Hi hockey fans.
Let me start out by saying the team played great in (Monthey) Switzerland at the 5 Nations Tournament a couple weeks ago. We won every game by a pretty big margin (outscoring the opposition 30-5 in four games) and it was a good experience. Obviously, traveling to a different country was fun. Just to have a chance to see the culture, and the foods they eat, the different things they do. It was a great area, and we had a good time and a lot of success.
No medals are given for the top team in the tournament but I believe we'll get a cowbell, so that's pretty funny. I think it's a big cowbell, too. We were staying in a little ski resort. It was very picturesque; there were a lot of mountains. Where we were staying, there was not a lot going on just because it's a ski resort and not until the winter does it start to become crowded. We did walk around a little bit and it was just really cool seeing the mountains in the background.
On the last day there, we ate at a place that had this great cheese fondue. I think they're kind of known for their cheeses in Switzerland, so I definitely liked the cheese. I ate some chocolate there too. We visited a store on the last day, so I got some pretty good chocolate, but I didn't bring any home unfortunately.
Personally, I didn't feel I played my best at the tournament, but I thought we played a great team game. I thought I forced too many plays but, overall, I thought I played relatively well. My linemates in the four games were right wing Jimmy Snuggerud and left wing Rutger McGroarty.
I love how the team is playing right now. I think we're line juggling a little bit but, overseas, we had all lines going so I think the lines are starting to click and the guys have been great in the locker room. We're playing a great team game right now.
Thanksgiving Day has always been a special holiday for my family. I'm in an apartment in Michigan that isn't very big. My mom, dad, brother, sister and my grandma got here on Tuesday and we went for a little meal that night, which was a lot of fun. On Thursday, we had a bigger meal.
The thing I like most about Thanksgiving Day are my mom's sweet potatoes. Ever since I was a little kid, I've always loved them. I look forward to Thanksgiving just for that. To be honest, I don't even know if it's a special recipe, but they're great. I'm usually available to help out with the clean up after dinner. I'm not involved too much with the cooking part; it's busy and everyone's running around making food, so I just kind of sit back and let them do their cooking.
The day after Thanksgiving has always been pretty special for us, too. Before I moved to Michigan, we always began decorating for Christmas ... sometimes even before Thanksgiving. We'd put on a little Christmas music, or watch a movie and just relax.
My favorite Christmas movie is "Christmas Vacation."
Well, that's it for this month. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, everyone.
Photo credit: Rena Laverty/NTDP
---
Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class
