Let me start this report with the final evening second to last of the team activities. On arriving back at the hotel from our last game we all got together at the bar. Each player and guest got up and made a toast to Raki and Bajo for the great time they had. I know this sentiment is shared by the whole team but I will reiterate it here. To organize a trip like this must have taken hours of planning and organizing and negotiating for our travel itinerary. Each and every one of us feels a whole hearted thanks to Bajo and Raki for there total unselfish efforts on our behalf. This was made very evident by the toasts. Raki and Bajo went way out of their way to show us their country and their town, and region. Every step of the way was planned for our enjoyment. The pride that Bajo and Raki and Steph had in their country was obvious, and the pride that they had in us in introducing us as their f! riends and team mates was also obvious. From the comments that we all made it was also obvious that we were all glad to have been a part of there home coming. In our thanks let us not also forget to thank both Steph and Peter in their tourist agent duties.
For Heather Anne and me the trip was perfect from beginning to end, and once again Dave Tweedy summed up a trip by hitting the mark with a very simple comment "This was the most fun I have ever had playing hockey."
Our trip started at Heathrow where we all met on time. We all had a bet on who would be last and I had a bet that Dave Tweedy would be last and lost so I owe Simon a beer. Jock had the oversize and over weight luggage all set up so that went smoothly. The trip to Martin was a long one and we arrived at about 4:00 AM. There were a few beers on the bus but everyone got to the hotel and wanted to hit the sack so we all could participate in all the activities planned.
The Hotel was a true 4 star. It was an A frame type with one room at the top and as the floors went down there were more rooms. The breakfast was great nutritious and filling. If you ate your fill there you did not need anything the rest of the day till dinner.
On the trip were Alan (Goalie) and Julie Gray (Fan), Simon (D) and Sam (3rd Line C), Heather (Fan) and myself (D) Peter (2nd Line Wing) and Emma (No 1 Critic), Those batching were Igor (D), Dave T(D), Jock (3rd Line Wing), Baz (3rd Line Wing) , Kevin (2nd line Wing) , Steph (3rd Line C) , Raki (1st Line W) , Rob (1st Line C) and Dwayne. (1st Line Wing). There were also two Chickas Jill (No 2 Critic) and Farah (No 3 Critic and most annoying laugh), and I do not know how, why and where they came, but they were there. They must have thought Marty was coming or something. It seemed all they wanted to do was complain about Raki, and about the organization of the trip. To complain about Raki is a worthy pastime on most issues, but not on this trip, for they had nothing to complain about. It must be because of my advanced age for every one ! else seem to tolerate them but they just got under my skin. At breakfast when they were complaining about everything I had a go at them and told them of what I though Raki and Bajo had done and the efforts they had made (I also told them to be quiet on the bus) they gave me a wide berth the rest of the trip.
Heather Anne and I were always the first ones up in the morning and on the ski hill by 10:00. The ski hill Martin Hole reminded us of our southwest Ontario hills. It was an intermediate hill where everyone could enjoy themselves... On the first day there was a blizzard and white outs above the tree line, and it was cold, but the snow was great, and we skied all day till they closed the hill. Raki took the dare devils off pieste and Dwayne, Kevin, Rob, Bajo, Dave, Jock, and Steph really challenged the hill. The Second Day saw us at the lift at 8:15 only to be told the hill was closed to high winds, this had most of us in town shopping, except Alan and Julie who went up to challenge the Baby Hill. Friday was another ski day. Wed, Thur and Friday, saw us all get together for team meals at the hotel. Saturday the party split up and Jock, Heather Anne and Dave T went skiing, and the rest of us went t! o the hot springs and rolled in the snow to rejuvenate ourselves and ready ourselves for the game that evening. Sunday we all got on the bus at 10:00 (we were supposed to be on the bus at 9:00 but the drunks Rob and Dwayne held every one up. We had a slow bus ride through the beautiful Slovakian country side, seeing castles and the towns and cities, we arrived at Bratislava at 1:00 and had 3 1/2 hours to see the sites. One group went shopping and eating, the other group went eating and site seeing. Then on to the Vienna airport for the last team drinks, and the flight home. This was made without any major hic ups. At Heathrow every one was a bit down that such a great trip had to come to an end.
Due to three factors I did not see much that was going on at the various party locations, so you will have to rely on other sources. (The three reasons are: 1. I am old, and had to get my rest, 2. I had a terrible cold, and 3. Heather Anne and I had the Honeymoon suite, and we made good use of it. [You see you bachelor guys there is one benefit to being and old stud married to a young sexy wife - you get it all the time]). Any way it has been reported that virtually every one did not make it to bed before the wee hours of the morning. (That is a Jock quote). Wed 6am, Thur 6 am Fri 7:30 am. Also every on was on the ski hill by 11:00 so you figure it out. 'Not much energy to play hockey. The high lights I have been told are Raki throwing up all over a WC and himself and blacking out, leading to a bunch of drunks trying to get him into a cab. This lead to his mother disowning him for a day or two. Ditto on Igor another night but getting that hulk into a cab became much more problematic than the stick thin Raki. Also Igor's late nights lead him to sleep all day including the hockey games. However Raki kept him company on the ice also. I also understand that Charlotte should be proud of Kev as he was being chased around a bar all night by a dunk Slovak bar fly, and according to Simon P there was pure panic in his eyes. Sam C made it a habit of tucking all the drunks in at night or should I say morning, and that is her excuse why she had to stay up and make sure the boys were all snuggy in bed. It must have been by osmosis that she got a hang over every morning. Simon P used the excuse for his late night excursions that he had to look after his wife. Jock really needs to be pitied however, he had to flip his kilt (which he wore all over the place) to get the Slovakian women to recognize him, and Julie has a picture to prove! it. No one ever recognized his face, and therefore he got away with a lot that he should not have. Alan and Julie went along for the ride, and Julie never did get that glass of wine she asked for, the request was always lost in the translation and she kept up ending up with a bottle, to save Anglo Slovak relations Dave the Bank Tweedy had to keep buying the bottle. After Alan's sun burn from the goal light he told me that he wished he had kept up to Raki and Igor to ease the pain. Peter had a Mr Jeckel and Dr Hyde weekend, trying to be super lover and super party goer. From what I heard he struck out at both. Steph partied but combined team and family functions, and always had his Dad along. When we met Stephs Dad we thought they were twin brothers. But Steph without the bad influence of Stuey did not get lost and did not try to make it with a bar stool like in Scotland. Baz did his role of the quiet drunk quite we! ll, and the look of they made me do it was always on his face and was quite convincing. Rob and Dwayne truly missed Alphie because they kept their cloths on during all the party escapades, and their bar chatter was limited to WHOOO HOCKEY or I MISS ALPHIE and MARTY. Dave Tweedy using his senior's maturity nursed his booze but had just enough to now be known as the Dancing King, and the dance he invented on Thursday night is now sweeping Eastern Europe.
Well where I start. This was great hockey like in Prague last year. However last year most of the teams were away from home and they were partying too. So all the games were close. This year the teams were local and we were the only ones partying plus we were skiing. All the games were close till the end of the second period and then they walked away from us. However none of us were disappointed for the calibre we had to ascend too, made us feel satisfied even though we lost.
However I must make some comments:
I noticed that I had quite a wind burn on my face, and I mentioned to Heather Anne that I must have got it skiing, but she said it could not have been that because I had my face covered up with goggles and face mask, she said it must have been done on the ice when every one was going around me. However being a geriatric pylon to the Slovaks was made worth while when I got in a fight and beat up one of the youngsters on the Bratislava team. It is still a thrill sitting in the penalty box and showing the guys my grey hairs and age lines, and knowing his team mates will not let him forget the old fart beating for a long time.
Dwayne, Rob and Raki got most of the goals however they had a negative 37 on the tournament. It got so bad on the defence that the defensive parings were trying to trick each other so we did not have to play with them. We knew with the second and third lines we would see some familiar faces in the defensive zone.
I think one thing we should do is explain to ALL THE TEAM what the different positions are. When our leader Raki said cover your wings, every one was thinking about barbecue sauce and Colonel Sanders.
Dave Tweedy made some great rushes into the offensive zone and he beat every one back into the defensive zone - 'classic two way play'. But he said what really wore him out was having Igor fall asleep on him on the bench. If it was not for Dave Tweedy's sterling rushes back into the zone with the first line their negative percentage would have been cubed.
Kevin with his experience from Prague was a great help on the D for he knew they would be going around them so he had to come back. However the one exception was the Friday game, when he came to the rink and his brain was still asleep back at the hotel. In that game we were hoping for Glenny to replace him.
Steph and Peter were great, this was due to the fact that love kept Peter's drinking to a minimum and Steph's home visits did the same for him. However they too made some brain dead moves to make us all feel good. At one point someone did not feel Steph was doing his job and locked him in the dressing room. He had a window to communicate to the outside world. Someone passed him a key and he rushed to the ice and did a graceful swan dive to a belly flop as he cleared the boards. Peter had a problem with figuring out who and where the wings are, but he really helps us out in the defensive area.
Both Steph and Raki also had breakaways, and for some reason they thought they would give the opposition a chance and tried to skate to the net on their knees.
IN CONCLUSION
I am sure you can make out by this report that this was a great experience and we all want to go back for next year.
John Hubbell