Adventure in China coming to an end
BEIJING They signed up for an adventure.
It has certainly been that. The Calgary Flames will cap their trip to the 2018 O.R.G. China Games with Wednesday’s clash against the Boston Bruins at Cadillac Arena in Beijing, the end of a round-theglobe exhibition getaway that featured more itinerary changes than line changes, more talk of curveballs and change-ups than a baseball mound visit.
Due to a customs kerfuffle. Due to left-behind luggage. Due to the scary spectre of being stuck in Shenzhen for Sunday’s arrival of Super Typhoon Mangkhut, or stranded afterward (to ensure the safety of their stars and staff, the Flames and Bruins split a flight to Beijing after Saturday’s matinee, although there wasn’t room for all of their cargo. Instead, some of the equipment was trucked upwards of 2,000 km to the next destination).
“You get curveballs and things happen, but a big chunk of this trip was trying to get some team bonding — we have a new coaching staff, a lot of new guys — and I think that part of it has been a real big success,” said Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic, spinning positive.
“I think a lot of guys got to know each other a lot more than when we got on that flight in Calgary. And the rest of it? You just kind of roll with the punches. It hasn’t all gone exactly how we probably would’ve drawn up when we were leaving Calgary, but in the big scheme, we didn’t get our gear because of things that are going on back in southern China.
“There are a lot of people there who are dealing with a lot more real-life things than us not getting our hockey equipment.”
That, indeed, is proper perspective.
After a 4-3 shootout loss Saturday in Shenzhen, the Flames will aim to wrap this once-in-a-lifetime voyage with a victory in Beijing.
Not that the final score matters much, or at all.
Long after anybody has forgotten the game details, they ’ll remember Sunday’s sightseeing excursion — and toboggan-style slide back to the parking lot — at the Great Wall of China, with its thousands and thousands of years of history (and they thought former teammate Jaromir Jagr was an ancient artifact).
They’ll have fond memories of a busy market in Shenzhen, a scene so fascinating that some visited two days in a row.
After a few bumper-to-bumper bus rides in Beijing, they’ll likely never complain about rush-hour traffic on Bow Trail again.
The Flames will also return home with nothing but good things to say about the hospitality of the people of China.
Except maybe for a cranky customs agent in Shenzhen, the guy who forced the cancellation of their first practice of the season because he’d yet to green-light their equipment bags (the Bruins had the same issue.)
And except for Mother Nature. Downgraded to a regular — or notso-super — typhoon, Mangkhut brought intense winds and heavy rains shortly after the Flames and Bruins bolted and forced an airport closure the following day.
“The interesting thing has just to be immersed in the culture and to be a part of it,” said Flames head-coaching hire Bill Peters, who initially planned four practice sessions for the China-trippers but settled for three, including Monday ’s rare dinnertime session when the rest of their gear finally arrived in Beijing.
“You know what? Everything has been outstanding. What do you do about a super typhoon coming in? I don’t know if that was ever on the schedule, and you have to react to that. That makes it tough on everybody, but it’s been a real good trip and been a lot of fun.”
There has certainly been some frustration, but it’s probably a good sign the Flames haven’t allowed the unexpected inconveniences to spoil their O.R.G. China Games experience.
After all, the hardest part is still to come.
With just two weeks until the puck drops on their regular-season slate, Calgary ’s jet-lagged stars will have back-to-back off-days to recuperate before returning to the rink.