Day 13 - March 31, 2014

Day 13 was the long trip home.  I think that most of us would agree that the trip has been great, but it is time to come home.  We have seen and done so much over the last 2 weeks, but work and school can't be avoided forever.  It was time to say goodbye to Hotel Glo, which was once again a great place to stay in the center of Helsinki.

Our day started bright and early with the buses being loaded at the hotel a little after 4:00 am.  This meant that most of the group were actually up between 3:00 - 3:30 am getting ready.  Next was a short ride to Helsinki's International airport which was surprisingly busy that early in the morning.  There was a bit of a wait to check luggage, but after that - security was quick.  The flight from Helsinki to Frankfurt was a little over 2 hours.  Before leaving Helsinki, we said goodbye to the Buzzings who were off to Scotland, and Leslie who was taking a different flight home.  Our group was starting to break up, the trip was ending.

Once in Frankfurt, Germany, Sting had now entered four, and in some cases five, countries on this trip.  Pretty amazing.  We had a roughly 4 ½ hour layover (including delay) before boarding our Air Canada Boeing 777 for the long direct flight back to Calgary.  Our flight made up the lost time and we landed in Calgary on time at 3:20pm.  Everyone moved through customs smoothly and all that was left was a few goodbyes and dividing up the sticks from the stick bag.  After heading North on Hwy 2, most of us were home between 6:00pm and 7:00pm.  This equated to a full 24 hour day of straight travel.  It was certainly an early night to bed.

My Final Observations:

• We were not excited to see the minus temperatures and snow upon getting back.  Not sure what everyone was doing while we were away, but ushering in spring (kevat in Finnish) would have been a nice idea.
• People often refer to Disneyland as the happiest place on earth.  Not true.  Trying being on a bus with 21 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 at 4:00 in the morning after 12 days on the road.  Words cannot truly express what a cheerful experience that was.  So many smiles.
• I am amazed at how well the trip worked out.  Taking 60 people through 4 countries in 13 days, with 10 ringette games and 10 billet families is a landmine of circumstance - but we navigated through it - as a team.  In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined a trip that was so safe for everyone, with no issues, perfect hosts, and two Sting teams that both went undefeated.  Wow!
• To pull off this huge task, there are several acknowledgements that need to go out.  If I forget anyone, I truly do apologize.
• To all of our blog followers and supporters.  In 13 days we had over 7000 hits on this website from 10 countries.  Thanks for following.  It was fun.
• To the larger Sting family for the support and assistance as we fundraised and planned this trip over the last 2 years.  
• To Troy Pollitt who actually let Lee wear his buckle.  That was a leap of faith.
• To all of our corporate sponsors.  Thank-you for believing in, and supporting the dreams of our girls to travel, and play the sport that they love on the other side of the world.  The very first post of this blog lists all of our corporate sponsors, and I encourage all of our readers to support these businesses.
• To the Swedes, and Ms. Walfridson in particular, for your hospitality and competition in Sweden.
• To the Finns who once again are the best hosts in the world.  Jari Kauppinen put more time and energy into this trip than most of our parents and girls will ever know.  Thanks Jari!  And thanks to the host families, ringette associations and the Blue Rings team for all of your support.
• To our fundraising committee.  It seems like forever ago  - but so much time and energy went into making sure we had the funds available for this trip.  Your efforts and hard work have not been forgotten.
• To the Coaches.  Jackie, Traci, Lee and Chad for donating your time abroad for the betterment of your respective teams.
• To the Chad, Lee and Greg who worked behind the scenes taking care of the never ending day-to-day small issues before they became big issues.
• To Heather who, again behind the scenes, managed many of the larger planning and logistical obstacles before they appeared on anyone else's radar.
• To Gavin Kanngeisser who, without complaint, carried everyone's sticks around the world so that no one else would have to worry about them.  
• To all of our parents.  The energy, time and commitment leading up to, and during, this trip made a positive experience for 21 girls that they will always remember.  Our parent group worked as much like a team on this trip as any that I have seen, and someone was always willing to step up and help.  Thanks parents!
• To our girls.  They were respectful and responsible in all of their actions.  Every time that I heard a "please", "thank-you", or "I'm sorry", on this trip - it was those darned polite Canadian girls.   I want the girls to always remember that when anyone tells you how lucky you are to have gone on a trip like this - look them in the eyes and tell them it wasn't luck.  You earned it!  Through the hard work of the girls and their families - all 21 girls had their entire trips paid for.  Pretty amazing.
• Last, but certainly not least, we need to send a huge thank you out to Jackie.  I cannot imagine the time she spent making sure that this trip was delivered seamlessly.  Many late nights making bookings on the other side of the world.  All of her services were free and volunteered.  All of the transfers, hotels and even small items were taken care of so that no one else needed to worry.  Thanks Jack!  And I hope that when anyone books a trip, they book through Jackie Lunn at TravelOnly.  She is awesome.

Day 12 - March 30, 2014

We have now set the record for the longest Sting road trip ever.  Back in 2011, our European trip returned home on Day 11.  We are not there yet, and though everyone is looking forward to returning home - our enormous group of 59 is still enjoying our trip together.  Last night we had another time change here - losing an hour, putting us 9 hours ahead of everything back home.  The loss of an hour's sleep wasn't great news, but everyone took it in stride.  We all had bigger things to focus on - today was Game Day.

It was the girl's last night with their billets.  Our parents loaded the bus at the hotel early this morning and made the trip out to Tusuula, Finland.  There many of us had coffee,  and visited with the girls prior to our first game time.  The first game of the day saw Sting Team Gold go head-to head with our host team out of Kerava.  Sting led 1-0 at the half and finished with a 4-1 win.  This gave Sting Team Gold a 2W-1T-0L record after the round robin.

Team Sting Black was up next and they played our other host team from Nurmijarvi.  Sting was up 4-0 at the half and finished the game with an 8-0 score.  Sting Team Black also finished with a 2W-1T-0L record after the round robin.

The Finnish team from Helsinki completed their round robin with the same undefeated record as the two Central Alberta teams.  Goals for/against during the round robin were used to determine which of these three teams would play for gold and which would fight for bronze.  Unfortunately, using this formula, Sting Team Black would play for gold and Sting Team Gold would play for bronze.  No head to head Sting game was in our future.

In the bronze medal final, Sting Team Gold was up against the Luvian Kiekko 82 team that had forced a tie with Sting Black during the round robin.  Sting Team Gold wasted little time taking care of business and lead 2-1 at the half.  They rolled through the second half and the final score was a Sting win 7-3.  With this win, Sting Team Gold went undefeated in Europe with 4 wins and 1 tie.  Sting Gold Player of the Tournament was Kristen DeMale who scored clutch goals all weekend.  Well done Kristen!

In the gold medal final, Sting Team Black was up against the Helsinki team that had also forced a tie with our sister Sting team during the round robin.  This was a hard fought battle, with Helsinki leading the game 2-1 at the half.  Like both Sting teams had done all weekend, the girls refused to quit and they finished with a 5-2 win.  With this win, Sting Team Black also went undefeated in Europe with 4 wins and 1 tie.  Sting Black Player of the Tournament was Missy Misutka.  She has played amazing defence this entire trip and was a great selection.  Good job Missy!

After the Gold Medal Final, the top three teams were each presented with trophies and individual medals.  It was very exciting on the ice and I am confident that hundreds of photos were taken.  Regardless of medal colour, we could not have asked for any more than the only two undefeated teams both being CAB Sting.  Everyone here is extremely proud of all of our girls.  They played hard, clean, and never gave up.  Sting really does Rock the House!

After the medal presentations, the girls got changed and headed outside to say goodbye to their host families and friends.  This was an emotional farewell as many great friendships had formed over the last couple of months.  Tears were shed and lots of hugs were given before we loaded the buses.  I understand that life has a funny way of moving people apart, but hopefully some of the friendships formed on this trip will last well into the future.

The Finns were all very nice to our girls and we are thankful for the experiences they have provided.  As we reiterated many times, if the opportunity ever arises when we can repay the Finns and host their girls, we would love to do it.

Returning to the hotel, most of our girls hit the showers, then everyone separated for supper.  We have an early day tomorrow as Sting starts our long journey home.

My observations for the day:

• Our Finnish host families are awesome and deserve a huge Thank-You!  They were all very kind to our girls and provided them an experience not often available.  I am unaware of many school, or other ringette trips where this amazing experience has been provided.  They opened up their homes to our girls and made the effort to get to know us, while allowing  us to get to know them.  Again Thank-you!
• Our two host teams from Nurmijarvi and Kerava were both sporting their "Friends First" red laces in their right skates today.  Very nice.  The world is a big place, but the ringette community is a small family.  I hope that the positive inspiration of this program will continue here in Finland.
• Finnish pastry is sooooo good.  I don't know what that desert was at lunch - like a crepe/strawberry/cream thing - but I am sure everyone will agree - Wow!
• The Finnish Ringette communities in Nurmijarvi and Kerava are amazing.  Not only did they host the tournament and billet the girls, but they also catered our lunches, sharpened our skates and worked the boxes/shot clock so that our parents didn't need to.  Very nice and very much appreciated.  Jari and Jari and all of the Blue Rings players and parents - Thank you!!
• The food in Helsinki is amazing.  Please don't love us parents any less if we return a little larger than when we left.
• Back home, it is not uncommon to help the homeless.  Here is Helsinki we tried to do a little to help a homeLes lady.  Europe can be challenging if you don't pace yourself.  (see photo below)

Day 11 - March 29, 2014

The trip thus far has been fun, educational and exciting.  But today was Game Day!!!  The girls were with their host families last night, so I can't speak to how their mornings went, but the parents were all on the bus bright and early this morning.  We were all excited to see how the girl's nights with their Finnish families went, but were also excited to watch them play ringette.

Before we left Alberta, knowing that our games slots in Finland were shorter than usual, we divided our  group into two equal teams.  Being creative, one was named Sting Team Black, and one was Sting Team Gold.    Each team has a Finnish player on their roster to allow us the opportunity to ice 4 defence and 6 forwards.  We are very grateful that these Finnish girls have helped us so that we can play.  Team Black also has the two most awesome Finnish Assistant coaches helping on the bench.

The Finns were very nice and they organized an eight team tournament this weekend for our visit.  There are teams from our two host associations - Nurmijarvi Seven Ringettes and Kerava Shakers.   There are also teams from Helsinki Ringette, PiPS Pieksamaki, Luvian Kiekko 82 and Jarvenpaan Haukat.  All of the teams are very good and the competition has been exciting.

Our Sting Team Black is: Gill, Syd, Shae, Mckenna, Brenna, Missy, Bryn, Sara, Neea and Megan.  Coaches are Jackie, Chad, Henna and Annika.  Our Sting Team Gold is:  Kelita, Rylee, Holly, Hailee, Ash, Reese, Maddie, Kristen, Ninni, and Keara.  Coaches are Traci and Lee.  Our three (3) goalies are Baylee, Sally and Becca, and they are rotating between both teams.  The Team Manager on both teams is Heather.

Team Black opened the tournament against the team from Jarvenpaan.  Sting Black lead 3-0 at the half and won the game 5-0.  Sting Team Black's second game was against the team from Luvian.  The  Finns lead this game 2-0 at the half and were still up late in the game, but Sting Black scored two goals in the final 5 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw.

Team Gold opened their tournament with a game against Helsinki Ringette.  Sting Team Gold lead 1-0 at the half, but the Finns fought back and earned a 1-1 tie.  Sting Team Gold's second game was against the PiPS team.  Once again, Sting were down 2-0 into the second half, but they showed that you can never count the Canadians out.  They rallied for a 3-2 win.

All of the games were close and very exciting.  The players on all of the teams are playing very hard everyone wants to play well.  After the games our players returned to their host families, and the parents returned to Helsinki for a long boring night without the girls.  Somehow we have managed to survive and should be ready for tomorrow when we see them again.

Our girls had a special guest join them today.  Sini Forsblom, the President of the International Ringette Federation spoke with the girls in their locker room.  Ms. Forsblom was kind enough to drive in and meet our girls today and she even brought chocolates.  Nice!  Our girls explained the "Friends First" campaign that they have joined with their friend from Ringette Calgary to Ms. Forsblom and they presented her with a red skate lace which will now be on her right skate.  Ms Forsblom was very accommodating and we also presented her with a Sting player warm-up shirt.  Our girls and coaches worked with Finnish translators to explain the "Friends First" initiative to our two host teams - and then all of them were presented with red skate laces as well.

Observations for the day:

• The Finns are awesome hosts.  All of our girls are happy, and we are hearing many great billet stories.
• It is a mad rush when the people from RingJet visit the icehall.  Canadians and Finns alike rush to see the newest models and colours of sticks.
• Coaches are the same everywhere.  Some are calm and manage the game with class, while others yell and create a distraction.  I am glad that most Canadian and Finnish coaches, while competitive, realize that the game is about the girls.
• The recreational facilities in Europe are far more practical and efficient than what we see at home.  Though the rinks here are simple in design, and may not house trendy cafes and wave pools, they provide excellent opportunities for athletes both inside and surrounding each icehall (arena).  We could learn from the Finns and Swedes in this regard.
• The Japanese restaurant in Finland is awesome (again!)

Day 10 - March 28, 2014

Day Ten started with everyone trying to fit in their last few "must-see" things with the girls before they go to their billets.  Many of the parents also had to finalize their shopping since the tournament starts tomorrow, and we will no longer be in the city.  A small group took the short ferry to Suomenlinna the sea fortress in the mouth of Helsinki Harbour.

At 1:30pm all of the girls got together for formal team pictures.  The weather was perfect and all of the girls looked awesome.  The scene looked like a press conference at Senate Square in front of the Helsinki Cathedral, with many of the parents snapping photos too.  I have included a couple of my quick blog snap shots, but the official photos will come from Heather once we return.  Heather did a great job coordinating and organizing the photos today.  A few challenges presented themselves, but no one got run over, and those people in the background that we politely asked to move, were happy to oblige.

After the pictures, everyone split up for the last hour or so with the girls in the city.  Shopping, eating and even sleeping were the priorities.  After that, many in the group boarded the bus to the Klaukkala Icehall for a joint Sting/Finnish practice.  This practice was shared with many of the players from our host Nurmijarvi and Kerava teams.  Some of the Nurmijarvi coaches were nice enough to run the practice and they did a great job with 36 skaters and 4 goalies on the ice at once.  The Finns are amazing hosts and they even had a welcome sign at the rink for us.  They graciously set up a table and provided coffee, tea, juice, cookies and delicious bread for our players and parents.  The Finns are always so nice to us!

It was exciting when our bus first arrived at the icehall, as most of the Finnish girls were already there and waiting for us.  Many of our players finally had the opportunity to meet their host billet girls (and families) that they have been communicating with for several months now.  After practice, our girls loaded up their gear with their billet families, while our parents took the bus back to Helsinki with 21 empty seats.  It was a much quieter ride home.  It certainly seemed that the girl's transfer to the billets was much harder on the parents than the girls.

My observations for Day 10:

• The Finns are, once again, proving to be great hosts.
• The ringette world really is small.  Prior to the girl's practice, we had the opportunity to watch a bunny/novice Finnish ringette practice.  It looked very much like any similar practice at home.  Little ringette players are the same on the ice, and leaving the ice, wherever you go.  It made me smile as they trudged out of the rink, smiling, with big equipment bags in tow.  We did notice a few "technical" differences in the practices, and have discussed bringing some of those ideas back.
• It was nice to see my friend Jari Kauppinen again.  He has done an incredible amount work, on the other side of the world, to make this trip a reality.  Even though his daughter is older, and not part of this group, Jari has had the vision to see the benefits of our trip for both ringette communities, and more importantly the girls themselves.
• I never want to see Canada mittens again.  They are a perfect gift idea, but I think there is a coaching conspiracy to drive me crazy.
• Most importantly - Tomorrow is game day!!!!

Day 9 - March 27, 2014

Today was an opportunity for everyone to go and explore before the girls leave to their billets, and prepare for this weekend's tournament.  Everyone had a list of different things that they wanted to see and do.  We had a group take a bus out to Porvoo, Finland for shopping and sightseeing.  We had a group relax, stay in Helsinki, and shop here.  We also had a group that took advantage of being in this part of the world and they took the 2 hour ferry over to Tallinn, Estonia.  Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and was part of the Soviet Union as recently as 25 years ago.  There is a ton of ancient and recent noteworthy historical events that have occurred there.

The Estonia group got back safely a little later this evening.  The other two groups, after the first returned from Porvoo, separated and criss-crossed the never-ending shopping opportunities here in Helsinki.  It seems that everywhere there are malls connected to malls.  I cannot think of anything back home that compares to the concentrated and diverse shopping opportunities here.  Many of the girls are in heaven.  There are also a number of strategically placed cafes and pubs for weary fathers who need to take a break from the endless shopping.

The weather today in Helsinki was beautiful.  It was 12 C, sunny with no wind.  Sitting outside was a spring time treat, and I for one took full advantage on the steps of the Helsinki Cathedral, drinking my coffee and watching all of the people.

Some of the billet families came into Helsinki tonight and had supper with the Canadian girls and parents.  I think everyone got along fine, and had fun.  The Finns, though often shy, are very fluent in English.  (Certainly better than our Finnish).  A few of the girls went to their billet families tonight and will rejoin us for team photos tomorrow afternoon.  I appreciate that it is certainly a challenge to billet, and be billeted, with people from a different culture, but luckily everyone has ringette in common.

My observations for Day 9:

• Hopefully tomorrow, with the gang back together, I can post some good group pictures for everyone back home.
• I understand that today we had our first Sting international incident in Tallinn.  Apparently the armed guards at the Presidential Palace are a little sensitive about where pictures can be taken from.  We quickly retreated.  Final score - Estonia 1 Sting 0.
• I saw a business in downtown Helsinki today called Amanda's Bar and Bistro.  Sounds like a perfect hangout for retired Sting players and coaches.
• I understand that the appetite for prairie oysters, once explained, is not big here.
• I photographed a window poster today in Helsinki.  I am not sure if it is a comedy, or something artistic that I don't understand - but it made me think of our cowboy blog picture back on Day 4.  Things are starting to make sense.

Day 8 - March 26, 2014

It is hard to believe that we are on to Day 8 already.  It has gone by very quickly.  I think it is because everyone has been so busy trying to fit as much as they can.

Today began with a buffet breakfast for the group on the ship.  It was not attended by everyone as some people grabbed a little more sleep, but most of the group started their day this way.  We were scheduled to land in Helsinki at 10:00, but with the strong winds were delayed almost an hour.  We had a pair of tour guides (with our Helsinki buses) waiting for us, and they advised that it is extremely rare for a ferry to arrive late.  This did affect our group plans a little as we had hoped to take the buses out to the Town of Porvoo, but were now short of time and needed to adjust our itinerary.  The adjustment that we made was for a more comprehensive tour of the City of Helsinki.  We saw many interesting sites including the stone Temppeliaukio Church, a monument to the Finnish composer Sibelius, many diplomatic buildings, the Helsinki Cathedral and the Uspenski Cathedral.  I could try to explain the significance of each of these, but rather I would encourage our blog readers to google them.  Very cool.

We were able to get a few team pictures taken.  The pace today was noticeably slower and it was nice.  At about 2:00pm we were able to check in to our hotel.  Everyone then scattered to start shopping or grab a bite to eat.  The group is planning several outings for tomorrow.  Shopping, Estonia, Porvoo, and the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress seem to be the top destinations.

My observations for Day 8:

• It is hard to find regular bottled water (still water) rather than carbonated water when you really, really need it.
• The trip was a little rough last night, and our group from the prairies doesn't necessarily have our sea legs yet.  
• The last couple of days have been windy and a little chilly, but we are aware of the winter storms at home and are thankful to be here.  I do expect the sidewalk to be shoveled when we get home though.
• Everyone is already looking forward to meeting their billets and playing ringette again.  The trip has been great - but lets play!

Day 7 - March 25, 2014

Today was our last day in Sweden.  Some people slept in a little, finally having the opportunity to catch up on sleep.  It has been very hectic since we left home.  By 9:30am or so, everyone was up and out making their last visits to the sights of Stockholm.  By now everyone had their bearings - and hit the last few stores, restaurants, and tourist sites.

Everyone was back to the hotel by 2:30pm, and we loaded the buses for the short trip to the ferry terminal.  There was a bit of a wait to board the ship, but once we got moving, everyone was onboard and in their cabins fairly quickly.  Our ferry was the Silja Symphony.

A quick unloading of gear, and everyone was back up to the promenade deck.  As the boat left Sweden, some of the parents were in the pub, while some were on deck watching the beautiful scenery in the archipelago.  The girls quickly found the shops and stores on the main floor of the ship.  It was very windy and the waters were a little rough as we headed directly into a strong headwind.  At 8:00pm we all had tickets for the buffet banquet and the 59 of us had ½ of the dinning room to ourselves.  There was a lots of delicious food choices and a free beer tap.  After dinner everyone separated, with most people walking around the ship to help digest the huge meal.  A little later, we took the girls to the top (13th) deck, to the Karaoke night club.  This was a highlight of the 2011 trip for those girls, and it was a highlight for this group as well.  All of the parents were there to ensure that everyone had a good time, but were safe.  When we arrived, the karaoke was dominated by old women singing slow Russian songs.  Then Sting took the mic.  The party got going by then, with even a few Sting parents trying "I've Got You Babe".  It was a lot of fun.  A couple groups of young Russian and Finnish boys decided to keep up the tempo and try to impress the Canadian girls.  Our girls were awesome, responsible and really didn't have much time for these outsiders other than the odd dance.  It was a fun night and a good time was had by all.  Everyone then went to bed except for a hardy band of parents who decided to brave the lounge singers on stage at the other end of the boat.

Thoughts for Day 7:

• The Swedish people have treated us very well.  Thank-you.  Our time in their beautiful country was well spent.
• Our hotel, the Scandic Park, also treated us well, though apparently some girls preferred the bathtubs to the hide-a-beds.  (see below).
• Everyone will enjoy the break from cobblestones for the next 24 hours.  
• I don't think the President has as good of a security detail as our girls had in the karaoke night club.  They had a lot of fun, but a solid perimeter was set up and all eyes were watching for any concerns.  (This group of Sting players/parents/siblings and grandparents are awesome). 
• When I find myself on the dance floor with Lee at 3:30am on a ship traveling across the Baltic in front of a cover band singing Elvis (poorly) - maybe its time to start thinking about getting home (or some help).

Day 6 - March 24, 2014

Today was a beautiful day to visit Stockholm.  It was also Sara Kelly's birthday.  Way to go Sara!

The girls were up early this morning at 7:15am (12:15 am back home) to do some dryland training in the park with Kensey.  After that, breakfasts were eaten at the huge hotel buffet and everyone disappeared to different parts of the city.  Have gotten a little bit of direction yesterday, I think most people were confident as they set out exploring.  Generally everyone either went shopping or sight seeing, with the Vasa Museum being a popular destination for the majority.  The Vasa was the pride of the King's Swedish fleet, that sank in the harbour on it's maiden voyage in the mid 1600s.  Thanks in part to both to the brackish water and the sediment at the bottom, it was largely preserved and has been raised and restored.  Pretty cool.  And it is huge.

Walking the old cobble-stoned streets, there are a lot of statues here.  Too many to photograph, but my favourite was one called "The Little General" - it really reminded me of Thor (also Scandinavian).  The architecture here is very interesting in the area around our hotel, with lots of promenades and open air bistros, cafes and pubs.  The sun poked in and out behind the clouds today, and it was relaxing to sit outside and watch the world go by when the sun was out and warm.

Once again, today was game day as the girls prepared for our second (and final) game in Sweden.  Today's game was in Solna, here in Stockholm, against another Swedish team.  Our girls looked bitter-hot in their black jerseys, and jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first quarter.  It was 7-0 at the half when both teams went to their rooms for an ice flood.  Sting lead 7-1 after three quarters and the final score was an 11-4 Sting victory!  Who rocks the house!  Great work by our girls who had a lot of fun.  Sting will leave Sweden and head to Helsinki tomorrow - undefeated.  The game was fast, clean and good sportsmanship by both teams.  Ashlynn Morrison was selected as the Sting Player of the Game.  Good job Ms. Ash!

We returned to the hotel at about 10:00pm after saying good-bye to the Swedes.  They were great hosts and treated us well.  After the girls cleaned up, most of the group grabbed a late bite to eat, then off to bed.  We have a huge day tomorrow.

My observations for day 6:

• Finally, after five full days in two world class cities, we finally got to photograph some real celebrities.  Direct from SNL, it was those "Two Wild and Crazy Guys", the Festrunk brothers.  They were up to their usual antics.  (Things I never wanted to see).
• Stockholm is a beautiful city.  I have known this for a long time, but for a city of almost 1 million people - similar to cities back home, there is no noticeable smog or pollution.
• We will miss Kensey who leaves the group tomorrow to return to school.
• The Swedes always surprise us with something different at the rink.  Today it was the Zamboni driver at half time.  Wearing full hockey equipment except hemet.  Yes he was wearing his skates.  I dunno.
• Sweden has many athletic opportunities for their young female athletes and work hard to keep the sport of ringette going strong here.  I wish them luck in growing the sport and it is clear that those who are involved with ringette are passionate about it.  
• A special thanks to Christina Walfridson here in Stockholm for coordinating our games - long distance, over the last few months.  Our girls really appreciated the opportunity to play ringette against the Swedish players.

Day 5 - March 23, 2014

Another beautiful morning today as everyone got up, had a great breakfast and loaded the bus for a guided city tour of Stockholm.  This was time well spent as everyone had the opportunity to see the sights, get their bearings, and relax.  There were a few stops along the way including City Hall, the old town of Stockholm, and one of the royal palaces.  Everyone was excited to see the city in the daylight, and touring is fine - but today is GAME DAY and that is what the girls were looking forward to.  It was easy to feel the excitement of the girls as we finished the city tour and started heading over to the rink.

Today's game was a 45 minute drive outside of Stockholm to a small town called Järna (pop 7000).  It was a nice bus ride through the county, and if you didn't notice the road signs, you would have thought that you were back in Alberta.  Farms, lakes, poplar, spruce and pine trees.  London was great, but this certainly felt much more like home.

We arrived at the rink early, but the Swedes were already there and waiting for us.  They greeted us as we got off of the bus and showed us into the girl's dressing room.  They spared no expense to make us feel at home and had a Ringette Alberta logo on the door, delivered coffee and cookies to the coaches in the room, and made nice programs for our two games in Sweden.  This was all the more impressive given that the changing rooms were in another building separate from the rink.  This meant that the girls, after getting dressed, left their skate guards on and walked across a small road and into the back door of the arena (ice hall).  This design was nothing that any of us had ever seen before, but it worked okay, and allowed both teams to sit outside at half time in the sun for joint photos (in full gear).

All of the Swedish people were very nice to us.  The lady in the arena kitchen kept the coffee in the dressing room fresh.  It was a large crowd, and I noticed some younger ringette players were there watching too.  That was awesome.  The officials were a couple of ladies that play on Sweden's National Ringette Team, and were also on the ice in 2011 when we were first here.  They certainly know ringette and did a fine job.

The Swedes made sure that the game looked and felt like an international contest.  Obviously we played it on the big ice surface, but they also played both national anthems, had a friendly pre-game gift exchange, announced all goals and penalties, and rocked the house during stoppages.  We played four 15 minute quarters with a flood at half time.  Our Sting girls scored early, and took a 5-0 lead after the first quarter.  We lead 7-2 at the half.  11-4 after three quarters and a 15-5 final.  It was a good game and we pressured them hard, especially in the first half.  The Swedish girls had a short bench with less skaters and though they played hard, it was a fast game.  Their goalie was amazing.  An unorthodox method of ring distribution, but she moved very well in the net.  The Sting Player of the Game was Kristen DeMale.  Great job Kristen!

After the game, we returned to Stockholm and many of the girls had a quick shower at the hotel.  Then everyone separated for supper.  All in all a great Sting day!  Tomorrow we play the second game in Sweden and I have no doubt that they will be ready for us.

My observations for the day:

• The 2014 black Sting 3rd jerseys look bitter!
• Our teachers were certainly well represented at the nightly parent debrief and even outlasted yours truly.  I stand corrected.  For now.
• The "Frog Dance" as performed by our guide gets better every time I hear it.
• The conversion from Swedish SEK to our dollars CAD has all of us baffled.  It is very confusing.  The best that I can tell so far is that everything is sold in units of 100 Krona.  The coins in my pocket likely have no monetary value, but may fool vending machines back home?
• Steven please get Traci to a Night Ranger concert!
• Twenty-one Canadian kids singing ABBA songs on the bus wasn't cool 35 years ago and it isn't cool now.  Bryan Adams, Nickleback and Paul Brandt were nice additions to the bus karaoke. Eh! 

(A great photo from yesterday - Day 4)

(Sting rocks the coffee/pastry shop!)