Exhibition game leading up to CWG's

I was scheduled for an exhibition game between Ontario's CWG's team and the Whitby NRL team on Saturday. I had figured this would be a good lead up to the games that start two weeks from now. Unfortunately, for whatever reason to say this game was lacking the intensity I expected would be an understatement. I got there 45 minutes before game time, and some of the players were just getting there. I went through my regular pregame stuff, and grabbed a bite to eat (as with a 12:15 - 2:15 game it makes it tough to eat before leaving home and tough to wait until after). I started to get ready for the game, and Janyce asked what our period lengths were going to be. I wasn't sure, but decided to find out. I went to find the Whitby manager, and in doing so, saw all the players still sitting in the lobby chatting 15 minutes before game time. This was a little odd, as normally they start getting ready about 30 minutes before the game. So I went back to let Janyce know that we were going to play three 20 minute periods and if it was tied we would have an shootout (which is what the NRL does if games are tied after regulation).

We get out on the ice, and I see right away that about half of the Whitby team are call ups from the Junior AA's. Apparently between exams, illness and injury they were missing a lot of players. Of their 12 skaters 5 were from the junior AA team.

As the game got going, we realized quite quickly that neither team was pushing very hard. There was laughing and joking between players that know each other. And the speed and desire just wasn't there.

It wasn't a great skate/warm up for the games, but as much as I would have liked the warm up, it didn't hurt my feelings too much, as Wednesday night I had broken a rib reffing a hockey game. Not a great thing two and a half weeks before leaving for Halifax, but thankfully it is the 12th rib (at the bottom) so it doesn't hurt too much from simple breathing. However during the game I realized that the transitions from front to back in skating, cause me to twist right at that rib, so had to do that cautiously. Hopefully it improves greatly in the next 2 weeks.