An interview about an exciting hockey trip to Canada

Do you like football or hockey? Would you like to go on a football or hockey trip, or have you even been on one? My interest in sports is probably a bit too vague for Peter to attract me, but his niece Dessi and her husband Lasse (who got married last summer) and Dessi's family (parents, brother and girlfriend) have a much stronger interest. They have just returned from a really exciting hockey trip in Canada - and we took the opportunity to interview Dessi about the trip!

What were the hockey matches you watched and why did you choose to watch them?

We looked at the JVM, which is Sweden's junior men's ice hockey team, U20. U20 means that everyone who plays is a maximum of 20 years old. It is quite big in Sweden and of course in Canada and the USA. You qualify for the A group, which Sweden has done for I don't know how long.  18 medals the Juniorkronorna have collected a total of 2 gold (1981 & 2012) in the JVM.

It started with us watching at home each Christmas and New Year from when I was little. Hockey is a big sport in our family, and a few years ago we started talking about how fun it would be to watch the World Cup live on site. Three Crowns in all honour, but it is the Junior Crowns that attract us. They have more imagination in their play and are not as detail-orientated as they are inexperienced. The games are simply more unpredictable and offer plenty of hockey goodness.

When we found out about 2 years ago that the World Cup would take place in hockey crazy Canada, we started planning for real! Since we have friends in Ottawa we also decided to go there a few days before our ticket package would be valid in Montreal.

How did Sweden do in the matches?

Sweden had, what many thought, an easy group. In the hockey world, the USA, Canada, Russia and Sweden (as well as Finland) are regarded as the strongest teams and three of these were in the second group. Sweden had a very good game, but unfortunately against Canada nothing worked and they lost. They were leading at first and even scored a goal when playing in box play (when you have one less man on the field due to a sending off).

Sweden has always had a hard time with Canada and unfortunately it was the same this time. I think it might be more of a brain ghost because if the Junior Crown had found their game and not let Canada into the game, the outcome would probably have been different. After that, I thought they lost everything. It is very difficult to reload and it was a tough day in terms of play.

How was the atmosphere in the Swedish cheering section?

The mood in the Swedish hockey team was very good despite the losses. Everyone reloaded to show that we were there for their sake and as a loyal fans you love your national team regardless. However, the energy was perhaps a little too low after the loss in the bronze medal match. Everyone was super nice and we met a lot of Swedes who were also there as fans.

However, I have to scold the parents of the Swedish team. I understand that they are there to cheer on their sons and that they were probably more nervous than the boys, but it is no excuse to not raise their voices and clap their hands to help and cheer the team on. What was fun was that there were so many people who were fascinated by us, how we held together, our song and our decoration (I think? haha) and that they came and wanted to take pictures with us all the time!

What is the best thing about going on a hockey trip?

The atmosphere outside the stadium, all the incredibly nice Canadians (and other nationalities) and of course the fantastic hockey on offer.

Where in Canada were you and did you get to see/do anything other than hockey?

We were able to do much more than just hockey! We first went to Ottawa and visited our friends who live there. They opened up their home and treated us to amazing meals which were typically Canadiansuch as 'Canadian bacon sandwich'.

We got so much food that we will have to be in hard training to get back to how we looked before we left, haha. They showed us the old town, we went to the historical museum, saw an IMAX and did a lot of shopping, and it was fun with other shops than the ones we have in Sweden.

We (of course) also had time for a NHL match (29/12 Ottawa Senators vs Detroit Red Wings) where Daniel Alfredsson had his jersey retired in the Ottawa Senators arena. "Alfie" is to Ottawa as Foppa was to Colorado. Really cool! On 3/1 we had a whole hockey-free day and then we took the opportunity to do Montreal, we went everywhere and in the evening we ate a fantastic 12-course tasting menu at Europea.

What did you think about Canada? Anything that was different from Sweden?

This is the second time Lasse and I have been to Ottawa and I would love to go to Canada again, but I want to explore more of the country. It is so incredibly big. Did you know that it is 6500 km from New Foundland to British Columbia via the Trans-Canada Highway?

What strikes me every time I come to Canada is that everything is big. Big country, big shops, big cars... Not quite as big people, but still. Fat food and very a lot of applesbut it also depends on where you go.

The people are incredibly nice, considerate and service-minded, even those who don't work in a shop. Canadians are easy to talk to, but it's a little hard to get a handle on them. Sometimes you wonder if it comes from the heart or if it's a facade. Still, I can't stop myself from liking them! If I ever move to any country, I would probably choose Canada.

Our big talking point was that there wasn't a single one anywhere. toilet brush, not in a single toilet! Not even at our friends' homes ... Very strange and hmm yes, unclean to not be able to clean up after yourself if you say so ... Not what we expected in a "wealthy" country.

Canada is in many ways quite similar to Sweden, although they are a bit colder in winter and a bit warmer in summer. They have squirrels in all sizes, my favourite being the Piff & Puff, chipmunks, they are soooo cute. They are all major pests and not at all appreciated by homeowners, a bit like our rats and mice.

Did anything surprising or unfortunate happen during the trip?

Haha, yes, to begin with, Lasse's name was wrong on the airline ticket versus the passport and it is always exciting when travelling via the USA, but it actually went well. It was only on the first stopover (in Frankfurt) that he got some extra questions.

The answer? That the Travel Agency (me) had booked in the wrong name... Then when my brother and his girlfriend came to meet us, they were booked in separate places, but they were both turned into upgraded to Economy Extra where they got SEATS instead of regular seats!

We rented a car from Ottawa and drove to Montreal, and halfway there, it started to howl, and vibrate the car. We pull over to the side of the motorway, get out of the car to inspect the tyres and get ready to go. least a tyre puncture. Imagine our surprise when a car drives by that sounds exactly the same! It was only the poor condition of the road that did it, hahaha.

We were also told by our friends here in Sweden that we were on TV i every match ... Well, if you are a Swede in Canada, you gotta make yourself visible, right?

Big THANK YOU Dessi for telling us about your exciting hockey trip to Canada!

Book football and hockey holidays

What about you as a reader, do you have an exciting football or hockey trip to tell us about? Or are you keen to see a specific match abroad?