In my column last month for New England Hockey Journal, I wrote about my upcoming trip to Israel for the 2017 Maccabiah Games as a member of Team USA’s Masters hockey team. I talked about the excitement I felt knowing that my family was going to be there with me to experience Israel for the the first time. And I mentioned the process I went through while trying to get in respectable hockey shape.
Both of those topics I can now (happily) say played large roles in helping me have one of the best trips of my life. It wasn’t always easy or restful, but the two weeks we spent in the Middle East was incredibly memorable. Here are a few of my favorite memories:
1. To be able to say you were "the first" to do something is usually pretty cool. On July 5 at 2 p.m. Israeli time, our Team USA Masters and the Canadian Masters team skated onto the new ice surface at Pais Arena and became the first teams to ever play a hockey game in Jerusalem. That was really cool. The moment wasn’t lost on either team and the intensity was great. We lost the game 5-4 in a shootout but played really well. It was a great start to the tournament and the feelings of pride and respect were everywhere.
2. Our opening game was actually played a day before Opening Ceremonies. On July 6, more than 9,000 athletes from around the world marched into Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem with more than 35,000 people filling the stands. It was a made-for-TV event in Israel and the scene was electric. I experienced a similar scene in 2013 when I was there as the Open team head coach, so this time I was more into the reaction of my teammates. To see the smiles and excitement of everyone the moment they entered the stadium to the roar of the crowd was memorable.
3. Of the four teams in our division, the one with the most intrigue surrounding it was Ukraine. Unlike Canada and Israel, nobody really knew what to expect from the Ukraine team. As soon as I saw the players at the hotel, however, I could tell what they were all about. These guys were all "hockey players" and not just guys who really love hockey but do other things in the real world a lot better. Former NHLer Alexei Zhitnik was the captain and he had another 8-10 players around him who had all played some level of pro hockey in North American or Europe. Truth be told, when they wanted to dominate the play, they did. They moved the puck beautifully and you could tell they had some experience playing together before. Despite the fact that we lost by eight goals, I still had a great time playing them because I love a challenge.
4. Masada and the Dead Sea. Understatement time: There is never a shortage of things to do in Israel. NEVER. You could tour and explore every day and never see it all. One of the more common things to do in a day is visit the ancient fortress community located on an isolated rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea called Masada. The amazingly intricate structures were built by Herod the Great and lasted until Roman troops finally figured out how to ascend the mountain with enough force to defeat the people living there. However, once the Romans entered the fortification, all they found were dead bodies, the result of a mass suicide. After spending 1-2 hours walking through Masada and enduring blazing heat (no idea how they survived up there 3,000 years ago!) most people make their way down to the Dead Sea for a unique swimming experience. We were no different. Because the Dead Sea has a salinity rate of almost 35 percent, nothing can survive in its water. It also provides buoyancy beyond belief. You actually don’t "swim" in the Dead Sea, but rather float like you are being propped up by something beneath. Once you succumb to the feeling it is quite relaxing. There is also mud along the banks that is unique to the area, and giving yourself a mud bath is encouraged. My skin has never been so smooth.
5. Shwarma and fresh food. While the variety of Israeli food can seem limited at times, the freshness and simplicity of it is awesome. One of my favorite things to eat there is shwarma. Think of it as an Israeli version of gyros. Spit-roasted chicken or lamb is trimmed and put in a fresh pita with various toppings. I like mine with the hotter sauce. The vegetables in Israel are almost all grown locally and typically are what we would consider organic. I’m not sure there are better tomatoes in the world, and I’m not exaggerating.
6. The team and families being together. When all was said and done, the most memorable part of the trip were the bonds and friendships borne out of being together for two weeks. From a team perspective, I couldn’t have asked for a better effort from the guys. We ended up winning the bronze medal and everybody contributed. And off the ice, everybody got along beautifully. There were nights when many of us got together for dinner in Jerusalem and our children played for hours like they had known each other for years. I was so proud how quickly we came together as a team in all aspects.
That is something so important to me, and one of the best things about being a hockey player.
