STEVE HAMMER JOURNAL

Track the Colorado Avalanche Pee Wee Team that traveled to Canada for the Quebec International this month. The following are journal entries from head coach Steve Hammer. For the full story and pictures, check out the March issue of CHI.

Entry 1

We lost our 1st game at the Coliseum 3-1 to the Carolina Hurricane who were a pretty darn good team. The whole experience at the Coliseum was really fun as there were probably 2-3 thousand people. We then played an exhibition game yesterday against a top team at our level from Montreal and won 3-1. We now play our next tournament game today at 4:15 against the top Québec province team at our level. We need to win to stay in the tournament.
All the kids are now with their Billet families and who are extremely gracious. Most parents went to the Billet families last night for dinner and my experience was awesome. Great food, people and culture. Most families have 1 parent or sibling that can translate but many don't speak English. The players now rather be with their Billet families and are enjoying getting spoiled by them. The team also went to the Go Kart track yesterday and that was wild. The only rules were, there are no rules. It was in an old warehouse, they went about 45mph and thank God nobody got hurt. One crash after another. Really fun!!
The Avalanche are of course treating us extremely well and taking care of all needs. The Hotel is unbelievable, the town is like walking through a museum, the weather isn't so bad and overall we are having a great time. We need to win today!!!

Entry 2

PWAA won our Tournament game Sunday against the top AA team in Quebec Province 2-0 with an empty net goal. Very exciting game, the kids played very hard. This team had a very good forward who we had to watch the entire game. I received the scouting report from Jessica's billet family and it was right on!! Our Billet families came to the game as well so we had a decent cheering section and everyone got there monies worth. We are now in the top 16 teams left and play our next tournament game Friday. We will have to earn every victory to advance. No gimmies at this tournament.
We lost our exhibition game yesterday 4-3 against another team in our bracket from New Brunswick who is still in the tournament as well. Our tourney game Friday will be another team of their caliber from New Brunswick who they play in a league with. Should be another exciting game that we will have to play at a top level to win.
We went to the Ice Hotel yesterday. It's basically a 30 room Hotel with full bar, lounge, front desk, slide, café all made of Ice. Drinks at the bar come in Ice glasses. The kids weren't too sure about that until they got there and of course, we couldn't get them to leave in the end. We have an exhibition game today against a AA team from Switzerland so that should be fun.
The PWAAA T-Birds are now here and they played a team from Moscow yesterday after our game in an exhibition. They lost 3-1 but played well. Most of us know parents and players on that team so it was great to see some friends from Colorado. We also saw Shawn Knowlton as he is on a team from New York. Tonight we go to the Major Junior Quebec Remparts, Patrick Roy's team. Should be fun.
Many parents are going home today and tomorrow.
Again, the Avalanche are treating us extremely well. The team bus is a lifesaver.
We are trying to find out the final results from PDT so let us know about PWA and more!!!

Entry 3

Tuesday we lost the Suisse Romanade (Swiss Select team) 3-0 on Tuesday. Good team who has won there 1st two tournament games, it was 0-0 half way through the 3rd, broke down a little in the end. After that we went to the Colisee to see the Quebec Remparts Major Junior team locker room, weight room and overall facility at the Colisee. This is a top Major Junior team here in Eastern Canada that Patrick Roy coaches. We then went to the Remparts game Tuesday Night and they won 8-2 at the Colisee. It was 2-2 in the 3rd and the Remparts scored 6 straight goals. The team they played is the same team Patrick Roy's son (goalie) got in the big brawl last year so the crowd was more than happy to rub it in. Great team, great hockey atmosphere, place was packed and the billet families also sat with us.
Wednesday we played the Stouville Clippers (Toronto AA team in our bracket who won their 1st tournament game) at the Mall arena. Kind of like Chapel Hills but there is an amusement park surrounding it including a roller coaster that goes around the arena during the game. Pretty neat!! We won 6-1 and played well. We then played our Billet families team who are very good and have a great chance to win the "CC" bracket (3rd level in Tourney, PWA level) of this tournament. It was a great game which we won in a shoot out 4-3.
Today we played Autriche (Austria) again at the mall. They are also a team who has won their first two tournament games. We lost 1-0. They were kind of like Suisse Romanade and we had plenty of chances to tie it or even win it. We then went to the famous sled hill that everyone talks about and had 3 hrs of sledding on inner tubes. It was awesome and now we are back at the Hotel and everyone is napping.
Our big game is tomorrow at 11:15am. If we can win this we will be in the Final 8. We play Acadie-Bathust Titans (Team from New Brunswick) that from all indications are very good. We have played three top teams in our division who are still alive in the winners side of the bracket. That should help us in this game. We are 4-4 overall. One of our goals was to play 8-10 games so we are in great shape. Would love to play about 12 games, the last four Tournament games and bring us back to the Colisee for the championship!!!

Entry 4

The dream continues as we beat Acadia Bathurst 4-1 and are now in the final 8 teams left in our division.  Kids played well and though I thought they were a very good team, we seemed to get them frustrated.  We finished well when we got a chance and we had a nice powerplay goal that helped.  We now play the Atlanta Fire tomorrow who beat Slovenia.  We were able to scout that game so we know what we are up against.  Should be a good game.  If we can win that game we will be in the Semi finals and that game will also be tomorrow. 

We then went to the Plains of Abraham Museum and learned a little Quebec City and Canadian history. 

The Billet families team lost tonight 5-1 at the Colisee so they are done.   One of those games where nothing seemed to go right for them.  I actually thought they were the better team but that's hockey sometimes.

Colorado Thunderbirds got beat today 2-1 and are out of the tournament. 

Big Hockey day tomorrow for the Jr Tigers/AVS.

Entry 5

We won!!  We beat England last night 4-0 and obviously took it to them.  England seemed a little tired as both teams had played games earlier in the day.  With this win we are in the 2nd Division championship game and we've made it back to the Colisee!! It is expected to be a sell out type crowd (12,000+ ) as we will play in the 2nd to last game of the entire tournament and right before the Top Division championship game.  I think that game will be the Quebec Jr Remparts (Local favorites) vs St Louis Jr Blues.  The game before ours will be the Arby's Avalanche from Connecticut vs a Quebec team. 

Unbelievable support from back home as the phones and texts came in all last night.  Received a text from Coach Orth while still in the locker room last night so the kids really enjoyed that. 

We play the Hershey Bears who went through the winners bracket undefeated.  They beat Acadia Bathurst 3-1, we beat them 4-1.  They Beat the Carolina Hurricane 2-1 in a shootout, we lost to them 3-1 in our opening round game.  They also beat the Connecticut Wolves who I thought would win it.  We'll have our hands full I'm sure but we'll do what we can. 

This will be our 12th game in 10 days.  Billet families are doing a great job with the kids as most of the families have either a player in the house or have extensive Hockey backgrounds.  Like having 8 more coaches on the staff. 

Of course, we are all having a great time and the Colorado Avalanche (Matt DeLuzio, Katie Wolfe and Claude Labadie - Bus driver) are treating us very well and contributing to the success.  I think a well executed lunch and nap before last nights game may have been the difference regardless of the garbage truck blocking the only entrance into the Old city.

Wish us luck!!!!

Entry 6

Most of you know by now but we lost to a good Hershey Bears team 3-1.  We had our chances to score a few goals early but in the end, they were good and goaltending was solid.  We all had the time of our lives during this trip.  Matt and Katie were just fantastic and we'd like to thank the entire Avalanche family in supporting us and giving these kids and parents such a great experience.