|
- by Pat Scanlon
The Tournament begins with the drop of the puck in the first game on either the first Tuesday or Wednesday of March. The actual start day is determined by the Host and stated in their bid package. The Host will decide how many teams they can accommodate and limitations may be set because of availability of ice and hotel rooms. Slots are filled on a first come, first served basis (sounds like ATC service provisions) by submitting a team roster and paying the tournament fees. In recent years, entry fees have been between $250-$300 per person with 22-27 teams participating. Non-players must also pay to attend tournament functions but at a reduced fee. Tournament fees cover four games, refs and scorekeepers, transportation to and from the rink, some of the beer, a meet and greet event the night before the Tournament and the Friday night banquet.
Want to play but aren't on a team? Read the rules and see if you meet eligibility requirements, then register on the website and put your name on the looking for a team list. We have a player rating system to get you ranked and placed on an appropriate team...no experience or skill is necessary! Think you can put an entire team together? Start collecting that entry fee money and have your players arrange leave. Tell the players who want to get back to you next week or next month that they need to pay up or they can't go. If you wait too long you will not be sending a team. Need a few extra players, read the rules for eligibility requirements to see who you could possibly pick up OR put a notice on the teams looking for players list. The tournament is becoming more and more competitive each year so try to get in at least one skate before you go...at least check your bag to make sure you have all of your gear! No matter what division you play in, many fierce games are played. Time to pal around comes afterward. If you fight, you are finished..no refund, goodbye, pack your bag, period. Most games you will find are played very cleanly, unlike what you may be used to on your home ice.
Schedules are usually published a couple of weeks before the tournament. If you are playing against a team from another country, it is customary to exchange small token gifts with your opponent players. Avoid embarrassment; when the guys from Moscow show up with gifts of Russian Vodka you'll be glad you prepared for that.
There is one other issue. Most of you are hard pressed to get time off to go to the tournament, but if at all possible, get there a day or two early. You will have more time to socialize in a leisurely atmosphere. Once the tournament starts, the time goes by very quickly and the days/nights are full. The tournament organizers can arrange for you to play informal games against local teams or other tournament participants, for a nominal fee. Sometimes there are pick up games you can join in on. These games are usually on Monday and Tuesday. Most of the European teams are already in town because they like to stay for an entire week.
Read the rules and associated appendixes. Everything you need to know about the tournament is contained in the rules and you need to be familiar with that information. If you have questions, contact a Rules Committee member, a team rep, or the webmaster and they'll be glad to help you!
What happens when you get there?
Show up at the hotel and argue with the staff about the room that you reserved back in November. Get it all sorted out. Go to your room and drop your gear in a corner. Put on your favorite hockey jersey and go find the bar! Look for the scruffiest characters there, yup, those animals. There they are, prime specimens of the species Beerinus Vectoralis (The Northern Separator) a rare breed of air traffic controller, approximately 400 in number, distributed from Anchorage down to California to Miami, to Newfoundland, parts of Europe and Russia. They are identified by their call: "Hey, get me another beer, dammit!" Actually, you will find these folks to be friendly and easy to talk to. What I like about the tournament is that a lot of us don't spend a lot of time talking about the job. I don't know about you but I get tired of explaining what I do for a living to people I meet. At least for me this is a welcome break. Many of the folks who spend time getting to know the people from the other teams build relationships that last a lifetime. When you have been going for a few years, it almost seems like you can start up a conversation right where you left off the year before. Anyway, if you are new there, tell folks where you are from and don't be afraid to join in. This is one of the few organizations I have ever come across which won't make you feel like an outsider, there are no cliques here. There are language barriers at times, but if you want to drink vodka with the Russians, you just go right up and ask them, you will only regret that the bed won't stop spinning the next morning!
Hockey comes way too early the next morning, even if your game is at noon! But no matter how you feel, you can't let the team down. Get that stinky gear on and hit the ice. The cold air will do you some good. Hopefully you know what happens during a hockey game so I won't go into the details. If not, you may want to think about another activity like a union convention or some other thing. After hockey, a lot of folks find time for a nap before heading out for more social activities, some of them organized by the tournament. That nap, by the way, is in a room with two sets of wet, reeking hockey gear strewn about the room, so choose your roommate carefully. Friday night is the banquet. I won't go into any details here, just have fun! Go home Saturday or Sunday, any later and the locals will buy you a ticket home. |
