"There's a lot of new faces in town, obviously with the new additions and stuff like that," said Blues forward Brayden Schenn. "It's a chance to get guys away and get on the road, and that means more dinners, riding on the bus more and just being around the rink hanging out. That's good for us, and we need that to keep on building chemistry heading into the season."
"It will be nice to get out of town and get to know a lot of the guys," newcomer Ryan O'Reilly added. "For myself, it'll be nice to have dinner with guys I maybe haven't talked a ton to (in training camp). It's a good thing to do before we head into the season."
The players will stay in Annapolis and take a 45-minute bus ride to Capital One Arena on Sunday for their final preseason game. On Monday, the team will take a tour of the United States Naval Academy and have lunch with midshipmen of the US Navy. Before returning home on Tuesday, the club will practice at McMullen Arena at the Brigade Sports Complex, a 1,000-seat ice arena on the Naval Academy campus.
"I love (team bonding trips)," said Blues Associate Coach Craig Berube. "It's a good thing before the season starts, to get together, have a few days at the Naval Academy. It's a great place. We've got new guys on our team, new faces, so it's good to get together and be around each on the road."
