Yesterday, the Little Caps played another friendly game; this time against the Connecticut Yankees. The Yankees are in the Elite division of the Tournament, and they are a very fine hockey team. The Caps played the Yankees incredibly well for the whole game, and ultimately lost 1-0. I was very impressed with how hard the Lil' Caps played for the entire game. The Yankees are comprised of players who played last year for the Mid-Fairfield Connecticut team that won the AYHL Pee Wee minor division. They are one of the most aggressive-skating youth teams you'll find anywhere, and it was a real accomplishment for the Caps to play them to a draw for most of the game (the only goal came late in the game). The goal came on a defensive mistake, and I happened to record the goal and you can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY08G391oy0
In all, it was a very impressive effort by the Little Caps.
The snow that began the night before didn't stop all day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsRkDgElTA
Before the game against the Yankees, the team bus stopped at a local hockey superstore called "L'Entrepot de Hockey." There is nothing like in the D.C. area, and it was quite a sight to see every type of hockey equipment available in every size and color imaganiable.
After the Yankees game, which was at 12:40, we only arrived back to the hotel around 2:45. Kayla's little 4-year old sister, Jordan, has developed a crush on Henry, and she wanted very much to sit next to "Henwy" at lunch, so Kayla, Sylvain, Jordan, Henry, and I all grabbed lunch in the Café d'Orsay. Like my brother in so many ways, Henry has a way with the ladies...
After lunch, Henry and I only barely had an hour together, before it was time to get back on the bus to go back to the Colisée to drop off the players with their Welcome Families. Walking back into the aging arena into the now-familiar Section 117, there were the waiting Famillies d'Acceuil, including Patrick, looking as happy and excited to see Kayla and Henry as I was sad to see them go...
I learned today from Henry that after dinner later that night, he, Kayla, and Patrick went out snow-shoeing in the snow through a local forest. The snow was falling hard, as they made their way deeper into the forest, they came upon fresh bear tracks (see the picture below that Patrick sent me!!). Patrick said that given the rate that the snow was falling and the sharp contours of the tracks, the bear probably only went by less than (GULP) 10 minutes before! Henry in recounting the story to me today, emphasized that he and Kayla began to get nervous ("Dad! It was really scary!"). Patrick, cool as a cucumber, stated that as long as they remained calm, they'd be fine. He also apparently said with a chuckle that he happened to have a tangerine in his pocket, and he could rub the tangerine on their clothing because "bears can't stand tangerines." Henry said that Patrick is always joking, so you never quite know if he is telling the truth, particularly at a moment like that, deep in the dark woods of Québec with a big ol' bear snooping around. Kayla and Henry asked if they could make their way back to civilization, and Patrick agreed, and they turned around and headed back without any more bear encounters.
Again, I marvel at the experiences that Henry and Kayla are having (thanks to Patrick and others). For my teenage Northern Virginia boy to be snow-shoeing in a snow storm in the forests of Québec encountering fresh bear tracks... On est bien loin de Tysons Corner...
Today the Little Caps played their last friendly game of their stay here, against the Shawinigan Cataractes (what a great name, eh!!!?) from Québec, near the city of Trois-Rivières, almost halfway between Québec City and Montréal. The Caps won the game 2-1, and it was a very satisfying game in many ways. The Lil' Caps skated hard from the first shift onward, and in a manner that has been all-too lacking this season, they quickly took control of the game, and they pressed hard to keep control of the game right up until the end. The Caps scored early in the first period (Jason), and despite giving up a goal in the second, they never let up. They committed only one penalty!
Halfway through the third period, on a power play, Henry down low was fed a pass from Kiernan. The puck was wobbling, but Henry managed to snap off a strong, quick wrist shot. The goalie wasn't quick enough to slide his body across the crease to meet Henry's shot. But he did mange to get the top of his stick in the way of Henry's shot. The puck glanced off the goalie's stick handle and then rolled across the bottom part of the cross bar to the other side of the goal! It was a very odd sight. The puck rolled out onto the ice to Thomas, who snapped off his own wrist shot into the net. Poor Hen thought he had a goal, but quickly recovered his poise when he saw the puck roll along the cross bar. Good for Thomas for burying "la rondelle", and good for the Little Caps for a commanding win.
In watching the game, I was struck by how strong the team looked both today and yesterday. Could it be that this group had finally figured out how to play competitive hockey as a team? Comparing how this team played yesterday and today to their play earlier in the season, much less at the beginning of the season, they have come a long way. Tomorrow night at the Arpidrome will be very intéressant!
Today's game was played at the "Galeries de la Capitale", a huge shopping mall northwest of downtown Québec. The ice rink sits in the middle of the mall, and around the rink is a small amusement park, with a merry-go-round, roller coaster, and a ferris wheel. It was a very fun set-up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_AZ_HQnu0
Over the rink was an unenclosed walkway. Standing up there, you could look directly down on the ice, which was a very unique and cool perspective. The walkway crossed the ice right over one of the blue lines, so when the puck came into the defensive zone, everyone on the bridge had run across to the other side to watch the play. It was a pretty funny scene.
Here are some videos of today's game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXqxP4_H7Vw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55QRWwGCUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHL1HnaxW-A
Here's the view from on high:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf3ObelpoZY
Post-game combined teams photo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2S47Fpgag
I was so glad to have made the game at all. This morning, I had a meeting at the Port de Québec. After the meeting, I had just enough time to take a cab out to the mall, watch the game, and take a cab back into town for a luncheon meeting of the Economic Development Council of the Lower St. Lawrence (SODES). At the luncheon, I sat next to a gentleman, Michel, who had played in the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec when he was a Pee-Wee back in 1972. His team made the quarterfinals of his bracket that year. To this day, 41 years later, he can recount without hesitating all the teams that he played in the Tournament before his team was eliminated. Such is the life-long impression that this special Tournament leaves on the memory of a young boy. "Your son will have similarly strong memories of his time here, 40 years from now," Michel said to me as he recounted his story.
After the luncheon, I had one more meeting, and then at 3:10, I was free to head back to the Château to meet Henry for a couple of hours (!) together before we had to head back to the Colisée for the nightly drop-off. I checked my Blackberry in the taxi and there was a text message from Patrick asking if the kids could be ready for a 3:30 pick-up from the Québec... On no! When I got back to find Henry (in Thomas' room studying), he said he was really missing me, and didn't know what Patrick was coming early for. I said that he should accept the offer, because I was sure that Patrick had something fun planned for him and Kayla, and he agreed. I told Henry that Patrick was being generous to come over early to pick up him and Kayla. I shared with him that when I lived abroad I always tried to say "Yes" to every new opportunity that came my way, and that approach had served me very well. He agreed, hugged me, and went out the door...
When we arrived downstairs, there was Patrick's car in front of the Château. I kissed Henry goodbye and he jumped into the car. Patrick got out to greet me and say that he was taking the kids to the indoor go-kart palace next to the Colisée, as a surprise. I said that I was sure Henry would love it. Off they went, and there I was again, without my boy...
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