You Tube - PeeWee Song

Go to You Tube and view: PeeWee Swiss Eastern Selects 2008...this will give you an idea of the tournament. Make sure that you turn up the volumn, as this is the famous PeeWee Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOOvaxqT-70

"La Chanson Des Pee-Wee"
Dans le temps du Carnaval (repeat)
Pour un plaisier sans egal (repeat)
Rendez-vous donc au Colisee
Je sais que vous serez contents
Vous verrez des parties de hockey
Plus belles que celles des grands
les tout'petits sont de bons joueurs (repeat)
Alors chantons tous en choeur! (repeat

Refrain:
1-2-3-Go!
Pee-Wee (7 times)
Vive les Pee-Wee du Carnaval (repeat)

One Last Post - The Legends game...and the road home

The Legend's Game on Saturday, February 22, 2009
After a brief delay...the concierge at the hotel misplaced Robert Savoie's keys to the tournament van, which he finally found in another car he just parked...Coach John, Venus, Nicole, Pat, Coach Robert and I loaded up the van and headed to the Pepsi Colisee for the Legend's game. This game was an exhibition (or a tribute) to some of the NHL players from the past who played in the Quebec International Tournament at a PeeWee. Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux were some of the most well known players; Wayne Gretzky's father - Walter - was one of the honorary coaches for one team; and then there were several players in the 60s and 70s.
The introduction went on for an hour, with highlights of the tournament from the last 50 years which was shown as a slideshow on the Jumbo-tron and the ice below. Afterwards, all the players were introduced, each with a hightlight of their hockey career...and all in French. The game finally begun. It was fun to watch all of these "greats" skate and play a game. But as some of our boys mentioned (over & over again)...the game was slow...sometimes it felt like you were watching slow-motion highlight. But the boys seem to enjoy it.

After the game, all the boys went back to the host families - for most this was the last evening they would be spending with their Quebec family.

Sunday...Last day in Quebec
I didn't see the boys Sunday - until some of them showed up at the doorstep of the hotel in the evening. Some of the boys spent the day at their host family, relaxing and getting in some homework. Some, had the opportunity to go to the Colisee to watch the championship game between the St. Louis Blues and York Simcoe Express (St. Louis won in the AA division 4-3). A couple was treated to the snowboarding competition near the hotel.
While I have been trying document "team" things...I would like to quickly share with you my Sunday...I, was treated to a day with my son - who spent all, but a few hours, trying to make a dent in the 2 weeks of homework he needed to complete before heading back to school on Tuesday. He sat in front of the computer writing 19 paragraphs about the ancient China civilization...but we did take a couple of hours to walk through Old Quebec city - enjoying the Charles Dickens winter scenes (fluffy white show falling on an old city; with stone building from the 1600-1700s covered in snow; narrow cobblestone roads and small evergreens w/white lights outside the storefronts). Old Quebec is a beautiful city, rich in history...and probably more enjoyable to visit and walk around in June or July.

Sunday evening - Kyle, Nick, Victor, Brian, Tyler, Kevin and Max were dropped off at the hotel, where they were put up over night. Their billet families had to work early the next day, which made it difficult to make sure that we were reunited with them before departing on Monday. As soon as the room arrangements were figured out, they were taken up stairs to deposit their belongings and then headed to the hotel pool for a while before heading out to dinner.

Monday...the journey home
Monday morning greeted the remaining boys (Calvin, Morgan, Hiroki, Jake, Carson and Chris) a little early than most, as they were dropped off at the hotel around 7am. The rest of the group, met up with them in the lobby a little before 11am.

Bags packed & in the truck;
boarding passes printed & passports organized
Time to load the vans...one...last...time

It seemed to finally hit some of the boys that the 2 weeks was coming to an end. I looked around the van and there was a moment when the realization hit...

"I can't believe we are already going home."
"I feel like we just got here!"
"I remember what we did the first, day - I remember unpacking."

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow."...Well, you knew that one was coming, right?
Taking the opportunity of the audience I had in my van, I asked the infamous question the boys are asked several times a day:
"Looking back on the time you spent at Quebec, what is the one thing you will remember...the one thing that sticks out the most/the first thought that comes to you (and Hiroki: "it can't be about shopping")."

After some thought, most who were in my van shouted out - "Playing the outdoor hockey game" and "pond hockey"

Carson, added "scoring 2 goals in the game against Rive-Sud Ouest Express PWAA on my 13th birthday (the win gave them another chance to play in the tournament)."

Comments regarding going to the Snow Tubing Park were added to the list eventually.

Planes...security & customs...hunger...
Coming back was a little adventure. However, Air Canada was very helpful getting us all checked in - there is nothing like seeing 14 tired, coughing hockey players, 2 tired coaches and 1 parent, with masses of luggage & hockey gear coming to check-in. They were very helpful and it went smoothly. After going through security, we had some time to kill in the Quebec airport before boarding the plane for our first leg of our journey home. This part was uneventful - in fact some of the boys were able to get a little rest before departing in Toronto.

Once in Toronto, we finally made it to the area where we needed to collect all our luggage & gear before preceeding to customers. Unfortunately, almost all of the boys hockey bags, a few stick bags and several pieces of luggage didn't make the plane in Quebec and would have to be sent to all of us later. Once that was cleared up, we collected all of the things that we did get and headed to customs (which took awhile, but did go smoothly), then to deposit the luggage again so that it would be put on the next flight...then through security one more time. Now that we were all cleared, we needed to get to the plane as it was boarding. Unfortunately, there wasn't ample time for all the boys to get food in the airport...so we had to wait until the food for $ was wheeled around.

In the plane, we all got arranged and set for the 6hours...some of the boys weren't feeling well at this time as they were coming down with the cold/cough/fever that seemed to start making its rounds toward the end of the tournament...and all were very hungry! The airplane personnel confirmed that they would be bringing food around (for sale) and drinks as soon as the plane got airborne. However, due to the luggage crew having an accident (they accidentally drove the luggage truck into the plane) we were delayed. They first had to inspect the plane to make sure that it was safe (that check out fine - passed inspection); next they had to remove that crew to investigate them and write up reports, so we had to wait for a fresh crew to come and finish loading the luggage. Finally about an hour later, we were up in the air and after reaching the cruising altitude, the food wagon came out - pizzas, ramen noodles, roast beef sandwiches, chicken salad wraps...I don't think that the airline crew knew what hit them. They probably made more money from the dining cart on this flight than they ever have before!!!

Once everyone's bellies were full, some of the boys closed their eyes to rest; some played their psps...but the majority of them took out their school books to make an attempt to get all of their work done before the flight landed. And I believe that that majority of them were successful.

Back home...

It is hard to believe that we were just landing in cold Quebec 2 weeks ago...and now we are back home in balmy California. Now that all remains is 2 weeks worth of laundry to fold, stories about pin trading and "shopping", tales of the games that were won and the few that were lost...memories of a lifetime!

Well, I agree with the boys...I cannot believe that the Quebec tournament is over. It was truely an amazing experience - for them and for me. I grateful for the opportunity to be apart of this experience with your children. They are all wonderful boys - all well behaved - you all should be very proud of them. I am!

Day 12 - Quiet Saturday afternoon

With the kids staying back with their billet families, I took the opportunity to look around Quebec City and get in a little souvenir shopping. The old city is really beautiful - very European feel with old stone buildings and narrow cobblestone streets. There are pubs and bistros all around and little boutique shops. It would probably be a better place to visit in the summer month(s), when there is not slushy snow on the ground or brisk wind blowing.
I am not quite sure what all the boys did today - I believe that there was talk of getting some of the boys together for a pond hockey game (which it was a beautiful day to do it...snow stopped and the sun was out). A few of the boys went to their "billet brother's" hockey game. But I am sure that whatever they all did, they are having a good time.
Tonight we will all be meeting together to watch the Legend's game. From my understanding of this game and the men who will be taking the ice - they all played in the Quebec International PeeWee Tournament when they were all 11-13 years old. Several of the Legends who accepted the invitation to participate are; Guy Lafleur, Arthur Quoquocchi, Real Cloutier, Gaetan Boucher, Pat LaFontaine, Mario Lemieux, Sylvain Cote, Joe Juneau, Manon Rheame, Gilbert Perrault, Pierre Lacroix, Pierre Larouche, Mario Gosselin, Patrick Poulin, Yves Racine, Florent Fortier, Pat flatley, Pierre Turgeon, Mark messier, Gilles Lavasseur, Craig Wolanin, Steve Larmer, Ron Tugnutt and Walter Gretzky as honorary coach. I plan on having my camera there (and a few sharpies...just incase).
Hope all is going well at home...we will see you all very soon!

Day Eleven - The Game...and the end

Well...I am not sure how to start this post, as many of you know the outcome of this game already. The boys enjoyed the quiet morning and a pre-game meal at the cafeteria. They were excited to play hockey and had plans to skate hard and play well because they knew that they were only a couple of wins from playing in the Colisee again. But I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

The boys did play strong the first period - but the Alliance scored first, 3:42 minutes in the first period. We did have a couple of scoring opportunities, but the puck just didn't go in the net for us. End of the 1st period - score: 0-1. In the second period, the Alliance scored immediately (17 seconds) and then 2 more times. We even had a 5 on 3 power play opportunity - but just couldn't make anything happen. End of the 2nd - score: 4-0. During the third period, the Alliance were on the penalty kill 3 more times, which the boys had a few opportunities, but couldn't make anything happen...and eventually the Alliance scored 2 more times - making the final score 6-0. Victor played in goal until mid-3rd period, when Jake came in and finished out the game.

What happened? The Alliance was a very good team. Their defense shut out offense down and our defense was challenged to stop their offense. While we in the stands were upset, and probably those of you at home...but the boys in the locker room were ok. Upset...a little; they were all talking about mistakes they made, plays they missed...but after a few minutes, there were smiles on their faces as they went back with their billet families.

The Quebec International PeeWee Tournament, might be over in terms of the tournament hockey games for our boys as of right now...but the Quebec International PeeWee Tournament still goes on for a few more days. While this is about hockey - it is also a very unique experience that is more than just hockey. For the last 11 days, our boys have been immersed in a Canadian culture which includes hockey, living with a family who speaks French, spending day/night with teammate(s), spending time away from home and away from mom/dad, making their own decisions, dealing with their own money, a time change, and so on. They have come into contact with other hockey players from all over the world - Italy, Mexico, Austria, Swizterland, Germany...and all over the USA. It will be something they will remember for a long time. And, like I said, they still have a few more days to enjoy Quebec and hockey!

Tomorrow...the boys will stay with their billet families during the day. There was some talk about pond hockey; others mentioned that some of their billet siblings had hockey games or practice that they might watch. In the evening, we all will be getting together for the Legend's game which starts at 7pm at the Colisee.

Until then...good night from the Great White North!

Day Eleven - Quiet Morning

Friday, February 20 - Once again the morning greets us with some snowfall and blustery wind. The picture to the left, is the view outside my hotel room. You can see the snow on the clock and the roof tops. The snow plows were out working most of the evening, trying to clear off some of the streets. Now that the snow has stopped coming down, the plows are out in force to clean up...yet, the wind continues to blow. If you follow that street down to the left, it will take you to the old city, were there are a lot of restaurants and shops.

This morning, 10 of the 15 boys were dropped off at the Colisee (Chris, Carson, Kyle, Victor and Nick stayed back at their billet's house). Those 10 boys were brought back to the hotel for the 3 S's-

Studying,

Snacking and

Snoozing!

The boys will then meet in the lobby of the hotel around 12:30 and we will depart for the Cafe de Hockey for a late lunch. After lunch...we meet at the Colisee, where they will board the "official" tournament vans and head to the Arpidrome for the afternoon game against the Rochester Alliance.

Go

Sharks!

Day Ten - A Tournament Game...and the Jr. Sharks advance.

Thursday, February 19 - We were all greeted with a new white blanket of snow covering this morning, as it snowed several inches throughout the night. White, fluffy snowflakes continued to fall throughout the morning and into the early afternoon...it made for a Winter Wonderland feeling, even when the brisk wind began to blow. But I am sure you don't want to read about a weather report, so I will get on with today's blog posting.
At the Colisee, we were greeting with only six boys: Hiroki, Jake, Calvin, Morgan, Max and Kevin - the remaining boys slept in and were brought directly to the Arpidrome from their hosts' houses a hour before game time. Even though they woke up early, they looked more refreshed than they did yesterday. When asked if they got to bed at the curfew of 9, some responded "yes" immediately. One, that being Hiroki, took his time answering the question...he said that he did go to bed around 9, but didn't go to sleep at that time because he wasn't tired. Well, whatever time he did fall asleep, he too looked more rested today. Before leaving the Colisee, we were able to watch the Lemieux Academy beat Victory Honda - it was a good game.

Pre-Game/Morning Activity
We left the Colisee with the 6 boys and went to the hotel, where we all rested in the lower lobby (check out Calvin's "game-day" dress...we were lovin' those red snowman pj's - thought that should have been the special Quebec Tournament "game-day" dress code for all). The boys went to Subway with Pat Marabella and Coach John for a mid-morning snack. Around 10:45am, we left the hotel and made our way through the snowy streets of Quebec to the Arpidrome for the game against the Rive-Sud Ouest Express.














The Game...San Jose Jr. Sharks PWAA vs. Rive-Sud Ouest Express PWAA

We arrived at the rink about 11:30 (an hour before game time). The remaining boys were there watching the game before ours. These boys, also, looked more rested than the day before, but a couple were still looking a little worn (either due to lack of sleep, fighting a cold or excess fun). The hockey gear was waiting for them in the locker room, so all filed out for warmups before going in to get ready to play. With each game, there is the little known fact: win this game to go on, or loose and your done. Nevertheless, the boys were in pretty good spirits in the locker room, especially with the music cranked up!

Even though the large group of San Jose Jr. Shark parents left Tuesday & Wednesday, there were still a few of us (Venus & Nicole Rockwell, me and Pat Marabella)...but also, our new San Jose Jr. Shark parents: Danny (billet father for Carson & Chris), Carole & Real (billet parents for Tyler & Brian), Sylvain & Sandra (billet parents for Robert & David), and Gaeton (captain for all)...if I missed any, please accept my apologizes. It was an honor to have our billet families cheering for our kids - they were as loud as we were. And the best thing was, they could yell at the referees in French!

Back to the game...Victor was the goalie in today's game. For the first 2 periods, our boys played well. Rive-Sud Ouest scored first 1:50 into the period - but we managed to come back about six minutes later when (Goal 1) - Kyle scored, assisted by Carson and Hiroki. End of the 1st period = 1-1.

We scored two times in the second...(Goal 2) - Carson, assisted by Tyler; and (Goal 3) a power play goal by Carson, assisted by Robert. End of the 2nd period = 3-1 [Great Birthday Presents from Carson...our new teenager on the team]

During the 3rd period, it seemed like we were getting a little tired, as several kids got caught on the ice making it difficult to change - Rive-Sud took advantage and scored @ 12:06. Thus, it was 3-2 with less than 3 minutes to go. (Note: for this tournament 1st & 2nd periods are 10 minutes long; third period, which starts after an ice cut, is 15 minutes long). Those were some long minutes, especially when Rive-Sud pulled their goalie and we had a 6 on 5 situation in our zone for the majority of it. There were 2 empty net chances - 1st by Kyle and the 2nd by Chris - but no luck. When the puck came back in our zone, there were some scary moments out there - but, finally buzzer sounded and we won the game! The Sharks live for another day!

Post-Game activities...and tomorrow's schedule...

After the game, the boys were treated to recovery food of juice and cookies the tournament has been supplying them. Then all but 4 boys went back to their host families house...rest, food, and hopefully some homework. The remaining boys...Calvin, Morgan, Jake and Hiroki, went back to the Colisee with Coach John, Coach Robert & Dr. Marabella until their host families picked them up between 5:30-6pm. I was grateful for the opportunity to be dropped off at the hotel to get a little R&R (and update the blog).

Tomorrow...while we are still waiting for a final count of the boys who will be dropped off in the morning at the Colisee...we plan to get the boys and bring them back to the hotel to rest, planning a quiet morning. Our pregame activites have typically included homework, rest and food...so that will probably be the plan. Our game is scheduled for 4:15 eastern time (1:15 California time). We are playing the Rochester Alliance (from New York).

That is all from the Great White North...Until tomorrow, stay well.

Day Nine - A day of Exhibition Games

Wednesday, February 18 - On the schedule for the boys today were two exhibition games. Upon arrival at the Colisee this morning between 8-8:30am, we were greeted by many tired boys. It seemed the fun day at the snow park followed by the exciting Quebec Rampart game in the evening might have worn out the boys. While we waited for all the show up, those who were dropped off, went to get some addition breakfast food & water; while others took the opportunity to pull thier hat over their eyes and take a nap. We boarded the vans around 10:00am and headed over to Arena Rejean-Lemelin. If you are interested to see the location of all the rinks your child has played at while in Quebec, visit: http://www.rinktime.com/skating_rinks/dsp_LargeMap.cfm?l=4949

Exhibition Game 1 - Victory Honda

Our first game was against Victory Honda (a team from Detroit). Dressed in our Teal, the boys took the ice at 11:30am. It was a great game played by our boys. They kept "moving their feet" and "played" the whole game - and, thus, won...2-0. Victor played well, making some wonderful saves (unfortunately they didn't keep/record shots). The other team, took 6 penalties and were slightly slower than us. Scoring for us:

Goal 1 - 2nd period - Hiroki; assisted by Carson & Tyler

Goal 2 - 3rd period - Carson; assisted by Chris

After the game, the boys loaded their gear onto the truck so that it could be taken to the next rink: Arena Val Belair. Because there wasn't a lot of time between the two exhibition games, the boys ate lunch at Rejean-Lemelin. The drive between the rinks provided adequate time for several boys to rest (and a couple might have even fallen asleep).

Exhibition 2 - New York Islanders

Unfortunately this game didn't go as well as the first game. The NY Islander team played a very good game. Their passing was "spot on". The boys did ok and Jake played well...but really didn't start playing until the 3rd period. The score - 4 to 1. Our lone goal was scored by Max with an assist by Carson and Kyle.

From this rink, we headed back to the Colisee, where we watched Belle Tire play while waiting for all the boys to get picked up by their families.

(Please note...I did take a few photos from the last game, but I am going to make it an early evening...something that we have instructed the billet families to do with the boys. We told them to inforce a curfew of 9pm or earlier as the boys need to get some sleep in preparation for their tournament game at 12:30pm).

Good night from Quebec!

Day Eight - Snow Park and Rampart Game

Tuesday, February 17 - The boys had a day off of playing hockey, but it wasn't a day to rest by any means. All the boys met at the Colisee between 8 and 8:30 am and then we all piled in the van to head to the Valcartier Village Snow Park for snow tubing. We arrived at the park around the time it opened...which was 10am. After the park tickets were purchased, the boys were given the rules: "they cannot roam the park by themselves, they must always have another teammate with them" and "they had to meet in the lobby at 3:30pm". And they were off. Most headed over to the highest hill - the Everest...and a few walked around the park until they found other hills that didn't have waiting lines. Basically, at this park, you pick up an inner tube and pull it around by it's "leash". To get up the hill, you jump on another inner tube that pulls you up the hill. Once up on the hill, you sit on the inner tube and go down. You can go down by yourself or attach yourself up to 7 other people and go down as a group (the maximum number of people to form a group is 8).

Not only did the boys enjoy the day, but several of the families (Jon & Kim, Mark & Molly, Lisa and Louise) enjoyed the rush of tubing down the hills. It was a beautiful day - perfect for such an activity. It was warm (relatively speaking)...probably in the mid to upper 20s, no wind, no clouds and lots of sun. Going up a hill, tubing down and then walking through the snow, makes for some hungry boys. So, after a few house of playing in the snow, it was time for some of the boys to find lunch.

Lunchtime at the Snow Park
Several of the boys met up at one of the resturants at the top of one hill. There, several of the boys ordered Poutine - The quintessential Canadian comfort food, especially in Quebec, consisting of French Fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients. Hot Dogs, regular french fries and sour gummy worms made a complete meal for most others.

With full bellies, they were ready to hit the hills again. The snow park provided a lot of fun for all; it even provided an opportunity for some of the boys to meet other kids from Finland (some girls, that is) and snow tube with them. Right at 3:30, all the boys made it back to the lobby and we boarded the van again and headed to Cafe de Hockey for dinner before heading to the Colisee for the Ramparts Game.
Dinner at Cafe de Hockey

Back at the community center (aka Cafe de Hockey) we dined on Turkey Sandwiches w/brown gravy, french fries, boiled peas, lettuce cups, slaw, and the assortment of sweets and fruits. One of the boys favorites is the Dannon yogurt drinks in the small little bottles. A couple of times, the boys were competing against each other to see who could guzzle the most bottles of yogurt...until the coaches suggested that it might not be a good idea to drink so many before a game. The boys were excited about going to eat at the Cafe de Hockey because Tuesday and Thursday evenings are cheerleading practices. These are the girls the boys met last week. Unfortunately, after the boys located where the girls were practicing, they were told to stay away...so, after they ate dinner, they hung out in the hallway until it was time to depart for the game. Many took this opportunity to rest - as they were tired from all the fresh air and running around the snow park.

The Rampart Game

The Ramparts are a Quebec Junior Hockey Team. The coach is Patrick Roy (who was a Goalie in the NHL - last place he played was for the Colorado Avalanche). Two of his sons play for him; one is a goalie and the other is forward (if I remember correctly). We sat up in the nose bleed seats - but it was a great place to watch the game. The Ramparts won the game. The boys had a good time watching....and eating more hot dogs.

After the game...we made our way down to the section where we meet up with the billet families, and everyone went home...hopefully for a good night sleep. Tomorrow there are two exhibition games planned - in the morning we are scheduled to play Victory Honda. We don't know who we are playing in the afternoon yet. We were scheduled to play the Colorado Thunderbirds, but they won their game this afternoon so they will play a tournament game tomorrow instead.

Day Seven - Quiet Morning and a game

Monday, February 16 - Today started out pretty low-key. We met the boys at the Colisee between 8-8:30am and made sure that all the boys who had their skates on them got them sharpened for the upcoming game. While we waited for all to show up and for all the skates to be sharpening, some boys watched the morning game between Belle Tire and Markham while others walked around the Colisee to trade pins. Pin trading has become a new "sport" for most of the boys. Don't be surprised if your son comes home with a new pin album filled with pins. As written a couple of days ago...everyone received a bag of 10 Jr. Shark pins from Robert Savoie. The boys use these pins to trade for pins from the other teams. I am sure you will be amazed to see what pins the boys will be coming back home with.

Around 9:30am, we left the Colisee and headed back to the hotel. Once there, we divided up the boys amongst the coaches, Marabella, Borneman, Kelleys, Ellis and myself and took them back to the rooms for homework and rest. After talking with most of the other parents, it sounded like some of the kids actually accomplished something before resting for an hour or so. In my room, Robert and Brian worked on math for 1 1/2 hours and then slept for a little over an hour. Around 12:30, everyone was up and it was time to board the van for lunch at Cafe de Hockey. Today's luncheon special...pizza, french fries, soup, lettuce cups and an assortment of fruits and sweets. While at lunch, the Russian PW team came into the cafeteria and were greeted by Pin Trading Jr. Sharks. Some of our boys made some good trades with the Russian and secured them to their new pin albums.

After lunch, we made our way back to the Colisee where we boarded the vans to the Arpidrome where we played our first game in the consolation bracket. The opposing team was the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies from Quebec. The game started off pretty well, as Kyle scored 22 seconds into the first period...assisted by Carson and Hiroki. We started the 2nd period at 1-0...and within 3:10 minutes Kyle scored again (assisted by Carson and Brian)...and then again at 3:35, this time unassisted. Kyle with a Hat Trick. At 4:23 minutes into the 2nd, the Huskies scored...followed by a goal by Hiroki (assisted by Carson and Kyle) at 5:53. End of the 2nd - score: 4 - 1. After the ice cut and the beginning of the 3rd period, the other team managed to come back due to some penalities taken by our boys. But Nick sealed our win with a goal, assisted by Chris at 13:43 in the 3rd. The game ended with a win for us - 5-3. Ya-hoo!

(photo above...Kyle's first goal and Hiroki celebrating in front of the net).

Here are a few other shots from the game...

What is up for tomorrow...Snow park and Ramparts game. Until tomorrow...signing out from the Great White North!