Inside my head I've been saying that over and over for the past four days.
The family and I just returned from a whirlwind of a weekend in Brantford, Ontario and the 44th Annual Wayne Gretzky International Tournament. We were there with the Valley Forge Colonials Peewee A team, filling in for some of their regulars who couldn't (or didn't) make the trip.
The trip was incredible. We got there on Friday around noon, after a long drive and overnight stay in Buffalo. Our first game was at 2pm and from that point on there was hardly a second to breathe! There's so much to write about - I'll try to focus on a few things.
The Hockey
We knew going into the tournament that we had an uphill battle ahead of us, and that turned out to be true as the competition was very tough. We were the only American team in the tournament, which featured teams from as far away as Finland and Norway. We played in the Peewee MD (Minor Developmental) division. It's tough to tell where that fits in our standard of divisions, but nominally it seems to be equivalent to Tier-II B. Here's a definition I found on the Oakridge Aeros' website:"Minor Development Hockey (MD)Having played these teams I will tell you that these were unlike any B-level players I've seen in the U.S. So either they were playing down a level, or their Canadian-ness just took over. One disadvantage we had was that we had a mixed team of 2001s and 2002s, while the teams we played were exclusively 2001s.
- Minor Development (MD) hockey is first level of competitive hockey and is available to Minor Novice to Major Midget players.
- Minor Development (MD) hockey is only available via the neighbourhood associations.
- Generally, the local associations offer one MD team per Division where registration numbers and player development allow it."
Whatever the case, we put up a good fight. We tied the opening game 3-3 on the back of our goalie, C. Beauregard, and a pair of goals from J. Temoyan and a beauty from J. Atwood. That game was against the eventual division champions, the Stoney Creek Jr. Warriors.
Those were the only goals we would score in the tournament. We lost a tough 1-0 battle to the Woodstock Jr. Navy Vets on Friday night. On Saturday morning we fell to the Paris Wolfpack by a 5-0 score. And we were eliminated in our 0first playoff game on Saturday afternoon, losing to the Guelph Gryphons by a 3-0 score.
(That final game turned on a pivotal sequence at the end of the second period. Down by just one goal in the final minute, an apparent goal by J. Temoyan was deemed to have hit the crossbar, not the back bar. As happens so often in hockey, the puck went the other way and into our net. In a flash, instead of 1-1 it was 2-0. We never quite recovered.)
But none of that seemed to matter very much. I don't want to say we were happy just to be there - but we were happy just to be there! Playing against Canadian teams just seems like it should be a challenge. I was proud of the team and the fact that we never quit. The boys took advantage of the opportunity and gave it a tremendous effort.
One more thing I want to say about the hockey: I wasn't on the bench for this tournament and it was nice to be able to watch the games. The two things that impressed me the most about the teams we played were their skating and their puck control. All of the opposing players skated well and they skated hard. The puck pursuit was strong on every part of the ice. But the puck control was the most impressive. The teams we played moved the puck with a purpose seemingly every time. Where we would be pressured into turnovers, the other teams' players moved the puck very well, very deliberately - or they hung onto it rather than just throw it away. That was the biggest difference between our teams.
The Facilities
Our games were held in two absolutely beautiful facilities: the Brant County Sports Complex and the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. The Brant County Sports Complex is a new $80M arena unlike anything you'll find around here. Half of the cost of the arena came from private donations. The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre was recently renovated to the tune of $64M and had its Grand Opening in September. It features the Gretzky name extensively and a huge statue of Wayne hoisting the Cup out front. Both facilities were magnificent and gave the distinct impression of the difference between hockey in the U.S. and hockey in its birthplace.
The Atmosphere
In the same vein, I have to say I love travelling to Canada. This was the first time my son has played in a tournament there and it was something special. I imagine those of you who have been there before know what I mean. The arenas were packed and everyone you met away from the rinks knew it was Gretzky Tournament weekend. Every TV was tuned to the World Junior Tournament. The first 15 minutes of Sportscentre featured hockey highlights, followed by a few minutes of NFL coverage before more hockey. We went to the Kitchener Rangers game, and the place was packed (and they had free parking no less!). We watched Hockey Night in Canada - in Canada. I loved every minute of it.The Lord Mayor of Brantford
Last, but certainly not least - the highlight of the trip was a visit to the childhood home of Wayne Gretzky.I had heard a few weeks ago that we might have the opportunity to tour the Great One's house. Our head coach, Jim Martosella, celebrated his 50th birthday on Sunday and his wife, Jan, arranged the visit as a gift to him. I assumed that by now the house had been turned into a museum or something and people could walk through to soak up whatever greatness was still left in the walls. Between games on Friday this is what we would do.
It wasn't until we got to the house that we realized what was about to happen. We pulled up out front of the house and were given these instructions:
"Go ahead and park on this side of the street, and Mr. Gretzky would like everyone to remove their shoes before they come in."That's when we realized that Wayne's father, Walter, still lives there! We walked in, took off our shoes, and there was Wally (I feel like I can call him Wally now) sitting at the dining room table signing autographs for the team. He sat there for a good 20 minutes signing one autograph after the next until every person had one - and some had two or more!
When all the autographs were handed out, Walter told us some stories about the house and about the family, told a few jokes (Q. What's the difference between the Leafs and the Titanic? A. Absolutely nothing - they both go down as soon as they hit the ice!) and it was off to the basement to see a treasure trove of memorabilia. You would think all of this would be off limits, behind glass or ropes - no way! The trophies, photos, banners, patches, sticks - you name it - were everywhere and totally accessible. Walter made sure each of the kids got a chance to wear one of Wayne's sweaters and pose for a photo next to a life size cut-out of the greatest player ever to play.
It was the experience of a lifetime.
We saw Walter several more times over the course of the tournament. He was at the rink for most of the day on Saturday, patiently signing autographs for all who waited. He was such a nice man and it was fantastic to have met him. I can see why he's such a treasure to the community of Brantford.
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I could go on and on about the trip. I haven't even talked about the great time we spent hanging out with the other parents and kids, many of whom we recognized from the rink but hadn't spent much time with before this trip. That's such a big part of the hockey experience and I know we all made some new friendships this weekend.
I'll conclude with a few links to some of the local news coverage of the tournament and some photos we took at the Gretzky house. Needless to say, I'd recommend this tournament to any local teams looking for an unbelievable experience next year.
I know many of you participated in tournaments over the holidays. I welcome you to share your experiences in the comments, or if you want to write something in-depth, send me an email and I'll post it here (with your permission of course).
Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous new year!
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Wally helps create a memory - About our visit to the Gretzky house and Coach Jim's milestone birthday
Gretzky Tournament Photo Gallery - features several photos of the Valley Forge Colonials
Trip to Brantford is 'paradise' for Scandinavian teens
Finland Blues shoot down Caledon Blackhawks
Brantford Saints edge Norwegians
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