"When I started with the New York Islanders in 1980, we traveled mostly on commercial flights -- and the rookies usually had to settle for the middle seats, with no leg room," says New York Islanders scout Ken Morrow, who started his NHL career with four straight Stanley Cups on Long Island from 1980-83. "We would be in airports long enough to read the newspaper and inevitably there would be some pranksters playing the old dollar-bill scam. You know, where they would have a dollar bill on a string and when an unsuspecting passerby reached down for the dollar, thinking he had some found money, they would yank the string and pull it away from them.

"Another thing about those days: You didn't dare fall asleep on one of those flights, because you would invariably wake up with shaving cream in your hand or on your face or be awakened with a hot foot. Of course, that was before players began making millions. You should have seen the reaction of the other passengers. They must have thought we worked for a circus or something the way we traveled in packs."

Tough times. But time better spent than today in getting players in touch with their teammates.

"You can call it progress, but I sometimes wonder if all of the charter flights doesn't hinder our attempt to create a chemistry on a team," says Pleau. "We charter all of our road games, but if there is ever an opportunity to get into a town for a couple of days before we play a game, I'm all for it.

"You wouldn't believe how often you see players get together in the lobby of our hotel and talk, or go out to a movie or shopping together. That kind of camaraderie is worth an extra day away from home to me -- not to mention a couple of points in the standings."

Morrow again -- on the real perils of flying.

"They often call our U.S. Olympic gold medal "The Miracle on Ice,"' he says. "We were based in Minneapolis from September until we left for Lake Placid in February of 1980. We traveled all over the country to play minor league teams and college teams. But the travel wasn't often first class.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic team had a Miracle on Ice as well as a Miracle in the Air from Warroad to Minneapolis just one month before they won the gold medal.

"I'll never forget, for instance, a trip from Minney to Warroad, Minn., in January. We took something called Shamrock Airlines. The owner was the pilot and his daughter was the stewardess, if you get my drift.

"Well, we made it in for the game OK, but had to stop at some small field in Minnesota to refuel on the way back. While the pilot was taxiing in for fuel, he ran the wing into a pole, with all of us watching what was happening. Ten minutes later, they asked all of us to get off the plane -- and lift the wing away from the pole. You can imagine our nerves, wondering if we were going to be safe, for the remainder of the flight."

So now you know that the 1980 U.S. Olympic team had a Miracle on Ice as well as a Miracle in the Air from Warroad to Minneapolis just one month before they won the gold medal.

Larry Wigge has covered the NHL since 1969. He is a frequent contributor to Impact! And NHL.com.