REGINA – The first road trip of the year is an important bonding experience for any team. Nothing breeds familiarity with someone like being packed on a bus with him for days on end.
The Regina Pats are currently two games into a five-game trip through the Central Division; their first roady of the 2015-16 season. The team left on Monday and won’t return to the Queen City until the middle of next week, so the players are going to spend a lot of time in close quarters together.
“We might get a little singing action, maybe a fantasy hockey draft with the boys, and poker tournaments,” explained Pats’ forward Rykr Cole.
Press the pause button…singing action?
“Yeah, there’s a lot of things, and that’s just one of them,” said centre Adam Brooks.
Showing off their set of pipes has become a rookie tradition for the Pats.
“It’s something that everyone does and it’s funny hearing some of the guys’ voices,” laughed Brooks. “It’s all in good fun, and it helps this team bond and get stronger as a whole.”
While singing isn’t an option, what the player chooses to sing is still up to them.
“Whatever the boys want to choose to not embarrass themselves too much,” said Cole.
The Pats have 9 rookies on the roster this season, and are hoping that by harmonizing off the ice they’ll be singing a happy tune on the ice.
“As a team we need to find more team chemistry, and really come together as a group. I thought last year we were a really tight-knit group and right now we’re working on that and the road trip really helps,” explained Cole.
The Pats started the trip with a 6-2 win in Medicine Hat on Tuesday, before losing 6-4 in Lethbridge on Wednesday night.
“It’s fun to go on a road trip with the team, especially the first one of the year, everyone bonds and gets to know each other a little bit better,” said Brooks, who has exploded for four goals and two assists through the first pair of games of the trip and leads Regina with 12 points on the season.
What does Brooks remember from his first road trip with the Pats?
“Got beat up a couple times on the bus, a lot of shoe checks at restaurants, stuff like that. I mean if you’re on a bus, tight quarters, for that long obviously you’re going to get along, well sometimes not,” laughed the 19-year old.
The Pats continue their road trip with a stop in Edmonton on Friday night to play the Oil Kings.
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