I’m spending time this week in Buffalo and the Niagara region on what has become an annual hockey junket with my good friend, Whitey.
We saw the Blackhawks and Sabres Sunday night and tonight it’s the Predators and Sabres and, as usual, I’m excited to see the pros play.
However, I’m also a little disappointed because I’ll be missing the Canadiens-Blue Jackets game tonight at the Harry Lumley-Bayshore Community Centre.
Not Montreal-Columbus of NHL fame, but rather the Tim Hortons Initiation West League, a 4 team loop that also includes the Canucks and Senators along with the Canadiens and Blue Jackets.
In my first attempt at coaching kids, Sean Laycock and I have led the Blue Jackets to……………well, I don’t know where exactly we’ve led them, but the coaching staff is happy with the progress.
The Blue Jackets are 6 by the way.
The Blue Jackets mantra is ” Play Hard & Have Fun “. I couldn’t tell you what our record is, because it’s really insignificant.
The key is for coach Sean to rotate the 9 skaters so that everybody plays, everyone gets a double shift somewhere, everyone gets to be goalie and everyone gets to be captain which means they get to play centre all game.
Me ?
I stand at the gate and when the two minute buzzer goes, I scream and the 5 Blue Jackets on the ice are to come at full tilt and then coach Sean sends out the next group.
It’s a blast.
So Sabres and Preds in the NHL tonight will be good, but I also want to wish Cole, Ethan, Josh, Marcus, Maya, Nate, Owen, Sam, Tanis, Zoe and Coach Sean all the best against the Canadiens tonight.
I’m Fred Wallace