What happens on the road with the Maineiacs? Here is a story on the trip I took to Halifax and Cape Breton with the team in late January

Waking up early is not usually a problem for me, especially on days that feel
like Christmas morning.
No presents for me today, though.
Unless you consider Dramamine a present. There was plenty of that.
For the first time since a 2003-04 trip to Chicoutimi and Quebec, I am making a
road trip with the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Warm up the bus!

The bus left at 8 a.m. Sharp. That meant arriving at 7:30.
 I am neurotic. I need to get someplace early. Always. The fact that the number
on the thermometer was smaller than my shoe size did not change things.
There is no such thing in this league as just another game. Ask coach Clem
Jodoin about that sometime, he'll give you a lecture. But for the players,
coaches and staff, getting anywhere has to be just another proverbial brick in
the wall by now.
I had been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. I had not hit the
road with the team since Year 1, a trip to Chicoutimi and Quebec. The memories
from that trip are not pleasant, and include snow, wind, cold - and no wins.
I huddled in my seat as the players filed onto the bus, hoping history would not
repeat itself.


The first leg

Just because I was on time, doesn't mean we left on time.
Almost, but not quite.
The delay came when the bus door failed to latch properly, but the bus company
fixed it on the spot.
I helped team trainer Tom Bourdon load the bus, and after the minor delay, the
bus rolled out of the parking lot at 8:03.
The trip down was fairly quiet, just the random chatter with the occasional
French outburst. Not much
fooling around as they immersed themselves in Ipods, laptops and text messaging.

Now, here's the biggest problem, and one of the reasons I haven't taken more
trips: I have this motion sickness thing.
I was quite happy I was only 3 rows behind the driver, so looking out the square
acre of glass that is the front of the bus kept those symptoms down to a
minimum. I wanted to have a good time and be somewhat alert, so I dosed myself
with just one Dramamine.
It still knocked me out.

I awoke from my first of many Dramamine induced comas right before our first
stop in Bangor to pick up radio man Jeff Mannix. Jeff and I were roomies for
this trip and he also became my tour guide and much needed assistant. 
After some chatting with Jeff I drifted off again.

Here again, I tightened things up, but the flow is good. Good story so far.
Welcome to Canada

I awoke again within a mile of the border.
Funny how the mind can sense things like that.
The trip through the border was quick and easy. We crossed into New Brunswick at
11:39 ET.
Three-and-a-half hours on a bus isn't bad.
Actually, it's darn good.
I love being in Canada. My father was born in Canada and I have visited our
neighbor to the north many times. I feel like I am as much a part of Canada as I
am the United States.

While I was asleep, one of the guys threw in a movie.
A very loud movie.
"Lord of the Rings" was on the television screens, and the volume was turned so
loud I worried not only about the bus windows, but the poor driver's ear drums,
too.
There were about 12 pairs of earplugs within reach and I made use of one of
them.
It wasn't enough to drown it out.
Thank goodness for Dramamine.

We hit Fredericton, New Brunswick a little after 2 p.m. local time. It was
lunchtime, and we stopped at one of the best lunchtime stops ever: Boston Pizza.
The restaurant got busy quickly as the bus unloaded into the restaurant. I work
in a restaurant, and I know how a kitchen staff feels when a bus pulls in.
It isn't fun.
I am feeling very happy to be on the other side of the wall we eat a good quick
meal and back on the bus in a little under an hour.
Next stop: Halifax.

Halifax

Four hours after rushing through a great meal, the bus pulled up to the Halifax
Metro Centre to unload. We got to the hotel at 7:03 p.m., exactly 10 hours after
leaving the ABC's parking lot.
We got our marching orders to be on the bus at 7:30 p.m. For a ride to East Side
Mario's for dinner.
Knowing me, Jeff turned to me and reminded me that 7:20 might be a bit more
appropriate.
I, of course, complied.

After dinner we decided to find a watering hole to watch the NHL All-Star Game.
Halifax has plenty of choices, many more than most trips I've been on.
Coaches Clem Jodoin, Jeff Guay and Ed Harding, and Jeff Mannix and I found our
way to a local Ale House with a giant TV and great seats to watch the game. I
realized then how happy I was to be in Canada, watching the NHL's best,
surrounded by true hockey fans who were well into the game.
This is something you never see at a local sports bar.
The coaches headed back to the room to prepare for the game on Thursday.
We had a couple of adult beverages, thanks to Clem, and headed back to the room
to watch the last period and get ready to take in part of the much-acclaimed
Halifax nightlife.
Off to "The Dome."
Short for the local moniker "The Liquor Dome," The Dome is actually three clubs
in one.
The nightlife here is unique, with many, many college students.
We hung out for a relatively short time -  I can now say I've been to "The
Dome," - and went back to the hotel to catch some sleep.

Good morning, Metro Centre

Like everybody else who follows this league closely I want to get to every rink
in the league at least once. I checked off another on my list Thursday morning
as I walked through the door at the Halifax Metro Centre. The arena seats 10,565
fans, but still seems small due to the placement of the seats. It has your
standard bottom bowl, but the other seating is tucked away high on the sides.
You really don't notice these seats unless you are sitting in them. This makes
the arena seem smaller.
Jeff showed me around the rink. I got some readings on lighting (some fun,
technical, work-related stuff), and found I had room for the laptop and extra
gear in Jeff's radio booth - five stories above the ice.
Being on the road makes what I do extremely difficult at times. I have lighting
equipment at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and taking that on road trips is
nearly impossible at worst and extremely impractical at best. On this trip, I
had to hope for good existing lighting. I was in luck. The lighting was at least
good enough  for adequate results in comparison to home. Jeff worked on his
pre-game show during the team's morning skate. The boys finished their skate at
10:50 a.m. Jeff and I finished up our work a short time later. We decided to
skip lunch with the team and do some sightseeing.

Halifax, the City

We got to Halifax late at night, and in the dark
The lights are beautiful.
I was not disappointed at what daylight showed, but I quickly found out that my
parents weren't so full of you-know-what after all.
You CAN go uphill both ways. Trust me.
A walk anywhere is a cardio workout, and I am not in my best shape this late into
winter.
Still, we enjoyed the walk as we headed up to the Citadel to watch the noon
firing of the canon. We were bogged down with with laptops and camera gear. We
rushed to the inside and found that most of the area is closed in the winter.
One of the guards showed us where to go to watch the firing. We hurried along
and I fumbled with my camera gear we got there just in time - to see the first
of three misfires. Seems the ol' canon wasn't cooperating. Finally, on the
fourth attempt, a loud boom erupted over the city.
It was 12:05 p.m., and the entire city was late for lunch.

The view was magnificent. Being a lighthouse fan, I saw one from above, along
with a boat called the "Blue Marlin".
If you enjoy the Discovery Channel like I do you may have seen the documentary
on this heavy-lifting monster. It was on-loading two oil rigs in the bay.
The "Blue Marlin" is also the boat that carried the U.S.S. Cole back from the
Middle East after it the war ship was bombed.
I have also photographed well over 60 lighthouses, and wanted a closer shot. We
decided to take a hike toward the bay.

We went back to the room to off-load some gear and then headed back out. It is a
healthy walk to the waterfront. I got a closer shot of the lighthouse, but the
Blue Marlin was heading out of the bay --  fully loaded with not one but two oil
rigs.
We stopped at a Boston Pizza for some pre-game food, and the place was buzzing.
A television news crew was darting around the bar looking for interviews.
During the All Star Game, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman offered up a scenario of
divisional realignment, which included Halifax having their own franchise. The
buzz in town was high. Who could blame them?
That was it for free time in Halifax, which I've decided is a great city and is
now on my summer destination list.
We went back to the room for a quick pre-game nap and then on to the rink for
the first game of a three- in-three.
 

Citadel and Halifax photo gallery

Metro Centre photo gallery

Massacre in Halifax

We arrived at the rink early to set up. The team was preparing as usual.
We found out that Jonathan Bernier was going to sit this one out and play both
games in Cape Breton.  Rookie Peter Delmas got the start.
At this time of season all of the games are important, and teams at the top need
to keep their leads as the bottom teams always seem to get closer in the
standings.
On paper, the Maineiacs are better than Halifax. The Mooseheads had lost six
straight and had traded away their best goaltender. Even better news, it seemed,
was that Halifax was dressing their backup goaltender, too.
Lewiston fell into a 2-0 hole in the first down. When you are the best, other
teams tend to kick it up a notch on you. That's how it feels tonight. Delmas was
having a rough game but he is a rookie. That happens to rookies. Goals came by
the pair in the second period. Less than halfway through the second, Jonathan
Bernier replace Delmas. Lewiston tied things up quickly and Bernier was solid
going into the final period.
The third started innocently enough. It was a physical, hard hitting period, and
Marc-Andre Cliche can attest to that.  He took a hard hit and fell awkwardly,
getting hit again on the way down. He didn't get up.

It only took 29 seconds for things to go from bad to worse. Bernier attempted a
save on James Pouliot. The puck got through him. but sailed wide.
Worse news that that, however, is the way Bernier is sprawled out on the ice.
Tom ran out again and helped Bernier to the locker room to join Cliche. Back in
went Delmas.
Maineiacs nation held its breath.

The game went into overtime, and the insanity continued. Halfway through the
extra session, Delmas also came up lame. Tom ran off the bench for a third time.
Thankfully Delmas was able to stay in, but he was still in pain.
The game ended in the extra sessions of a shootout and resulted in another
shootout loss.

To Antigonish

Back on the road right away, the team sped off for its three-hour drive to
Antigonish, where we stayed the night. Bernier, Delmas, Cliche and the rest of
the team got on the bus, and away we went. Clem was working the cell phone quite
a bit, getting things lined up to call up Marc-Andre Sauve. The big question was
whether Sauve would have to start in Cape Breton. The alternative was a healed
and fully-functional Peter Delmas.
You could see and feel the uneasiness in Clem's face, and the rest of the
coaching staff was just as concerned..
During the course of the season you expect injuries but not like this.

One thing I have learned is that these players take the game seriously, but when
all is said and done and the game has been over for a while, they are still
teenagers.
They seemed to take the loss in stride. I wondered whether it was confidence, or
just kids being kids? I didn't know. But what I did know is that the next two
games in Cape Breton had become more alarming. We have a nice lead on them, but
an eight-point swing could be a huge momentum boost for the Eagles in the
standings.
In a strange twist of irony, the boys decided to watch "Texas Chainsaw
Massacre," like we hadn't seen enough at the game! I worked on game photos and
attempted to ignore the movie. We arrived in Antigonish after 1:00 a.m. We
checked in and got some work done. Tom set up his hospital room and
started to treat the walking wounded. We were told to meet for breakfast
downstairs at 10:00 a.m. and the bus would leave at 11.
On a side note: The beds in this hotel are the most comfortable I have ever
slept in. I pondered a way to sneak one out and strap it to the top of the bus.
 

To the Cape, snow and easy

We awoke the next morning and saw snow starting to fall. Local weather said it
should accumulate 2-4 cm. Not all that much to worry about, we thought. It is
Atlantic Canada, right?
Jeff and I were still waiting for our breakfast while almost everybody else was
either on the bus or done eating. We ended up putting our food in to-go
containers and ate on the way. Clem was still on the phone.
Marc-Andre Sauve was scheduled to fly into Halifax that afternoon and be driven
down by
a scout for the game. With the snow, it makes the status on Delmas that much
more interesting - and important..
The drive down was in a constant snow. It wasn't a heavy snow for the first half
of the trip, but it picked up as we drew closer to Sydney.
The weather report had said say up to 10 cm to the east of Antigonish, which was
exactly where we were driving.
Even though the visibility outside was poor - thanks to the impending snow
disaster and the dirt covering the outside of the bus - you could tell just how
beautiful this country was.
On one side of the bus were cliffs and good size hills that seemed to disappear
under the roadway.
On the other side was a somewhat upset Atlantic Ocean, just a good wave away
from reclaiming the land Route 4 East sits upon. One very odd thing we passed
was a small ski area -- on our right. The angry Atlantic (that seemed to get
angrier as we drove along) was now on the left, and right across the street. The
photographer in me wished that the weather was better, but what we had seemed to
better fit the mood.
As we drove closer to Sydney I wondered if the team can weather the storm
outside and inside as well.
 

To Sydney Photo Gallery

After heading to the rink and unloading the gear, we arrived at the Delta Hotel
in Sydney at 1:45 p.m..  We heard at lunch that the area was now expecting 35 cm
of snow. That's a bit over a foot.
In talking to the locals, the storm was traveling from East to West, something
that does not happen in Sydney very often. That meant wind. Lots and lots of
on-shore wind.
We checked in to our rooms and our bus driver offered Jeff and I a ride to the
rink later in the afternoon. We planned on walking down so we could arrive early
like we do. I also needed to check in with the office and be sure to get
clearance to shoot, and see how the lighting was in the Centre 200. I would also
get to check off another arena on my list. The snow continued to fly outside and
rumblings of calling the game off started to surface.

The rink in Cape Breton is simple, and it has a casino attached on one side.
Blue seats and cement is all there is to see but one banner caight my attention.
A lone orange banner hung against the far wall.  "Cape Breton Oilers, Calder Cup
Champions 1993".

At approximately 4:45 we got word that the game will not be called off.  The
game is sold out, but the bigger question was, 'How many will show?"
GAME ON!!

Eagles, Game 1

The crowd started to filter in slowly. Occasionally I went to the nearest window
in the scouts' room. The wind was now blowing at an incredible rate and the snow
was flying sideways. The game started on time, and about 2000 didn't make the
game due to weather.
The locals are a friendly bunch. I decided to shoot near press row, as there
aren't many other places from which to try. The lighting at Centre 200 is below
average at best and shooting was difficult.

Peter Delmas had seemingly forgotten all about the previous day. He kept the
Maineiacs in the game throughout. The first period ended up scoreless, and was a
defensive battle.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead midway through the game, but Delmas stayed strong.
Stefan Chaput missed a penalty shot, and things got fishy after that.
Strike one: Lewiston goal not allowed after review which seemed to be good. 
Strike 2: David Perron getting hauled down in the final minute of the game on a
partial breakaway. No call..
Strike 3: Icing call with 8 seconds left in the game not called and time running
out.
Lewiston lost, 2-1.

Rock the bus!

After the game we gathered outside the doors waiting for the bus. The players
chatted with billets as a fan bus had made it's way on this trip as well. 
Finally someone said the bus was there. Only half the team seemed to be around
as we open the door to head outside. What we found beyond the door is amazing --
and funny, in a twisted way. Unable to see 5 feet in front of  me due to blowing
snow and gusts well over 50 mph, I walked into a snowdrift about three feet high
that I did not see until I hit it. A laptop bag on one shoulder and a loaded
camera bag on the other, I almost face planted myself into said snow bank. I
somehow stayed on my feet, though, and struggled to the bus.
I got on the bus and found out it was stuck.
Very stuck.
The other half of the team had decided to walk back to the hotel in the snowy
mess. I am certainly under-dressed for that kind of activity.
Stinks to be me, though, as we ended up doing the same.
After several attempts at shoveling the bus, all standing in the back of the bus
for weight, rocking the bus, we went nowhere. I left the camera bag on the bus
and got the laptop to the hotel with me.
Laptop screens don't fare very well if left in freezing temps, but the camera is
made to withstand worse.
I can't tell you which players were with us, but the coaching staff, Tom
Bourdon, the bus driver along with Jeff and I head out in the blizzard. Halfway
there I realized this really was no fun, and rather tiring. One of the players
-- I wish I knew who -- grabbed my bag for me and we finally make it back.
I need to get into shape before spring!

We hung out in the hotel lobby and lounge, which was seemingly overwhelmed with
an over-sized crowd. Between the fan bus and the weather, everybody staying in
that hotel decided to stay in that one small lounge.
I stayed for a short time and headed to the room.

Eskasoni visit

I was invited to jump onto the fan bus for a trip to Chad Denny's home town of
Eskasoni, a trip made a bit more exciting due to the high winds. Being blown
around a small road in a big bus made it a white knuckle ride. We drove about a
half hour out of Sydney up Route 4. We turned off a road and traveled
approximately 16 miles on a winding road.
First stop was outside of Chad's house before heading to the hall located below
the reservations church.

The walls there are lined with photos showing the history of the reservation,
its important people and
leaders from the past. Before lunch, Sheila presented a photo of Chad to his
grandparents, Dorothy and Doug.

We were treated to a great lunch and I heard the fish chowder was a hit. In the
process of observing the goings-on, I was approached by the reservation's
historian Mr. Albert Marshall. The next 30 or so minutes, Mr. Marshall and I had
a very interesting conversation about everything ranging from politics, history
and issues that are still prevalent between Canada, and the reservation. He left
me with this proverb: "Not until the last fish is caught, the last tree is
chopped down or the last stream poisoned will man find out he can't eat money." 
It was a fascinating conversation.

After lunch we were given a bus tour of the reservation. Our tour leader was
Chad's cousin, Leroy.
The reservation is a large piece of land and seems to be quite self sufficient.
Leroy told us that like any other small towns, it has its issues, but it is
growing and the economy is starting to get better.
One of the stops on the tour is the hockey rink -- a very cold hockey rink.
Hanging on the far wall is a photo of Chad, proudly showing everyone he is a
Maineiac.
Chad's mother, Karen, approached me, and asked me to come back to their house to
see all of Chad's awards.
I agreed, and we sped off to the house, where I shot as much as I could until
the bus caught up with us.
The house walls are covered with Chad's awards and photos from childhood to the
present.
The bus arrives to pick me up and we headed back to Sydney.
 

Eskasoni Photo Gallery

Isn't it over yet?

The final game of a 3-in-3 can be a rough one. It was no different that Saturday
night.
The offense was unable to finish anything, and the team lost, 4-0.
I decided to take more of a behind-the-scenes approach to this game and not
shoot the actual game.
I helped Tom Bourdon as much as I was allowed and watched the game from behind
Marc-Andre Sauve. It made the game seem even faster not being behind glass, but
being that close to the ice, you need to keep your head up.
The game came to an end and it was time to pack up the bus and head home. Tom
has this down to a science and it took no time to load up the bus.
Sticks, uniforms, skate sharpener, fans and a few trunks full of everything from
tape, tools, note pads, peanut butter and the most cherished sandwich machine
are just a few of the items packed up.
During the packing process, Tom and I discussed the bizarre nature of this trip.
He has been on
every single one of them, and he ranked it among the Top 5 most bizarre.
We left the rink at 10:00 p.m. local time.
 

Behind the Scenes in Cape Breton

Long road home

The ride home was much like the ride to Halifax, with the players doing what
they did then. The coaching staff watched game tape and everybody settled in for
a 13-hour stretch on the road. The snow had stopped falling hours ago, but the
wind was still strong with no signs of letting up. The first 72 miles took two
hours to travel, with the roads being covered with wind blown snow.

Our only stop before the border was in Amherst at 3:15 a.m. local time. We took
over a small convenience store and got the things we need to survive the
remainder of the trip. After the bus was emptied of empty pizza boxes, our
supper for the ride home, we hit the road again. We stopped again in Saint John
for gas and got to the border at St. Stephens at 6 a.m. We stopped at a local
diner for breakfast. The staff was only three, but they did a great job of
feeding those who choose to eat, and we got back on the bus. Sleep was not easy
on the trip back for me, but I found that even though I couldn't really sleep,
the ride was not at all bad.
Back to reality and the daily grind soon for me, so I enjoyed the final hours of
my experience.
For everybody else on board, it may have been  just another road trip, but it is
an experience I will not soon forget.
At 11 a.m., a tired and battered team returned from the trip with one more point
than what they left with and still on top of the QMJHL.

Thanks to the Maineiacs and their entire staff for the opportunity to do this.

A special thanks to Justin Pelletier, Maineiacs beat writer of the Lewiston Sun/Journal, for cleaning up my story and making read and look better than I ever could!.