10 Reasons Why The Eastern Trip is Good Times

Here are the 10 reasons why I am looking forward to the Kelowna Rockets 6 game in 9 night Eastern Conference road trip next month.

10) The first game is in Lethbridge, the home of the Hurricanes. I am intrigued by the earlier suggestion that Hurricane fans may taunt us in the broadcast booth. I think I can handle myself, but my 260 pound body guard...or should I say Color Analyst David Michaud is a pretty good back up. I don't anticipate any trouble, and I never have in that building, but after hearing from Everett Silvertips broadcaster Jon Rosen about his experiences there this season,I'll be aware of the potential trouble at the bottom of the booth.
9) A stop in Regina. It will be great to see former Rockets Kirt Hill and Troy Ofukany again, but my main objective is to purchase a Saskatchewan Roughrider Grey Cup Champions 2007 t-shirt. Do you think they will have any in the Queen City? Guaranteed! I may stop by the Saskatchewan Legislature and see Premier Brad Wall. How many times can you say a friend of yours is the Premier? I could be Wall's Minister of Athletics? Maybe he's such a big deal now that he will deny he even knows me? I can hear it now "Security get this man out of here"!
8) A visit to the Moose Jaw Civic Centre. I played many games of hockey in that building, and it's always funny to see the expression on the BC born players faces as they admire the structure with the weird roof. Yes the 'crush can' brings back great memories including the Swift Current Broncos skating onto the ice in that building for their first game following a tragic bus accident in 1986. I can still see it now, the fans standing on their feet as Lonnie Spink, Joe Sakic and others come out onto the ice with those long blue cooperalls.
7) Our next stop is in the building I know as the Keystone Centre in Brandon. I've had a bad nasal congestion problem this season, and one whiff of the buildings cattle-like odor should cure me instantly. All joking aside, the arena brings back thoughts of the Rockets winning a WHL title in that building in 2005. Seeing Wheat Kings Braydon Schenn for the first time will be a treat.
6) I want to see the expression on David Michaud's face when he has to sit on my knee when the Rockets face the Raiders in Prince Albert. The broadcast booth in PA is a disaster. The wooden structure overlooking the ice is extremely small, with little to no room for two visiting radio broadcasters. The only cool part of the location of the broadcast booth is you can literally here the f-bombs from the penalty boxes below. If reno's have been completed on the broadcast location since my last visit, I beg for your forgiveness.
5) The final stop is in Saskatoon. The only reason I don't like this stop is because the players want to go home soooooo bad for Christmas that the game often has little to no flow. I will admit it will be neat to see Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton in a different light, as he becomes a hockey parent for the evening as he watches his son Curtis.
4) The Rockets Christmas party. This is an evening set aside where the players have a traditional Christmas meal and exchange gag gifts. The best gag gift I've received from the players was a voice changer. It's a plastic microphone that you speak into, and has three different settings to make your voice lower, higher or robotic. Come to think of it, maybe the players think my voice stinks? If I ever get a similar gift from my employer, I'm screwed.
3) Prairie sunshine. Sure it's cold out there in December, but the sunshine is like a breath of fresh air. The thing I don't like about BC in the winter is the lack of sunshine. The general theme in the Okanagan in the winter is usually grey, cloudy skies. I'll admit I'm a pussy when it comes to the cold temperatures though.
2) Driving through Swift Current. Unfortunately we don't play the Broncos on this road trip,but passing through my hometown is always a treat. While little has changed from the number one highway as you pass through, getting a glimpse at the Comp High School and the Elmwood Golf Course brings back great memories. OK the great memories are limited in my time at the Comp (Leon Koldingness it's your fault I turned out the way I did), but mastering the 7th hole at the Elmwood Golf and Country Club was sweet.
1) If the Rockets Christmas road trip follows a similar theme, success is sure to follow. Trust me it won't be easy playing 6 games in 9 night's, but if the Rockets can come even close to what they accomplish in 2002-2003 when the team went 5-0, we will all have a Merry Christmas.