fun night.

It was a fun night, but now back to Edmonton, which has the single greatest feature I've seen in any NHL arena.....When the players exit the new $3,000,000 locker room to get to the ice, they parade through a lounge that is open to fans in the club seats. What a spectacle it is! By profession, I'm a marketing guy, and companies are always looking to engage their customers (fans) with their product (Oilers hockey). What a tremendous way this is to build upon the relationship between players and fans, and if every team in the league copied the Oilers, I guarantee they would sell a few hundred extra tickets.

Edmonton sells out every game, and that's what makes this concept even more special, as they don't need to resort to gimmicks to sell tickets, they do it to reward the fans. Surprisingly, I didn't see any Oilers smash their sticks in frustration with how poorly they played, as the walked back to the dressing room between periods.

All is not rosy in Edmonton however... The seats appears to have been designed for the midgets who rolled through town in the traveling circus, they charge $12 to watch games on pay-per-view TV, and the food made me throw up!

Oh, you want to know about the game too? The Minnesota Wild beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2, but it didn't seem that close. Finally, I have to share one of the greatest insults I've heard on my entire trip, "Hey Boogaard, I'm gonna take your mother out tonight (insert long pause here)....and never call her again!

Whatever I Ate In Edmonton Did Me In!

2007-11-16T18:53:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I had plans to tell you all about my memorable visit to Edmonton's Rexall Place. But I had my first serious problem instead. I ate something in Edmonton last night that knocked my stomach for a loop. I'm guessing it was a bad hot dog! I was fine when I boarded the redeye, but about an hour into the flight, I started feeling really sick. I got no sleep on the plane and was drained today. I've been slurping Gatorade all afternoon to rehydrate myself and am feeling way better now.

I have been reunited with my power cord, so I will be back on the computer with pictures from Western Canada shortly. Typing on the iPhone is getting old!

Just about to go watch the Blues and Blue Jackets. It's Al McInnis night in St. Louis. Sorry for the short entry today, I'll be back to normal tomorrow (and will stay away from the hog dogs tonight!).

Vancouver - Part Deux

2007-11-16T01:09:00.000-05:00

Why is everything bilingual in Vancouver? It's an awful long way from Quebec. A few more observations from my visit... The fans LOVE Trevor Linden! The souvenir shop manager told me his jerseys outsell everyone else's, even Luongo's. GM Place is a rather pedestrian building with only two main levels, surprising that an arena built in the mid 90's would not have a significant middle level of club seats. I think Roberto Luongo is the best goalie in the NHL, but he spent the first period on his back like a dying cockroach making saves with arms and legs alike, before settling down. The 'Nucks fans call him Louie, which I never heard when he played for the Miami Panthers.

Why on earth would Canucks coach Alain Vigneault select unskilled journeyman Byron Ritchie as his first skater in the shootout, and not use Marcus Naslund or the Sedin Sisters? The 50/50 drawings are big at the Canadian rinks. You buy a raffle ticket, and half the money goes to charity and the other half to the winning ticket holder. We're talking $20-$25,000 for the winner. Nice haul, eh?

While boarding the flight to Vancouver, I recognized Marc Bergevin, an original member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who played for a few other teams in his 15+ year NHL career. He is now a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks. He knew who I was, having seen me on the Jumbotron, and he jokingly said he was sick of seeing me, as he had been to three other games I attended. As a player, Bergevin had a reputation as a practical joker. I fell asleep in an aisle seat near the back of the plane, but I soon awoke to feel someone pulling my boarding pass out of my shirt pocket. I opened my eyes and it was Bergevin, on his way to the bathroom, who simply said, "Gotcha". Pretty funny, Marc!

I hope to get my power cord back tomorrow and tell you all about my few hours in Edmonton, which were quite interesting. Now I'm boarding the redeye to Toronto, to get to St. Louis the roundabout way!

Was I At A Hockey Game, Or A Soccer Match?

2007-11-15T13:45:00.000-05:00

Europeans may appreciate the beauty of a 0-0 soccer match, but North Americans want goals at our hockey games! Last night in Vancouver, I witnessed a rare event, a game with no goals. Ales Hemsky finally beat Roberto Luongo with the last shot of the shootout to give the Oilers the win over the unlucky Canucks. Last time I saw the Oilers play, they beat Anaheim in a shootout, and I'm bout to hop on a plane to Edmonton to see them play again tonight. My prediction - Oilers will win in a shootout!

Probably a short note today, as the plane leaves in a few minutes. My seats at GM Place were in the second row of the balcony, and i had the identical view as the night before in Calgary, but cost half the price. I loved Vancouver (the city) and will have to come back one day when it isn't raining. I took the train from the airport to downtown and met a guy on the train named Claude who insisted on staying on the train past his normal stop to walk me right to the door of GM Place, where I met the Canucks TV crew. Now that's what I call hospitality!

I stayed at the Delta Vancouver Airport hotel, which had the fluffiest towels of my whole trip. It sounds a lttle fruity, but there's nothing like a fluffy towel when you step out of the shower but I've found most hotels' towels fluff-deficient!

The flight attendant is closing the door, but I'll write more later.

An Island Of Blue In A Sea Of Red

2007-11-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

"The puck goes in, the home team wins, in the good old hockey game". So sings Stompin' Tom Connors in "The Hockey Song", which has been played to death in just about every arena. And once in a while, just like in the song, the hometown team gets a happy ending! Down 2-1 in the third, Jarome Iginla rockets a slapshot that pinballs off two defensemen past the surprised Minnesota goalie. Then with under a minute to play, Kristian Huselius slips one past Backstrom and the Flames win 3-2 in front of a sellout crowd in the Pengrowth Saddledome.

The building had been quiet up to that point, as the Minnesota Wild seems to lull both the crowd and their opposition to sleep, but the Saddledome erupted with excitement as the horn sounded. I love seeing the hometown crowd walk out happy. I wasn't sure how the fans would react to seeing an interloper wearing a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey. For the non-hockey readers, Calgary and Tampa met in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, which Tampa won. However, Flames fans are still howling about a disallowed goal in game six that might have given them the victory. As I walked around the narrow concourse, half-expecting to have beer dumped on me by unforgiving fans, I was amazed by the reaction I received. No one yelled insults and lots of people stopped me to chat about the series. By the way Flames fans, I may have conveniently forgotten to tell you this last night, but it was NO GOAL!

Everyone in the Saddledome wore Flames red except me. I felt like John Kerry on the campaign trail in Texas - an island of blue in a sea of red! I wonder what would happen if the NHL switches back to having the home team wear white. Would everyone have to buy a new wardrobe? Before the game, Richard, my host in Calgary (and a great guy) took me to Flames Central. Its an old movie theater in downtown Calgary that the Flames bought and converted into a bar/restaurant. Great concept, and I wish I could show you the pictures I took, but I can't. Why, you may ask?

After the Sharks game on Monday, I drove to a hotel by the San Francisco airport, updated the site, set my alarm and fell fast asleep. By alarm goes off at 6 am and I hit the snooze button (or so I thought). Next thing I know, the clock says 7.09 and have to be at the airport at 7.55! I have no idea what button I hit, but it wasn't the snooze. I jumped out of bed, hurridly threw my stuff into my bag, stopping only to brush my teeth, and dashed to the rental car, still wearing the t-shirt I slept in. Luckily, I made it just in time, but in the rush, I left my computer power cord on the desk. So I'm typing this on the iPhone. So no cut and paste, no pictures, and no spellcheck for the next couple of days. I'll be reconnecting with my power cord in St. Louis on Friday, thanks to the desk clerk who is mailing it there.

Off to Vancouver next for Game 20 of 30.

Top Rank For The Shark Tank!

2007-11-13T03:15:00.000-05:00

Rangers fans, Red Wings fans, Stars fans, even Ducks fans should stop reading right now, in case you choke on your Corn Flakes. Because without a doubt, San Jose has the best fans I've seen in America.

Sure, they had plenty to cheer about, as the Sharks annihilated the Phoenix Coyotes 5-0, but there was not an empty seat anywhere. And this was a Monday game vs Phoenix, a team with no stars, plus the 49ers were playing on Monday Night Football. That's impressive. The HP Pavilion is better known as The Shark Tank, and from the moment the Sharks entered the ice from inside the giant shark's mouth, the building was buzzing with energy and I was surrounded by a fascinating cast of characters on and off the ice.

When I landed in Oakland, the sky was bright blue with nary a cloud in sight, and the 72 degree temperature made me feel like I was back home. The girl at the Thrifty Rent-A-Car counter tossed me the keys to the car in space #15 and lo and behold, it was a shiny bright red Mustang convertible, with the roof already down. I always pay for the cheapest rental car available, and often they have no economy cars left so they give me something better. This wasn't just better, it was best! I cruised down to San Jose, radio blasting The Beach Boys on KFRC. I arrived early and joined the wall-to-wall hockey crowd at The Britannia Arms before the game. Former Shark Owen Nolan owns the place, which features lots of games from the NHL Center Ice package on the flat screen TVs.

I've seen some devout fans across the league, like the Capitals fan who wore a beat up Rod Langway helmet and shin pads, the Habs fan who spray-painted himself silver and a middle-aged man who wore a pink dress and bra to the game in Detroit! Can anybody argue that the most entertaining fans sit in the upper deck? Tonight, we sat next to Jiminez, who dressed like a rap star straight outta Oakland, and led his posse in a series of loud cheers that were repetitive, unoriginal and mostly annoying, but you couldn't knock his enthusiasm! Jiminez is a man who's got his team's back, literally! Take a look, bling, bling, baby!

Despite what you may think, I'm not the only wandering soul fulfilling his dream by hitting the sports road. I went to the game with John Nordahl, who spent three months driving across America to visit every NBA arena back in the early 90's. Since then, his passion has shifted from basketball to hockey, and he owns over 200 game worn hockey jerseys. John is also from Orlando, and coincidentally we worked together at Universal Studios fifteen years ago. He wrote a book about his road trip called "Traveling, Three Months On The NBA Road", which you can now buy on amazon.com for a penny! For a nickel, he'd probably autograph it for you!

We also met Jess Knaster. If you're impressed with my trip, you'll be amazed by what Jess did last season. He attended all 93 of the Sharks regular season and playoff games! That boy did some serious road-tripping! Read about it here.

Will Devin Setoguchi become the Ichiro of Hockey? The Sharks rookie was outstanding tonight with two pretty goals. Evgeni Nabakov started his 17th straight game, and Joltin' Joe Thornton jammed in a couple more goals. Scott, the Sharks efficient PR guy, set up some interviews for me between periods and I got this first-hand view of the Coyotes looking none too happy as they marched out of the locker room to begin the third.

I'm a little worried about getting to Calgary tomorrow, as windstorms have whipped across Western Canada today, knocking out power. Hopefully, it will all have "blown over" by the time I arrive.

Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead

2007-11-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

That's the title of a song by the late singer and hockey fan, Warren Zevon, and I couldn't get it out of my head at last night's game in Denver. Zevon also teamed up with famed columnist and novelist, Mitch Albom, to write the greatest hockey song ever, "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)". It's the tale of Buddy, a goon from Western Canada who goes through his entire career without ever scoring a goal, "....from peewees and juniors and midgets and mites, he must have racked up more than three hundred fights". Finally, in his last game....Nah, I'm not going to give away the ending, but there's a wicked twist to it. It's on iTunes, so check it out for yourself and tell me if you agree. It even features David Letterman!

I was overjoyed to find that the Pepsi Center in Denver was exactly where the map said it would be, unlike Washington's Verizon Center. Perhaps I won't need to invest in a GPS system after all! Parking was a breeze and I headed across the street to the arena.

I'll be seeing the Minnesota Wild play in three of my next five games, and with their best player, Marian Gaborik injured, they were outplayed by the Avalanche who took a 3-0 lead. Deceptively, the Wild snuck back to make it a 3-2 games, but the Avs added an empty-netter and wrapped up the win.

I was impressed with Avs youngsters Paul Stasny and Wojtek Wolski. I'd seen Wolski play in juniors up in Brampton, during the NHL lockout. He showed me then why he was a first round draft pick, and he didn't disappoint last night.

The first thing that struck me about the Pepsi Center is how dark it is. The concourses are dimly lit compared to most. The lighting is low in the arena before they drop the puck and they turn the lights way down during the intermissions. I figure there are two possibilities. 1) Colorado has a reputation for being an environmentally friendly region, and they are conserving energy, or 2) Maybe the team had a high electric bill last month and is trying to save a little money!

In most arenas, it seems like the lower concourse has a wider choice of concessions and souvenirs than the 300 level. Downstairs is where most teams invest in fancy decorative touches and a wide range of gourmet food, while upstairs you are surrounded by concrete beams and hot dog stands. The Pepsi Center bucks this trend, and I was impressed with the democratic way in which they offer both the upstairs and downstairs patrons similar food and merchandise choices.

I found the first Fish & Chips stand of my journey in Colorado. Jimmy Buffett once said, "Never order seafood in Nebraska", with good reason, and I'm still trying to figure out why I can get Fish & Chips in a building 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean, when I didn't see it in fish-famed Boston, Washington, or Fort Lauderdale!
Almost all of the fans I've met on this trip are guys, which Heather was pleased to find this weekend, but I know there's some ardent female fans out here too. So perhaps if I post a picture of a cute baby, I'll get more female readers. This is Brennan, she's eight months old, and I sat next to her at the game. Look, she's even holding her own ticket!

Do you know the way to San Jose? I do. See you there!

I Am Not The Jinx

2007-11-12T10:09:00.000-05:00

Before the Lightning vs Capitals game, I'd seen four Tampa Bay road games, and they had lost all of them. Then the Lightning played Carolina on the road, a game I didn't attend, which they won. Both hockey players and fans are superstitious by nature, and I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, I was becoming a jinx. If I'm at the game, the Lightning lose, if I'm not there, they win! So I was nervous going into the Washington game, especially as some of the Lightning brass had invited me to sit with them at the game.

After two even periods, the Lightning scored two quick goals early in the third to take the lead, and when Ryan Craig made it 4-1 in his first game back from injury, I knew that it wasn't my fault that the Lightning had been so miserable on the road! The final score was 5-2, and the Lightning execs started talking to me again!

The refs made some bad calls and missed some obvious ones, but I realized that since my first game in Detroit, I'd hardly noticed the refs. That's a good thing. Seems to me that after a couple of years of inconsistent refereeing, the NHL has hit on the right balance of letting the skill players play, while still maintaining the flow of the game.

I spent a few minutes with Bobby "The Chief" Taylor, the former backup goalie for the Flyers' famed Broad Street Bullies back in the 70's. He's been doing color commentary for the Lightning telecasts for many years and always has a smile on his face and lots of interesting tales to tell, some of which will never make it to TV!

I was wondering why he was still talking to us when the second period started, and he said that he wasn't working this game, as Sun Sports wasn't carrying it, he was just along for the ride. Now that's dedication, or did he just mix up his dates and think he was supposed to work? After all, he was wearing his suit! Just kidding, Chief!

Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle, who was injured in preseason when a skate fell from his locker and the blade sliced open the tendons in his wrist, also attended the game, with his arm heavily wrapped. He had tried to return from his injury for a few games, but his mobility was limited and had to have a second surgery. I hope he recovers fully before he returns, but we miss him on the ice.

I said goodbye to Heather at the airport on Sunday morning and fell asleep before my Colorado-bound plane even took off, not waking up until I felt the wheels touch the tarmac in Denver!

I Knew I Should Have Taken The Train

2007-11-11T06:06:00.000-05:00

Friday night in Chicago, Heather and I went out with Mike Myers after the game. Not the one from Wayne's World, but a great guy nonetheless. He dropped us off at the train station just after midnight so we could head back to O'Hare airport (We were staying at the Hilton inside the airport, very convenient). We hop on the train and are four stops away from O'Hare, when a garbled voice comes over the PA saying everyone has to get off at the next stop as they are fixing the track. We follow orders, are loaded onto a bus and are hauled off to the next stop, where we get on another train. This turned our 25 minute ride into an hour and a half journey. So who cares, and why is this relevant to the Capitals/Lightning game, you may ask?

I flew into BWI (Baltimore/Washington) airport from Chicago as the airfare was only $59, instead of $259 to Washington National or Dulles airports, and got a hotel room near BWI. I've been to a Caps game at the Verizon Center before with my friend Warren The Tan Man, and I know it's a pain to find a place to park, so I was going to park at the Greenbelt station out in the suburbs and take the Metro to the game. But after our Chicago train adventure, we swore off trains and drove into DC. Bad move, Steve.

We took the highway to DC and my directions said take New York Ave to 6th Street and follow it down to the arena on F Street. Sounds easy, right? In the dark, I missed 6th, but took 4th and doubled back to 6th. Cruise down 6th to F Street, but no Verizon Center in sight. It's a seedy residential area and the only people on the street are the ones you usually roll up your windows and lock the doors for. Eventually I figure out that we're on NorthEAST 6th St. instead of NorthWEST 6th St. and try to head in the right direction. We overcome, construction, one way streets and crack dealers and finally arrive at the arena. We've wasted 45 minutes and its getting close to face-off time.

The Verizon Center has to be the only building in the world that has no parking lots or garages in the vicinity. I'm cursing like a sailor and finally find a garage and search three levels for a space, my tires squealing like Nicolas Cage in "Gone In 60 Seconds". I get out of the car and my iPhone slides off my lap and onto the ground, where I accidentally step on it, hearing a loud crunching sound as my foot grinds the glass against the concrete floor! Heather hears a string of swear words that have never been used together in a single sentence and off we dash to the arena, where we arrive with scant minutes to spare.

My rule is I have to be in my seat when the ref drops the puck, but I cut this one way too close for comfort. The ref was antsy as Al Pacino was still on the Jumbotron urging on the Capitals when the game started. The first period was perhaps the most boring period of hockey I've seen on my whole trip, which gave me time to relax, figure out that somehow my iPhone was still working despite the gravel embedded in the glass, and I got my mojo back!

The game? I'll let you know who won later, as I have a plane to catch!

'Hawks Heating Up In Chi-Town

2007-11-10T13:11:00.000-05:00

For years, the Blackhawks have been the only NHL team not to televise their home games, for fear of cannibalizing ticket sales. But owner Bill Wirtz passed away a few weeks ago, and now his son Rocky is the new sheriff in town. So starting this Sunday, 'Hawks fans will be able to see home games on TV, and for the first time in years, the Blackhawks look like a good young hockey team, based on what I saw Friday night at the United Center.

18 year-old Patrick Kane scored a beautiful goal, weaving between the Blues defensemen and snapping off a quick wrist shot that surprised Manny Legace, who didn't get his glove up in time. I was hoping to see former Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin in net, but no luck, no Khabby, as the Hawks stuck with Patrick Lalime and beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2.

My girlfriend Heather flew up to join me in Chicago, and I figured we'd better do something touristy, so we took the Blue Line train in from O'Hare Airport and rode up to the top of the Sears Tower just so we could say we'd seen all of Chicago! We then grabbed a cab and headed over to the game. Looking at the map, I expected that the United Center would be in a hustling, bustling part of Chicago with bars and restaurants nearby. No such luck. Just parking lots, apartments and vacant lots surround the building, so we headed inside early.

The United Center certainly has the best selection of food so far. I stuck with the Chicago-style Vienna Beef hot dogs, but there were grilled salmon sandwiches, quesadillas, pulled pork, salads and countless other choices. I tried the local Goose Island beer, which was really good, and I must admit I exceeded my two beer limit! It was a lively crowd announced at 16,000+, which seemed about right, unlike many venues in which the announced attendance seems way higher than the number of butts in seats.

So are you wondering if I won my free round-trip tickets on United Airlines? Well the team left out one little detail, instead of just shooting on net, I had to hit a six-inch hole in the middle of the goal, shooting from the center red line. They even gave me a Patrick Kane jersey to wear, hoping some of his skill might rub off on me. I had three tries, and my first shot was wide right, the second wide left. My third shot looked good when it left my stick, but missed by a few inches. There were two other contestants, a radio DJ and the ever-present hot girl in high heeled boots. She's the one who came closest when her first shot was right on target but stopped a foot short of the net. No free tickets for me, just a t-shirt as a parting gift!

We all remember Wayne and Garth playing street hockey in their Blackhawks jerseys in Wayne's World, right? My Oscar for best Jumbotron stunt goes to the Blackhawks for - the Mullet Cam! The arena camera catches unsuspecting fans and superimposes a classic 80's mullet over their head. Maybe it was that third Goose Island kicking in, but I thought it was hilarious. Heather, not so much.

I'm halfway into 30 Games In 30 Nights and so far, so good! The weather has been perfect, and I haven't missed a plane or gotten lost (too badly, anyway) getting to a game. Most importantly, I've met hundreds of supportive hockey fans who have wished me well, and shared their own hockey stories with me.

I'm in Washington to see the Lightning take on the Capitals tonight for Game #16, then flying off to Colorado in the morning. Unfortunately, I didn't get to use those free United tickets!

If It's Thursday, This Must be Boston

2007-11-09T07:56:00.000-05:00

When the arena sound system started blaring out Aerosmith, J. Geils Band and The Cars, all hometown bands, I knew I was back in Boston, where I attended college many years ago. After 14 days of non-stop travel, I'm beginning to forget where I am sometimes. Last night I was at the Garden in Boston, but it wasn't the real Boston Garden, it was the TD Banknorth Garden, which is a much more comfortable place to watch a game, even if it lacks the intimate feel of the old building.

The Boston Bruins faced the Montreal Canadiens and lost 2-1. I've seen a few blowout games lately, but this one came down to the wire. Boston had a great chance to tie with a 1:58 minute power play in the third period, but wasted the opportunity.

Carey Price is a 20 year-old rookie goalie for Montreal who plays like he's 30. I saw this kid play up in Montreal ten days ago, and after watching him again last night, he's the real deal. He looks calm and confident on the ice and stopped almost everything the Bruins threw at him. As I peer into my crystal ball, I see a long career ahead for this boy!

My seats were about halfway up the arena, but we were early, so my friend Mike Lee and I decided to go down near the glass to watch the warmups (think of warmups as batting practice for hockey players). We were chatting hockey with some guys next to us and decided to stay in our seats until their rightful owners came along. We're still waiting. They never showed up, so we had a great view from the 4th row. I call this process, "self-upgrading". Does this happen much in your team's rink?

There was a scary moment in the third when we looked up ice and saw a Bruin lying motionless for a long time. It turned out to be Aaron Ward. After the game we found out he'd taken a Canadien elbow to the face, but didn't have to go to the hospital. Ward has given more than a few elbows in his day, and I guess someone figured it was payback time.

My visit to Montreal a few days ago was the best stop on my trip so far, and a bunch of Canadiens fans made the trek south for the Boston game. The building was fairly loud, as the chants of "Go Habs Go" and "Let's Go Bruins" alternated from the upper deck. After the game, some Canadien fans were outside celebrating their victory and singing the "Ole Ole" soccer song, when a few rowdy Bruins fans took exception to their singing. The Boston Police swung into action by grabbing the Habs fans and tossing them onto the ground while leaving the Bruins fans alone. I guess that's what you call home field advantage. No one was hurt or arrested, but it seemed like an overreaction to us.

No pictures today, as I'm typing this from my friend Mikey T's home computer, where I stayed last night. There was a big convention in Boston and it was impossible to get a hotel room, so Mikey T. met us after the game and I got to sleep on the proverbial couch one more time!

Off to the Windy City, where it looks like I'll be on the ice between periods for one of those "Shoot And Win" contests. I could really use the prize.... Two round-trip tickets anywhere United Airlines flies! Man, will I be embarrassed if I miss the net!

How's That For A View In The Igloo?

2007-11-07T22:57:00.000-05:00

Imagine watching Sidney Crosby skating down the ice at eye-level, splitting the defenders and letting go a wrister that just misses the net and hits the glass right in front of your eyes. Imagine seeing 230-pound Georges Laraque make a beeline for the puck-carrying defenseman rounding the back of his own net, then loudly slamming him against the boards, which shake with the ferocity of the hit, just inches away from you.

Tonight at the The Igloo in Pittsburgh, I didn't have to imagine, because those plays happened right in front of me! For the first (and probably last) time in my life, I sat in the perfect seat, in the front row on the glass, right next to the goal judge behind the net.

Hockey fans are the greatest people in the world, and tonight I was the guest of one of those people. Joe Tomon is one of the foremost dealers of game worn hockey jerseys, the real jerseys players wear in the games. I knew Joe by reputation, but had never met him before tonight. Joe contacted me last week and asked me if I would join him for the game, and I happily accepted his invitation. He picked me up at my hotel and we drove into downtown Pittsburgh. Joe has been a Penguins season ticket holder since 1974 and we sat in his two seats, right on the glass.

I learned from Joe that the arena was originally built back in 1961 to house the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Company. We chatted about game worn jerseys and he told me that the Penguins jerseys from 1967-68, their first season, were stored under the opera stage and not discovered until years later, by which time they had become mildewy and were thrown away. The few that survived are now worth thousands of dollars. And we talked about our kids, Joe's daughter sweet-talking the curator at the Hockey Hall Of Fame into unscrewing the protective glass so she could hold the Stanley Cup all by herself. In an interview yesterday, I was asked who is the most memorable person you've met on this trip and I didn't have a good answer. Today, I have that answer. Joe Tomon. Thanks for being the ultimate hockey host!

The Flyers scored 30 seconds into the game and added a second goal a few minutes later on their way to a 3-1 victory. Crosby and the rest of the Pens skated hard, cycling the puck more than any team except the Lightning, but Martin Biron had the hot glove in net for the Flyers. Lowlight of the night, Flyers' six million dollar man Daniel Briere somehow sterring a tap-in wide from two feet in front of the net.

The Mellon Arena is the oldest arena in the league, but I loved it. The concourse seems to zig and zag all over the place, but there were no long lines for liquids, incoming or outgoing, if you know what I mean! I was surprised to see only a handful of Flyers fans in the stadium, and with the (mostly) good-natured abuse they were getting from the Pens faithful, I can understand why they stayed home!

From our seats, we could clearly see the expressions on the players faces that you can't see from even a few rows further back. With Sidney Crosby's babyface, he looks like he should still be playing peewee hockey. I hope rugged defenseman Jason Smith is already married, because his face is so beaten up from 15 NHL seasons that I can't imagine any puck bunnies giving him a shot. But my favorite was Mike Richards, who was smiling and laughing through most of the game. At one point, he slashed a Penguin who gave him a dirty look and a jab with the stick. Richards started cracking up, then patted the guy on the back and within seconds they looked like two old buddies watching a Will Ferrell movie together.

My favorite Will Ferrell movie is Old School, and as I tour these arenas, I realize I have a soft spot for the old school buildings like The Igloo. It will be torn down in a couple of years, replaced by a new cookie-cutter arena with great sightlines and all the comforts of home, but lacking in history.

Off to Beantown next, where I'll be going to the Bruins game with my Boston buddy, Mike Lee, assuming we can round up a pair of tickets tomorrow! 13 down, 17 to go!

The Massacre Of Ontario

2007-11-06T23:32:00.000-05:00

They call the matchup between Toronto and Ottawa the Battle Of Ontario, but tonight the Leafs looks like lambs led to slaughter as the Senators victimized them 5-1.

Thousands of Leafs fans filled about a quarter of the arena, most of them in the 300 level, where they outnumbered Sens fans. It felt like a British soccer game, where visiting fans are only allowed to sit in a designated section of the stadium. The loudest cheer of the night came when the Leafs scored their lone goal, finally giving the blueclad fans a chance to rain abuse on the home team.

Everyone had told me what a fantastic atmosphere this game would have, so maybe my expectations were too high. With two goals in the first few minutes, the Senators had this game in control from the start and the fans were relatively quiet on both sides.

The Scotiabank Center is one of the few arenas that segregates the fans in the lower bowl from the rest of the levels. If you don't have a lower bowl ticket, you can't access that area. I'm not sure why they do that, as ushers do a fine job elsewhere to keep people from seat-hopping. I watched the first period from a great seat in the corner of the lower bowl behind goalie Martin Gerber, or "The Gerber Baby" as he was known in Carolina.

Three or four of Ottawa's goals were scored on 2-on-1 breakaways, and the dirtiest player in the NHL, Chris Neil, had his own 2-on-1, although the puck was nowhere around. Late in the game, he got into a tussle with Mark Bell, and Bell started throwing punches. Neil, as usual, turtled (for the less than hard-core fan, turtling is when you cover your head and let the other guy hit you to try to draw a penalty), but as soon as another Senator grabbed Bell, only then did Neil began hitting him back. Hitting an defenseless opponent is a typical Chris Neil play, can you tell I don't like him!

Now that I've been on the road for twelve days, some of the arenas are starting to look the same to me. Scotiabank Place has a few bars and restaurants (I checked out Frank Finnegan's and a BBQ place) that can be accessed from inside or outside the stadium, which makes sense, as the building is out in the suburbs with little to do within walking distance, unless you're in the market for a Toyota at the dealership next door!

During the past few games, I've done a bunch of interviews during the intermissions, which I don't mind (OK, I enjoy them, actually), but they've been cutting into my ability to cruise the facility, browse the snack stands, and mix and mingle with the fans. So during the second period after a quick stop down by the Zamboni entrance, I took the up elevator to the top of the building and worked my way back down to my seat, stopping at the suites in the 400 level, the Leafs section in 300, and the 200 level seats.

The Ottawa fans went way out of their way to make me feel welcome. My picture was on the cover of the sports section in the Ottawa Citizen, and lots of people came up to me to wish me well (and to tell me that the Leafs stink).

Had one minor crisis at the game....I got ketchup on the sleeve! of my jersey! I've no idea how it got there....perhaps a Sens fan wanted me to wear red!

I'm off to another battleground tonight, Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, site of The Battle Of Pennsylvania, as the Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 13.

Safe And Sound In Ottawa

2007-11-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Continental Airlines flight attendant who let me move to the front row so I could be first off the plane, I made my connection in Newark with two minutes to spare. I'm just leaving the hotel to head down to Scotia Bank Place for the Battle of Ontario - Leafs vs Senators. More later.....

Family Fun In Fort Lauderdale

2007-11-06T07:32:00.001-05:00

I saw Tampa Bay score more goals tonight than I saw in their three New York games combined. But it wasn't enough as the Florida Panthers scored on a David Booth tip-in with a minute to go to take a 4-3 win at the BankAtlantic Center.

A sparse crowd saw the game, and for the first time on my trip, the upper deck of an arena was almost completely empty. The building, like the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, is well-designed and welcoming, but without any of the unique touches that I've seen in other cities. A solid 7 out of 10, but without much atmosphere.

The Lightning is now 0-7 on the road (0-4 with me, 0-3 without me) and I'll see them again in Washington on Saturday. During the second intermission, Paul Kennedy from Sun Sports took us down to the bowels of the building to watch his interview with Brad Lukowich. This was my first time watching the players file into the locker room, and TV doesn't do justice to the intensity in their eyes.

Despite the score, it was an entertaining game. There were some pretty goals and Lightning bad boy Nick Tarnasky flattened Bryan Allen in a "blink and you missed it" fight. He hit him with the first punch of the bout and I don't think Allen returned to the game, or even knew what galaxy he was in!

For a change, today wasn't all about hockey....my son, Nik, picked me up at the Lauderdale airport and we headed to his apartment (that I pay 1/3 of the rent for, but had never seen). It looked like most college kids' apartments and we headed out to the new Ikea store to pick a couple of items to make it look like more like a home. I'd never been in an Ikea store and was blown away by a) the size of the store, b) the low prices and c) how many people were in there on a Monday afternoon. They even have an overflow parking lot a couple miles away that they share with the BankCenter, but I imagine Ikea needs it more that the Panthers! We then headed over to the huge Sawgrass Mills Mall to grab a bite to eat before the game with Nik's girlfriend Tara and her Dad.

It's 7.30am and I'm sitting at the Fort Lauderdale airport and the day is off to a rough start. My Continental Airlines flight to Newark is delayed, as the crew got in late last night. It's 50 minutes late, leaving me 15 minutes to make my connection. That probably won't happen, so I'll need to take the next flight from Newark that gets me in to Ottawa at 4.47pm, assuming it's on time. I have a backup plan for every game, and looks like I'll have to use it today, so cross your fingers for me!

The lady was very helpful at the Continental counter, but when I saw my boarding pass, I cringed. In the bottom right-hand corner were the letters SSSS. I know that means I've been selected to get the full treatment from the TSA. So I go through the explosive machine - no bombs on me, then the drug machine - I'm clean, Mom, and finally the complete bag search - lucky for them I'd washed my underwear at Nik's house!

Hopefully, I was just randomly selected for the search, but my Dad refuses to read the New York Times because he says it's "too liberal". After they wrote the article about me yesterday, perhaps I got added to some secret list of undesirables. Was it just coincidence or is big brother really watching? Before you flood me with e-mails, don't worry, I'm only kidding (maybe!)

I'm optimistic I'll make it to Ottawa on time, but somebody get the police escort from the airport ready just in case!

Columbus Wins Miss Congeniality Award

2007-11-05T08:49:00.000-05:00

Rick Nash is no Sandra Bullock, but my visit to Columbus was one of the best so far. and everyone I met was friendly and welcoming. The only people to disagree would be Paul Kariya and the rest of the St. Louis Blues, as they lost 3-0 to the Blue Jackets.

Nationwide Arena was the quietest arena I've visited, and it was fascinating to hear the players communicate on the ice. Manny Malholtra scored the first goal with a beautiful top corner shot and that's all Pascal Leclaire needed as he notched his fifth shutout. That makes shutouts in three of the last four games I've seen.

After the game, I stopped by the R Bar, outside the arena and hung out with the Blue Jackets fans who had invited me. There's nothing like a great hockey bar, and with the late afternoon game ending by eight o'clock, I had some rare time to spare. I downed a couple of Molson Canadians before heading back to the Holiday Inn, where I promptly fell asleep before my computer even booted up! Take a look at my remaining cities on my schedule and let me know if there is a great hockey bar in your town.

I've been to ten games so far, and have enjoyed the view from different seats. In Montreal I was five rows from the roof of the Bell Centre, in Phoenix I was just seven rows off the ice and on Long Island I was right behind the goal.

Add one more view to that list, as Russ Mollohan from the Blue Jackets invited me to watch the game in the team's luxury suite. There was no shrimp or champagne, but I did feast on some wine and cheese (not that there's anything wrong with that!) as I sat back in the comfy chair overlooking the ice. I wouldn't want to sit in a suite for every game, but as I wrapped up the first third of 30 Games In 30 Nights, I wasn't complaining!

!At Madison Square Garden last week, I sat with Vinnie Mallozzi from the New York Times, and he wrote a nice story in today's paper about my 30 Games In 30 Nights trip. Thanks Vinnie Here's the link

Tom Hoffarth from the L.A. Daily News and Damian Cristodero from the St. Pete Times also wrote stories on Sunday. I'm excited that other people seem to enjoy reading about this trip!

I have to wrap up now, as they've just announced the final boarding call for my flight down to Fort Lauderdale. Tonight the Lightning take on the Florida Panthers down in Sunrise and I'm taking my son Nik, his girlfriend Tara and her Dad to the game. It's my first time meeting her Dad, but if he's a hockey fan, we'll get along well!

Bye for now....

A Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Night in Phoenix

2007-11-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Instead of showing boring boxing bouts, HBO should have sent Larry Merchant out to Phoenix on Saturday night for some old time rock 'em sock 'em hockey as the Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks squared off at the Jobing.com Arena. With three fights, countless scrums, flying elbows and big hits all night, these teams clearly just don't like each other.

Coyotes rookie Daniel Carcillo was a one-man wrecking crew, taking on both Travis Moen and Corey Perry in the second period. His battle with Perry was the longest tussle I've seen in years, lasting what seemed like three minutes. The Carcillo kid is full of energy and I think the refs just wanted to let him get it out of his system. Oh, the Ducks won 5-2.

I had a slight delay at DFW airport security, as I had my liquids and gels in the wrong size clear plastic bag. This seemed to greatly perturb the TSA screener, who gave me a five minute lecture on the ins and out of bag sizes before she would give me a bag with the official approved correct dimensions to let me through. I though I was in the middle of a Saturday Night Live skit, but couldn't laugh out loud in case they threw me in the stockade! Have you ever seen an iPod vending machine like this one in the Dallas airport. You need a lot of quarters!

I arrived in Phoenix at lunchtime and hung around the airport for a couple of hours, returning some calls and updating the web site. You'll probably laugh at me for saying this, but until I read the newspaper, I didn't know the Coyotes were playing out in Glendale! I'm an East Coast boy and am not used to having more than one arena in a city. I've spent so much time booking hotels and flights that I haven't worried about where the arena is located and I might have ended up at the US Airways Center downtown for a tractor pull or something.

Doug and Paul from the Coyotes took great care of me at the game and I met lots of Phoenix fans who had heard about my trip. Larry and Heather from the Coyotes Booster Club even gave me a sweatshirt (handy when I go to Western Canada). The in-game host interviewed me on the big screen and asked me to howl like a coyote. That was not a pretty sound!

During the second intermission, they invited me up to the press box for a radio interview with Matt Rosen, and during the third period, Tom Walsh from the TV broadcast team stopped by my seat for an interview. It was such a busy night that when I went to the concession stand at the beginning of the third period to grab my customary hot dog and beer, they'd already unscrewed the keg handles and sold out of dogs! I settled for a Teriyaki Beef Bowl instead, which wasn't bad. The arena is located essentially in the middle of an outdoor mall, like Universal CityWalk for those of you who've been to Orlando or L.A., so there's plenty to do before or after the game.

I updated the schedule page and added a few more previews, as some of you were yearning for more. They may be short and sweet from this point, as my travel is picking up and I'm flying every day but one from now on.

I'm in Columbus now, after taking the Delta redeye through New York's JFK airport to get here. Next up, the Blue Jackets play the Blues at 5pm, and I'm off to load up on some famous Cincinnati-style Skyline Chili before the game.

Make That A Cold Night In Dallas Instead

2007-11-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

Have you heard the one about the guy who asks if you have an extra ticket so that he can get his son into the game with him 'cause the kid lost his ticket? If you look in "The Scalpers Handbook", it's right there in Chapter One and is the oldest trick in the book. The guy always says, "Don't worry if you don't see me inside as I'll be sitting next to my son in the upper deck, I just need one ticket to get in the building."

I met a lovely couple in Dallas, but they obviously hadn't read the book. I was walking up to the arena when this man asked me if I needed a ticket. To make a long story short, I bought a nice $150 ticket from him for $40 and strolled through the turnstile (and the metal detector).

When I got to my seat, it was occupied and the indignant couple couldn't understand how I had this ticket, because they'd given it to a nice man outside who needed an extra to get his kid into the game. They obviously hadn't heard the one about the guy and the kid who....blah blah. After their initial anger, they turned out to be great company, knew their hockey, and we had a lovely time trading stories all night long.

Which was good, because if we had to rely on watching the Dallas Stars for entertainment, we'd have been in trouble. The team is old and cold and were drubbed 5-0 by the Phoenix Coyotes, behind Mikael Tellqvist's strong performance in the net. Speaking of nets, the American Airlines Center is the third arena I've seen (with L.A. and N.J.) that uses white netting to protect the fans from errant pucks. Having often sat behind the goal, I never understood why most teams use black nets, which ruin your view of the ice.

The Dallas crowd was the best dressed group I've seen. Women in teased hair and high heels, men with Hugo Boss jackets or (but not and) bolo ties, they all looked good. It took me back to the days when everyone dressed to go to a sporting event. Have you seen pictures of a hockey game from the fifties? Without fail, everyone is wearing a suit and tie. The building reminded me of a lobby of an upscale hotel, with crown moulding, and muted tones, and the concourse was rectangular, not oval as most are. As a aviation fan, I loved the section where they have large models of old American Airlines planes hanging from the ceiling.

They say everything is bigger in Texas and they were right about the hot dogs. It was called "The Knife & Fork Dog" and they weren't kidding. A foot long packed with chili, cheese onions and a touch of BBQ sauce gets my vote for best dog to date.

Sorry, I digress. Dallas wore their road whites for the game and Sergei Zubov cost his team the first goal by doing his best imitation of a pylon. The Coyotes forward skated right by him to negate an icing a call, and five seconds later the puck was in the net. The Stars are an old team. Modano didn't take a shot on goal all night, as he was trying so hard to get his record-tying assist. Line of the night....a flu bug has been affecting some of the Coyotes and as a Phoenix forward skated easily around Modano to score a shorthanded goal, a fan yells, "What's the matter Mike, are you afraid of catching a cold if you touch him!

This was my eighth game, and the first one in which the home team didn't get at least a point. Next stop Phoenix (I asked for a seat on the team charter back from Dallas, but no luck!) and then right after the game, off to Columbus on the redeye. The fans in Columbus have really been supportive and I'll be going to the RBar to meet some of them after the game, if I can stay awake. Maybe someone will buy me a Red Bull!

From the Cold Coliseum to a Hot Night in Dallas

2007-11-02T18:21:00.000-04:00

Did I tell you how cold it was in the Nassau Coliseum? Any of you who've ever played hockey, or had to get up at 5am to take your kid to hockey practice know how cold a hockey rink is. Sitting 12 rows behind the goal in Long Island brought back the feel of a game at your local rink. The noise when the puck hit the boards wasn't muffled, like in most new arenas, but echoed throughout the building, and the first row of seats wasn't right up against the glass, but set back about six feet. Dare I call Nassau Coliseum the Wrigley Field of the NHL? Not quite, but it felt like a building made for hockey, unlike some of the newer arenas.

Props to the fans in Section 330 high up in the corner, they were the loudest, happiest bunch I've come across so far. Saw lots of kids at the game, and Sparky the Islanders mascot kept them entertained. In New Jersey, when there was a stoppage in play, three guys dressed in baggy tracksuits shoveled up the snow from around the goaltenders, while on the Island, three gorgeous girls performed the task, with Farrah Fawcett hair from the 70's, big smiles and one even threw an axel in there in case the Ice Capades talent scout was in the stands watching. Way better than the ice girls in Anaheim, too.

Even the hot dogs were throwbacks, served in plain brown boxes with Gulden's brown mustard, just like they used to at Madison Square Garden. I was an unhappy pup when I couldn't get Gulden's at the Garden on Monday. Score 9 out of 10 for my Nassau Coliseum experience!

I was up early this morning to catch my plane to Dallas, and connected through Philly with no problems. I've been getting a lot of calls for interviews and such, which kept me busy this afternoon. I'll probably add a section on www.30GamesIn30Nights.com with a few of the press links over the weekend.

I'm off to the American Airlines arena now, where the Stars' Mike Modano needs just two assists to the set the all time record for assists by a U.S. born player, which should get the crowd buzzing. Game on!

Off Nights All Around...

2007-11-02T00:53:00.000-04:00

Hockey players have off nights, and after watching my beloved Lightning sleepwalk through three straight losses in which they were outscored 13-2 by the three NY area teams, I guess I'm entitled to one too. It's late, and I'm in need of sleep.

I trekked out to the Nassau Coliseum expecting a letdown after experiencing two glitzy arenas in Montreal and New Jersey. Traffic wasn't too bad and I arrived about 6pm. Parking was only $7, which is way cheaper than any other arena so far, so that put me in a cheery mood. And I got a front row spot about 30 yards from the front door. From a distance, the Coliseum resembles a UFO that has landed splat in the middle of suburbia. I felt like I had stepped into a time warp for the night. When I get to Big D. tomorrow, I'll explain what I mean, 'cause in a retro sort of way, I really enjoyed myself in the building.

The Lightning came out energized as Coach Tortorella (who my girlfriend Heather has a secret* crush on) put enforcers Andre Roy and Nick Tarnasky out for the opening faceoff, and they looked good until late in the first when Marc Denis let in what looked like a softie to me. And that's all the Isles needed as they cruised to a 4-0 victory. Former Lightning forward Rusty Fedotenko tallied for the Isles, and he seemed so excited in his intermission interview. Like most Lightning fans, I'll always love the guy who scored both goals in Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, no matter where he plays.

I got a looney e-mail the other day from some conspiracy theorist claiming that I wasn't really going to any of these games, I was just Photoshopping myself into postcards of each arena. After looking at this picture from tonight's Islanders game, I can't argue with the dude! As soon as I get to Texas, I'm taking this camera back to Target and trading up for a better one.

I have a 7.15am flight to Dallas as I begin my stretch of 22 flights in 23 days. Here's my schedule from now on....wake up while it's still dark, catch a plane, rent a car, beg the girl at the hotel desk to let me check in early, try to nap, write my blog, find a ticket for the game, head to the arena, sample hot dogs and a new brew, head back to the hotel, then wake up while it's still dark and do it all over again. Think of me as Bill Murray in Groundhog Day (but without the pockmarks on the cheeks).

*Not so secret any more!

How Fitting....Devils Dominate on Halloween

2007-11-01T09:59:00.000-04:00

New Jersey had a special offer for college students at last night's game on Halloween - wear a costume and you got in for ten bucks. It looked like 20 guys from Montclair State took advantage of the deal, crashed the locker room and dressed up as the Tampa Bay Lightning!

You know I'm a Lightning fan, but this was a poor performance all around. The Devils beat us 6-1, deservedly so, and that's all I need to say about the game. Congrats to Devil Jay Pandolfo on his first career hat trick, although his last goal was on a deflection, and he was only credited with it after the game, so no one threw their hats onto the ice in celebration, poor guy.

It was "Swedish Fish" night and we all received Swedish Fish candy (those little red gummy fish) as we left the arena. Unfortunately, we brought our own Swedish Fish with us, as Lightning goalie Johan Holmqvist spent much of the game flopping around on the ice, and this Yahoo picture needs no caption, just look at the dasher board ad!

This was only the second game in the new Prudential Center, "The Rock". It only holds 17,625 fans, but feels bigger. The building has all the modern amenities and a vast range of concessions, ranging from Italian Sausage to Sushi. I selected Rolling Rock as my brew for the night, as it's now brewed in Newark, instead of Latrobe, PA, (much to the chagrin of many beer aficionados) but it still tasted pretty good to me.

The big story for me was the fans, or lack of them. The announced attendance was 13,218, but I'd say half of them dressed as empty seats for Halloween! The combination of trick or treating and the NJ Nets home opener kept the crowd low, which is a shame, as it is a great place to watch hockey. It's bright, open, and a hockey jersey from every college and high school in the state hangs around the concourse, which is a unique touch.

On that subject, as a collector of game worn hockey jerseys, I was impressed by the jerseys on display that chronicled the history of the Devils, and I'll be adding some pictures of them shortly.

I met plenty of friendly Devils fans who had heard about my trip, and even the ones who didn't appreciate me wearing my jersey had no insults more original than "Lightning Sucks".

It's been six games now and I'm feeling pretty good, My diet of fruit for breakfast, vitamins for lunch and hot dogs for dinner seems to be working just fine! Starting tomorrow, I'll be on a plane for 22 of the next 23 days, so we'll see how well my body holds up then. I'll be adding a morning dose of "Airborne" before each flight to keep those germies away!

Tonight I'm off to the Nassau Veterans War Memorial Coliseum (I think that's the correct name) to see if the Lightning can salvage a win and send me down to Dallas on Friday with a smile on my face!

Heading Back Stateside....

2007-10-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

I know I was gushing like an 8th grade schoolgirl last night, but I wish I could have arranged for Montreal to be near the end of my 30 Games, because I'll be hard-pressed to have a better all-around hockey experience. From start to finish, it was a great night, even though the home team lost. For the record, the Atlanta Thrashers beat the Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout (my non-hockey fan readers reminded me to put the score of each game here so they know who won). The reality is the Habs were lucky to walk away with a point. They only had two shots on goal, and one of them was a just dump-in from center ice that was on net. The fans were all dressed in rouge, blanc et bleu, except one guy here in silver!

Henri Richard was there to honor three Montreal players who has just played their 1,000th NHL game, Alexei Kovalev, Bryan Smolinski and Roman Hamrlik. I was at Hamrlik's first game back in 1992, and seen him grow from a gawky 18 year old into a solid number 2/3 D-Man. The Bell Centre is right in the middle of a vibrant area of the city, and I sampled some of the nightlife after the game, which explains why I am still writing at 10.30 when I should be on the road to Jersey already.

I stayed in the Novotel hotel, which is located directly across the street from the arena. I booked the hotel through Hotwire, which is a great way to save money. The only catch is you don't know which hotel you are going to stay until after you've paid for it (and there's no backing out). You simply select the number of stars you want (not less than three stars for me), and the part of town (downtown) you want to stay in. Hotwire gives you a price ($69 & tax) then you press book and Voila, the name of your hotel shows up. It's a bit like playing the lottery, sometimes you lose (a crappy hotel not so close to where you want to be) but I hit the jackpot with this one. With Hotwire you can often save 50%-60% on hotels and I use them often.

A couple of other neat things....the Jumbotron counts down the last five seconds of penalties and the crowd counts down in French, and I heard Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho song for the first time since hearing it at Expo Hall during the Lightning's inaugural season.

Headed back down to Jersey now, and I hope the U.S. Customs person at the border doesn't give me strange looks like the Canadian lady did yesterday, as I explained why I was going to 30 Games In 30 Nights. She was punching away on her computer for a while, so perhaps I'm on some double secret bad boy list now!

Bonjour de Montreal, Mes Amis

2007-10-30T21:11:00.000-04:00

Somebody tell my boss to get the "help wanted" ad ready, because I'm not coming home! I'm sitting here in the Bell Centre in Montreal and it's an unbelievable experience. Hearing the deep-voiced anthem singer belt out "Oh Canada" in French and English while 21,000 fans matched him word for word was incredible. Then they leave the red carpet on the ice and out comes a silver haired gent in a dapper suit. The crowd goes wild as the legendary Henri Richard takes a bow. They give the Pocket Rocket a lengthy standing ovation and I have chills running through my body before the game even starts. It's a Tuesday night game for Les Habitants against a last place team, yet when the ref drops the puck, there's not an empty seat in the house. I'm ready to move here, 'cause this place rocks! Tres Bon!

I'm meeting a writer from The Hockey News after the game, and am staying at a hotel only 200 yards from the arena so I should have time to tell some stories later tonight! Go Habs Go!

Broadway Blues Bully Bolts in Big Apple

2007-10-30T09:01:00.000-04:00

There's no crowd like a Madison Square Garden crowd. They were even loud during the warmups! I've seen more than a hundred games in New York, mostly back in the 70's, and it's a unigue experience.

I never did get to take a nap in the afternoon, and headed into the city where I was meeting Schuyler, one of the NHL's PR execs, at the NHL store at 47th and 6th. It was chock full of jerseys and other neat items, highlighted by a custom bike built by West Coast Choppers. On the back is a mount designed to hold the Stanley Cup!

We then went upstairs to the NHL offices, and he gave me a peek at their control center where they watch all the games. We then headed down to the Garden, where we were joined by my brother Pete. Last time Pete and I watched a game together there was Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, then we paraded down Broadway with thousands of joyous Ranger fans to toast the victory.

Since then my allegiances have shifted, living in Florida for so long, and I was openly rooting for the Lightning last night. So I was disappointed with the result. I thought Holmqvist made some incredible saves, but the Rangers were the better team. The highlight was Vinny Lecavalier's penalty shot goal. It's been a loooong time since I remember Tampa scoring on a penalty shot, despite their stellar shootout record.

Wearing my Tampa Bay Lightning jersey, I heard a full range of insults, such as "Go back to Florida, you pussy", "We'll kick your ass all the way back to the beach", and four young guys who were cracking themselves up by yelling, "Tampa Gay Lightning". Only in New York!

More later, but I'd better get on the road for the six hour drive to Montreal....

Quick West Coast Wrap Up

2007-10-30T08:47:00.000-04:00

A couple of leftover thoughts from Duckland....from the outside, the Honda Center looks like a giant train station. Watching the game, I realized why Chris Pronger looks so tall. While other players wear their pants big and loose, Pronger's are so tight, they look like bike shorts. You'd think he's getting ready for the Tour de France!
You could tell it was an early season game....Raffi Torres slammed into the Ducks goalie, J.S. Giguere, behind the net, sending his goalie mask flying off. I was waiting for the rough tough Ducks to jump him, but even so much as a mean stare out of them. Sure would be a different story come playoff time!

I'm going to try to add a few more pictures as I go along, as many of you have requested.

2,500 Miles Later...New York

2007-10-29T16:39:00.000-04:00

So the Oilers tie the game on a shorthanded goal with just over a minute to play. Normally I'd be excited, but I had a plane to catch. I'm still trying to figure out how a team that's up 2-1 and on a power play loses the game. Giguere was beaten in the shootout by an incredible move by Edmonton's 18 year old Sam Gagner, and that was that.

As soon as the game ended, I sprinted across the parking lot to find the car and try to beat the traffic. My iPhone has a cool feature that overlays maps with live traffic on the highways in red, yellow and green. My route to LAX was green all the way and I made my flight with a few minutes to spare. United even upgraded me to first class, although I fell asleep before they brought the Dom Perignon around*. Now here i am in the Big Apple.

*Apparently, the Dom was only in my dreams.

I'm just about to visit the new NHL retail store in Manhattan, which looks like it has cool stuff inside, then take the Subway down to the Garden to see the Broadway Blueshirts battle the Bolts in Monday Night Hockey!

Live From Anaheim......

2007-10-28T20:38:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting in the Honda Center in Anaheim and the Oilers and Ducks are tied 1-1 after two periods. Right after the game I have to head to LAX to catch the United Airlines redeye back east, so I won't have time to post later.

You can tell that the fans here are still basking in the afterglow of Anaheim's Stanley Cup win and they are a happy boisterous bunch tonight. The atmosphere is reminiscent of how it felt in Tampa the season after the Lightning won the cup. For those of you who haven't experienced it lately (Toronto and Chicago fans, perhaps), it feels like you are going to win every game, and even if you don't, its OK 'cause WE WON THE STANLEY CUP anyway! The arena has the same design as the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, and even the foghorn after the hone team scores sounds the same here, so I feel right at home.

This is one game that I don't want to see go into OT. I don't they'll hold the plane for me! Next stop is Madison Square Garden in NYC, where I should have some good stories to tell....

Game 2 - A Hazy Crazy Day In L.A.

2007-10-28T01:59:00.000-04:00

Perhaps they were just unemployed actors auditioning to be extras for Slap Shot 3, but I was impressed with the crowd at the Staples Center tonight for the Kings/Oilers tilt. Not the quantity of them, but their quality. These guys knew their hockey, had a sense of history, and even broke out an "Oilers Suck" chant. Who knew?

Heidi from LAKings.com interviewed me tonight and asked who I would be cheering for throughout my trip. I replied, "Always the home team". And isn't that the way it should be in pro sports? The home team should always win, and the fans will always go home happy, like they did tonight.

The home team Kings won 4-1 in a sloppy show in which neither team brought their "A" aame. No checking, pucks jumping over sticks, d-men hanging back instead of pinching in. But there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow and Patrick O'Sullivan scored a sensational blind rebound goal with his back to the net late in the third period. I remember how he slipped down the NHL draft a few years ago because of a bad attitude. Having two teenagers of my own, I can vouch for the fact that at age 17, all boys can have bad attitudes. Tonight, O'Sullivan had two goals and looked like the best player on the ice from my perch.

I sat in the first row of the 300 level right at center ice, perched directly behind the TV and radio crews for both teams. A great place to watch the game from, as you can see from the picture. Funny seeing the Kings broadcast team spending much of the night watching the World Series game on their TV monitors, and the Oilers announcers lobbing balls of electrical tape over the partition at each other.

Tonight's line of the night may have crossed the line....An Oiler took an errant skate blade to the face and was down on the ice when a fan yelled, "Hey #13, your face may be hurting you, but looking at it is killing me!" Did you have to be there for that one, too?

L.A. isn't Hockeytown, but I walked away impressed with the Staples Center, which is is filled with fan-friendly elements on all six levels. The PA Announcer even gave the score of the Manchester Monarchs (Kings AHL farm team) game along with the NHL scores. A nice touch.

I haven't felt too tired yet, but did sleep like a baby for four hours on my flight from Detroit. Yes, the City Of Angels was hazy as usual. Tomorrow is the last day I can sleep in for a while, as I only have to make it to Anaheim. Although L.A. is the only city where you can get stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway 24 hours a day.

Quack Quack, off to see the Ducks!

One Down, 29 To Go. My Detroit Day

2007-10-26T23:29:00.000-04:00

An optimist might generously describe Detroit's Joe Louis Arena as "functional". Similar to Philly's Wachovia Center, the drab arena is located in the middle of absoutely nothing, so there is no ambience outside. Once you enter the doors however, a giant statue of the legendary Gordie Howe glares down at you, the Hockeytown atmosphere permeates the concourse and you are awash in a sea of red and white. And tonight, pink. It was Breast Cancer Awareness Night so lots of fans traded their red duds in for pink. The Wings even used pink tape on their sticks during the warmups.

The game was wide open and entertaining with the Wings taking a 1-0 lead just one minute into the game. But you don't need me to give a play-by-play description, do you? To make a long story short, the Red Wings beat San Jose 5-1. The Detroit crowd was quieter than I expected, but after their third goal (or their third beer!) they loosened up and finally made some noise.

A few highlights of my night.....

For some unknown reason, Wings enforcer Aaron Downey skated hard into the goal post on his first shift, kinda like a driver falling asleep at the wheel and running into a pole. Shook him up, but he came back to get his butt kicked in a fight with Rob Davison of San Jose a few minutes later.

Things you don't see on TV....Chris Chelios and Joe Thornton were going at each other all night behind the play. Slashing, cross-checking and so on. I guess the refs figured "boys will be boys" and let them hack away throught the game!

Best hit of the night was by Ryan Clowe of the Sharks. Only problem is he accidently hit his teammate Mike Grier, who hobbled back to the bench looking not too happy.

Funniest moment of the night....On the Jumbotron, they were showing a lady who had just won a Red Wings jersey in a drawing. She wasn't the slimmest of ladies, and was jiggling around with excitement in her tight pink outfit, at which point the guy behind me yells, "Hurry up honey, and put the jersey on"! O.K., you probably had to be there, huh?

Quite a few people came up to me and asked about my trip. How did they recognize me, you may ask? Simple, I was wearing a jersey that says "30 Games In 30 Nights" on the back. You'll see pictures soon, I promise.

Getting back to the building, I know why the line for the men's room was so long (those gruesome '70's troughs), but why were 20 people in line for Dippin' Dots ice cream? Has it just arrived in Detroit?

Props to the stadium deejay for playing "Roll Out The Barrel", which sounded less out of place at a hockey game than you would think.

The best concession stand - Chelie's Chili. Not only does Chris Chelios play 20 minutes a night on defense, but he even finds time to cook up a batch of tasty chili between periods!

Now to bed, as I have a 8am flight to L.A. Nighty-night!

Time To Drop The Puck

2007-10-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

I've made it to Detroit, a city that has a sports radio station on the FM dial, WXYT, which beat the heck out of having to listen to Britney Spears on the ride in from the airport. The highlight of the show was a live Fantasy Draft, not a football or hockey draft, but a Cheap Beer draft! Yes, each of the four co-hosts selected his own favorite cheap beer in a three round draft, them the listeners could vote on the best team of beers. Oh so strange, but true. Stroh's was the first beer taken, and much to my surprise, Pabst Blue Ribbon wasn't taken until late in the third round.

I'm just about to head downtown for Game 1, Red Wings vs San Jose. Thanks to the Wings PR folks, I'm hooked up with a ticket and here we go.....it's finally time to drop the puck on this adventure!

Headin' To Hockeytown

2007-10-25T18:01:00.000-04:00

Short note today, because there’s so much still to do before I leave.

One of my favorite words is “Free”. For Game 1 tomorrow in Detroit, I’ll be staying at the Hampton Inn in Northville. Most Hampton Inns have free breakfast, free wireless internet, free parking and in this case, my room is free as well. Hampton Inns are part of the Hilton chain and I have a bunch of Hilton HHonors points dating back to when I worked in Japan and lived in the Osaka Hilton for nine months.

During 30 Games In 30 Nights, I’ll try to stay loyal to Hilton as long as their prices are competitive, and in some cities, I’ll redeem points for free rooms. In Detroit, I will be spending 10k HHonors points for my room, although most cities only have 20k points awards. I’d rather spend $100 for a room and build up more points than “waste” 20k points on a cheap room. I’ll be staying in quite a few Hamptons along the way.

I bought a set of Space Bags “As seen on TV”, yesterday. They’re those bags you see in the infomercials that squish bulky clothes down to save space by vacuuming the air out of them. We'll see if I wasted my $9.95 soon enough when I try to stuff my ski jacket in there!

Tomorrow’s AirTran flight to Detroit is on a Boeing 717, which has just about the smallest “pitch” of any U.S. airliner (30”). “Pitch” is the fancy name that describes legroom on a plane. Fortunately, I’m in seat 10F, which is in the first row of coach, with only a curtain in front of me, not a bulkhead. I’m not tall, only 5’ 11”, but like a hockey player, I like to stretch my legs too!

More tomorrow from the Motor City!

48 Hours and Counting....

2007-10-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

The reality of what I’m trying to accomplish won’t even begin to sink in until I board AirTran Flight 160 on Friday morning bound for Hockeytown. Leaving my family, friends and co-workers and responsibilities for 30 days to wander around the country to watch hockey games is a decision that I’ve questioned more than once (as have others, believe me!).

But this past Saturday night, I drove over to Tampa for the Lightning vs. Atlanta Thrashers game. It was the first game I’ve been to this season and sitting there watching Vinny Lecavalier work his magic, and hearing the crowd roar when the Lightning scored (six times!) I remembered how exciting it is to watch hockey live and it validated my decision to hit the road for a month.

Outside the St. Pete Times Forum I picked up lower bowl seats, down low in the corner behind the goal with a close-up view of the ice. One of things I’m looking forward to is experiencing the view of different seat locations at each arena. Down low near the glass, the view is great, but the atmosphere is eerily silent as the glass blocks the sounds of the action. You can see the players lips move as they talk to each other, but it’s like watching a silent movie.

With the blowout win, some of the crowd left early, so we scooted down to the front row for the last ten minutes of the game. Every hockey fan should sit in those seats once in their life for a simply amazing experience (unless the puck is at the other end of the ice, when you just watch the action on the giant scoreboard instead).

As the final whistle blew, Brad Lukowich tried to flip the puck to us via the netting over the glass, but he missed (what do you expect, he plays defense) and Marty St. Louis grabbed the rebound and handed it to a little kid by the bench. You probably know this already, but hockey players are generally the most down-to earth athletes around.

I think there are two types of people reading this blog. Mostly hockey fans, but others who appreciate the complexities of making the travel arrangements, which was like solving a Rubik’s Cube! Some days I’m going to talk hockey, but I’m also going to share the traveling details, so hang in there with me when I go in that direction!

Note the pretty little icons to the right. I have no idea what they are for, but my 19 year-old son, Nik, swears they serve a purpose, so I’ll believe him.

Three Days To Go....

2007-10-23T10:49:00.000-04:00

Wildfires in Southern California (where I’ll be this Saturday). Snow in Denver already. What other obstacles will I face as I traipse around the country? Looks like Mother Nature may not be a hockey fan!

Thanks to all of you who have sent e-mails wishing me well. This real job of mine keeps getting in the way (as I try to do four weeks of work before I leave) and I haven’t had time to respond to some of you yet, but I will. When I hit the road, I won’t have any distractions and this trip will become my full time job for a month.

I’ve been in touch with some of the teams and the PR guys are taking care of me with game tickets, etc. in a few cities, which I appreciate. On 30GamesIn30Nights.com, there will be a page dedicated to each game with both hockey and travel info. The first three are up already - Sharks at Red Wings, Oilers at Kings and Oilers at Ducks, with the rest to follow.

I am only bringing one bag with me, a carry on bag, as I can’t take the chance of waiting for an hour for my suitcase to come through baggage claim, or even worse, losing it. So my task for tonight is to figure out what clothes I can squeeze into my carry on, and still be able to keep warm in Edmonton in November!

Someone asked me if I’ll be tasting a different beer in each arena? 30 Beers In 30 Nights, I like that idea!

New Blog Format Is Up

2007-10-22T02:04:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have visited 30 Games In 30 Nights before, this is a new look. The old pages are still here, just click on the links to the right, but as I get ready to hit the road, this blog will be updated every day, and it will be easier to read.

It's been a pain to set up, but I think I've worked the kinks out. Hope you enjoy following along with me. Four inches of snow in Denver today is not what I wanted to hear as I get ready for a month of flying!

Almost Time For Me To Fly

2007-10-22T00:43:00.000-04:00

All of my flights are booked (if you’re a travel geek like me, here’s the flight schedule) and now I’m beginning to make all of the arrangements for hotels, and rental cars and game tickets. Part of the fun of this trip is keeping my options open, so if I get suggestions on a great little hotel to stay at, or someone invites me to sit with them in their corporate box at the game, I can.

I have friends in a few cities along the way who are helping me out, but I’ll be traveling to most of the games by myself. My schedule is not geographically perfect, meaning I’ll be criss-crossing across the country and will be flying to 25 of the 30 games. I love to fly, but I’m praying that the weather gods like hockey too and that I won’t be hit by blizzards, hurricanes, or striking air traffic controllers along the way.

You can probably tell that this is my first blog, and I’m open to suggestions to make it more engaging. I hope that once I begin 30 Games In 30 Nights that you’ll come back and follow along vicariously every day!

30 Games. 30 Nights. 30,000 Miles

2007-10-22T00:38:00.000-04:00

Six years ago, I flew 11,000 miles from Japan to California just to watch a NHL hockey game, I had a great time, and an idea….Wouldn’t it be a thrill to visit every NHL arena in a single season?

But why stop there? My concept is simple….I’m going to watch a hockey game in all 30 National Hockey League arenas….in 30 consecutive nights!

Something that’s never been done before….30 hockey games in 30 nights in 30 different cities this fall….it’s the ultimate hockey road trip! I’ll be sharing the ups and downs of my 30 Games In 30 Nights adventure on this site. Take a look around the site and you’ll find my complete schedule, the complexities of my travel plans and much more. Once the ultimate road trip begins, I’ll be updating this page daily with my stories from the games, and how I traveled to each city, blog-style.

I’m on a tight budget. Although I’ll need to fly to most cities, I have searched for bargain airfares and am using a bunch of my frequent flyer miles to keep costs down. In some cities, I’ll stay with friends or family, and in others I’ll be finding cheap hotels on Hotwire or using up my Hilton points. As far as game tickets go, I’ll be looking out for good deals, so if you have any extra tickets, let me know!

As a hard-core hockey fan who loves to fly, I’m well prepared for the ultimate hockey road trip. I’ve flown almost a million miles in my lifetime, seen over 500 NHL games, and most importantly, have no problem falling asleep on airplanes!

For months, I’ve been planning the details of this 30 Games In 30 Nights trip. Poring through the NHL schedule for hours to find just the right combination of games, staying away from the frigid winter months when weather could disrupt travel, finding affordable flights that get me into each city by 2pm, coming up with backup travel plans if flights are cancelled, and so on.

So now I’m ready to roll, mentally and physically, for the Ultimate Hockey Road Trip. I can’t wait for October 26th as 30 Games In 30 Nights begins in Detroit!

Steve Williamson
Orlando, Florida
Steve@30GamesIn30Nights.com