Riding the bus: a junior hockey players right of passage to the pro’s

As I look out the side of the bus window, snow-covered trees surround us on both sides of the highway.

The road through the front windshield is snow-covered too with what appears to be slippery conditions, but bus driver Shane Curveon tells me with confidence, they aren’t as slick as they appear, and in spots, you can see the sun shining through the clouds, melting the ice and exposing the wet asphalt below.

The Rockets’ coaches, Kris Mallette, two rows ahead of me to my left, and assistant coach Josh McNevin, two rows directly in front of me, are busy watching the archived game video, on separate laptops, of recent games involving the Chiefs, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips.

In essentially the last row of seats which separate the staff from the players, I am within earshot of the rookie players nearby.

To my left are Logan Peskett and Ismail Abougouche, two-first year players that must sit beside each other, while staff and veteran players enjoy the luxury of having two seats to themselves.

Trust me, having two seats makes a difference in an effort to stretch out while avoiding rubbing shoulders for hours with a teammate while the team bus safely traverses the winding road to our destination.

To find more room, Abougouche, with Peskett’s encouragement, is often found lying on the floor, with a pillow and tent mat, with closed eyes trying to get some sleep.

Peskett enjoys the fact his 16-year-old seatmate has chosen that area, allowing him more room to stretch out his long – 6’2 frame.

On the road, both are paired with veterans as roommates in the hotel. Peskett is with 19-year-old Turner McMillan while Abougouche stays with Elias Carmichael.

I love this, as it forces the veterans to guide, lead, direct and tolerate the younger teammates.

Seated behind me in the bus is rookies Grady Lenton and Will Munro.

Two of the chattier new faces on the team, both are like kids in a candy store, loving the cramped space, making me laugh with their quick-witted comments, staring at the back of my head and taking in the view.

Outside of saying hello to a few of the veteran players as they pass by me as they walk along the aisle leading to the back of the bus, I don’t often see them or hear them much.

It isn’t as loud on the coach as many people would expect. After a win, sure you hear excited chatter, but the players at this level are focused and use the downtime to rest, watch videos on their phones and talk to fellow teammates.

It isn’t a party bus, and if the volume becomes excessively loud, head coach Kris Mallette brings the hammer down, much to delight of the other staff members nearby.

I get to know the rookies very well over the winter. While I don’t often engage in conversation with them, I often chuckle inside at the comments being made or the topics up for discussion.

Oh, to be a teenager again. It is a beautiful thing.

If you are a player riding on this 2019 Prevost Coach, the seat of honour is situated, oddly, at the back of the bus next to the toilet.

The last seat is occupied by newcomer Carson Golder.

With the most games in the WHL under his belt, and with 20-year-old Adam Kydd out six weeks with a fractured foot, Golder is the king of the world.

Ok, not quite, but again it’s a status symbol in the athletic world to be sitting at the back.

For those at the front, with the bathroom directly at the rear, it’s best to plan carefully. You can use it (number one only please), but it often takes high hurdling over player’s legs, which are crossed over the adjacent seats, which can make the traverse challenging.

The team will spend roughly 16 hours on the bus playing in three different cities this weekend.

Trips like this build team chemistry, with the theory that when you know each other better, you tend to play harder for one another.

by Regan Bartel

Riding the bus: a junior hockey players right of passage to the pro’s

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