Postcards From Europe: April 21-22

The 2018 Jr. Colorado Avalanche Pee-Wee Team has begun its 10-day journey to Europe where it will compete in the 2018 Nordic Hockey Trophy Tournament in Espoo, Finland.
The team representing the Avalanche, the Arvada Hockey Association AA Pee Wees, earned its bid by winning the 2017 Avalanche International Qualifier back in November. Eleven teams throughout the state of Colorado competed in the pool-play tournament, with Arvada going undefeated throughout the competition.

The first leg of the trip to Europe began on Saturday afternoon with a seven-hour, overnight flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. After a quick layover and another three-hour flight, the team reached its first destination, Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday afternoon.
"When we got there it was pretty cool because it was a really nice hotel and inside the room we had to put our room key into a slot to turn on the lights," said first-year forward Gabe Kennedy. "It was really different than where we're from."
With no time to waste, the Jr. Avalanche got right to work with an hour-long practice at Ritorp Ishall, home of the prestigious Stockholm association, AIK, which the peewees will match up against on Monday night in its first exhibition game of the trip.
It was definitely a change of scenery from the team's last practice before traveling abroad, as the Jr. Avs had an extended skate on Pepsi Center ice.
"The rink is a little wider, and it seems like it's a bit colder on the ice. I didn't have any jet lag or anything, I felt good out there," Gabe added.

Although some players were exhausted from the 24-hour day full of traveling, time changes and skating, the peewees are excited to be in a new setting.
They are the first-ever youth hockey team to represent the Avalanche overseas and will be the only North American club competing in the international tournament next weekend.
The Jr. Avalanche will be on a professional schedule for the next nine days in Sweden and Finland. Check back daily for more Postcards From Europe to hear about the team's adventures on and off the ice.
Vi ses senare!