Hockey trip - Need some ideas

[Unspecified]

If there is a forum for this please forgive me as i have sent message a mod and have not heard back as to what forum to post this in.

So myself, my brother and my dad have started a tradition to go to all NHL teams arena's and see a game. Last year we went to the Caps, Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Pens, Flyers building as it was awesome an experience. This year we have decided to get the most expensive trip out of the way (in terms of ticket prices). We have already bought all the tickets to the Leafs, Habs, Sabres, Senators and Bruins (trip starting Feb 10th).

So a couple questions i have is:
1. what do you recommend to do in each city as we will have a day or so in each city to explore and check things out. The obvious HHOF in Toronto and Rideau Canal in Montreal will be on our list.

2. What is the weather traditionally in those cities during that time frame.

3. Places to stay away from (if any) as i have never been to those parts of Canada.

We are getting closer at completing our list and this will make the following visited after this trip:

Habs
Bruins
Sabres
Leafs
Senators
Bruins
Caps
Stars (I live in Dallas)
Pens
Flyers
Kings - The Forum not Staples Center
Detroit - Joe Louis
Flames
Wild
Hawks
Devils
Islanders
Rangers

Click to read more...

 

[Golden_Jet]

Bring your skates to Ottawa as the Rideau canal is in Ottawa. Almost 5 miles long.

 

[angusyoung]

If there is a forum for this please forgive me as i have sent message a mod and have not heard back as to what forum to post this in.

So myself, my brother and my dad have started a tradition to go to all NHL teams arena's and see a game. Last year we went to the Caps, Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Pens, Flyers building as it was awesome an experience. This year we have decided to get the most expensive trip out of the way (in terms of ticket prices). We have already bought all the tickets to the Leafs, Habs, Sabres, Senators and Bruins (trip starting Feb 10th).

So a couple questions i have is:
1. what do you recommend to do in each city as we will have a day or so in each city to explore and check things out. The obvious HHOF in Toronto and Rideau Canal in Montreal will be on our list.

2. What is the weather traditionally in those cities during that time frame.

3. Places to stay away from (if any) as i have never been to those parts of Canada.

We are getting closer at completing our list and this will make the following visited after this trip:

Habs
Bruins
Sabres
Leafs
Senators
Bruins
Caps
Stars (I live in Dallas)
Pens
Flyers
Kings - The Forum not Staples Center
Detroit - Joe Louis
Flames
Wild
Hawks
Devils
Islanders
Rangers

Bring warm clothes! Rideau canal is in Ottawa,Canada is safe,anywhere.

 

[Advanced stats]

Holy expensive trip.

The weather is going to be cold, and roads could be iffy. If you're driving give yourself lots of time.

Niagara falls is basicly a must see.
Just so you aren't confused, Rideau canel is in Ottawa, definitely worth it. If you care about Canadian sites and history at all, Ottawa is the place to be(Parliament,war museum, Royal mint).

Have fun!

 

[Dog]

Rue Ste Catherine in Montreal

 

[SensNation613]

Ottawa

Some might not be hockey related though.

1. Go for a skate on the Rideau canal but dress very warmly. I don't believe the canal is open at the moment but it might depending on when you come.

2. Take a tour of parliament, it's free and they give passes away across the street in the morning. That's very interesting if you like history and want to learn more about the Parliament. It's a great way to spend ~1H-1.5H.

3. Eat at the Byward Market, lots of good restaurants and there are decent activities. It's at the heart of the city.

4. I'm not sure when you're coming but Winterlude is a winter festival and it's quite fun depending on your age. They have very creative ice sculptures presented near City Hall.

5. If you're staying in a hotel, I suggest staying away from all hotels in the Vanier area but Ottawa is one of the most safe cities in Canada so you should be fine.

6. You can also checkout the QMJHL team in Gatineau if you're staying for more than one night. Depending on the team they're playing, you could watch some good NHL prospects. There's also the 67s in Ottawa and they play at Landsdowne Park.

7. There's also a casino in Gatineau if you're spending time there. It's 18+ so it could be interesting if you aren't of legal age in the US.

8. Have a beavertail if you've never had them before. They're on George St. or on the Canal, they are incredibly good pastries.

9. Landsdowne Park is super cool, really state of the art and it's where the Redblacks play. I'm not sure where it will be but I think you could probably figure out where the Grey Cup is and have your picture taken with it. I'm not sure how that works though. It was at Starbucks this morning.

10. Great Museums in Ottawa and it really shows you the history of Canada. It's free on Thursdays and you can also visit the Royal Canadian Mint.

11. There's a light show on Parliament Hill every night during the Winter I believe, you'll have to look it up because I'm not certain on the times.

Weather in Ottawa is very harsh so dress properly. Wear a hat, scarf, thick coat, double socks and pants. This is especially true if you aren't used to the weather.

EDIT: Thanks Lshap, your post made me think of a few more!

 

[Bouboumaster]

Montreal: what's your budget?

Also, amazing trip, man!

 

[Lshap]

Fantastic idea and lifetime memories with your brother and dad! I'm doing the same thing... except in slow-motion, only one city per year with my buddy. If I dared do as many cities as you in a season my wife would kill me.

Montreal: The Bell Centre is downtown within walking distance of many decent restaurants and stores. You could probably spend your entire stay in that core, but here's an idea: If you have a car, travel along Boulevard St Laurent from bottom to top. Start south in Old Montreal and see the old-Europe architecture, and as you travel the street northbound you'll pass through a small Chinatown, the 'red-light' district at Ste-Catherine, the upscale club/restaurant section just north of Sherbrooke st., the Plateau with artsy cafes and indy clubs, and Little Italy around Jean-Talon. A pretty good cross-section of cultures, economics and food all on one long boulevard.

Or you could get to any of these spots via subway (called the "Metro").

Ottawa: Actually a very nice compact city. SensNation's suggestions are great. Rideau Canal seems to be open for skating less and less over the years, which is a shame because it's really beautiful. Gotta check out the Parliament area. Byward Market is great for food, but you could also check out The Glebe (pronounced 'gleeb') for some quieter and more quaint restaurants. Lots of really good museums if you have extra time.

Boston: Fantastic city, great history, terrific sports town. Visit Fenway Park just to see it -- there's a bar with a back wall that opens onto the outfield (don't know if it's open in the winter). Never been there when it's cold, but that's my hockey destination next year.

Detroit: Was there three weeks ago with my buddy. Joe Louis is downtown next to the water in the nice part of Detroit. The arena itself is frikkin outdated and poorly designed, but it's a classic that's disappearing after this year. There's a monorail that takes you in a loop around the downtown core -- you can go to 'Greektown' to eat, although we found a really cool sports bar/pizza restaurant a block from the arena. Not much to do other than the Motown museum (very small but very cool) and the Detroit Museum of History, both of which are uptown in the middle of nowhere. 10 minutes away from Joe Louis is the Windsor Casino right across the water in Canada.

 

[ck26]

I made the Boston trip a couple years ago. "Freedom Trail" is a downtown, self-guided walking tour of a bunch of important American Revolution landmarks ... Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's house, etc. Great way to spend 3-5 hours. JFK's presidential library is spectacular; hop on the T and ride out, it's at one of the colleges. Also tons of college hockey, Boston University(go Terriers!), Boston College, UMass, Harvard ... if you're there on the weekend those will probably be more fun than the Bruins game.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Rue Ste Catherine in Montreal

Jeans and strip clubs?

 

[Unspecified]

Bring your skates to Ottawa as the Rideau canal is in Ottawa. Almost 5 miles long.

Gotcha

 

[Mad Brills*]

Toronto:

Go visit the usual tourist traps if you haven't been in the city before, such as CN tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Museums etc.....

The st lawrence market/esplanade area has great restaurants/shops.

In all, just walk around downtown toronto, as there are plenty of things to do.

 

[Unspecified]

This is the tip itinerary w/game times. My brother lives in DC and is driving to Boston and then we will drive to all locations.

2/4 – Boston (7p) Fly out of DFW on 2/2 and arrive in Boston at 3pm.

2/5 – Montreal (1p) – We’d have to drive overnight to Montreal which is 5.5 hours away from Boston avg. - That is the only crap part of the trip in terms of a time crunch.

2/7 – Ottawa (730p)

2/9 – Buffalo (7p) - Hopefully catch Niagra Falls on the way to Toronto the next day.

2/11 – Toronto (7p) - Drive back to Buffalo after the game and fly home from there not Toronto. It is amazing how much of a price change it is to fly in or out of Buffalo than Toronto.


The tickets alone for each of us was around $800 or so with Taxes and so on. I have a hookup at Marriot/Sheraton hotels for half the price so we are getting a huge deal there. Total for each comes to around $2000 (gas, tolls, hotels and tickets). I know i hear about how much tickets to Montreal and Toronto games are on here but you don't really comprehend until you have to pay. The Montreal game was $190 a ticket and Toronto was around the same.

 

[Wabit]

For Buffalo- go see Niagria Falls from the US side (it's prettier to look at Canada than it is the US). Get wings from Duffs (the best imo) and Anchor Bar. If architecture is your thing there are some neat buildings to see. Enjoy the smell of Cheerios.

 

[Unspecified]

Are there people player hockey on the Rideau canal? I am bringing my skates but thought about bringing my stick and gloves also.

 

[Makar Goes Fast]

whatever you do, do not leave montreal without eating a poutine as a canadian, they do not compare to what you can get anywhere else.

 

[Inkling]

Are there people player hockey on the Rideau canal? I am bringing my skates but thought about bringing my stick and gloves also.

No, hockey isn't allowed on the Canal. Late at night you sometimes get people playing shinny but during the day you're not allowed. (It's forbidden at all times but patrolled more strictly during the day and early evening)

Ottawa has over 200 outdoor rinks in the city however, including a number of them downtown, so if you do have time and have your equipment you should be able to find a game weather permitting. (https://www.ottawarinks.ca/en/home)

If the weather is crappy when you're here (February is pretty safe however) the Rink of Dreams in front of City Hall is artificial ice and is open when the Canal and local natural ice outdoor rinks are not.

 

[bigsby]

Are there people player hockey on the Rideau canal? I am bringing my skates but thought about bringing my stick and gloves also.

No, you can't play hockey on the canal anymore unfortunately. There are a massive amount of outdoor hockey rinks that are city funded you could play hockey on though, as well as the rink of dreams which is Sens-funded.

http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/get-know-your-city/use-public-space-ottawa-city-hall#sens-rink-dreams

 

[Unspecified]

No, you can't play hockey on the canal anymore unfortunately. There are a massive amount of outdoor hockey rinks that are city funded you could play hockey on though, as well as the rink of dreams which is Sens-funded.

http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/get-know-your-city/use-public-space-ottawa-city-hall#sens-rink-dreams

Do i need to bring my full gear or just the basics (helmet, cup, gloves, stick, shin pads and skates)?

 

[bigsby]

Do i need to bring my full gear or just the basics (helmet, cup, gloves, stick, shin pads and skates)?

At the public hockey rinks in Ottawa, you only need skates, gloves, and a stick. A toque is the closest thing to mandatory headwear

But, like others have stated, it's cold, especially in February. So realistically, a balaclava (or beard!), long johns, and big sweater will probably be necessary, especially if you're from Dallas.

 

[PensPlz]

Geez seems like you have some spare cash. Might I interest you in some very profitable investments?


Seriously tho. I would love to do this. We did the Florida road trip with the Pens and absolutely loved it (minus the weather in Miami). Tampa had a great arena and the Panthers... well... It was very affordable.

Have fun.

 

[Inkling]

Do i need to bring my full gear or just the basics (helmet, cup, gloves, stick, shin pads and skates)?

On outdoor rinks, anything goes. Helmets are a good idea but you see a lot of people play without them. I don't think anyone uses cups or shin pads. Usually neighbourhood rinks will have their own set of unwritten rules, if people are playing without helmets or cages then you don't raise the puck off the ice and things like that. If there are little kids playing then it's more chill than if it's just adults etc. Downtown rinks will likely have an older crowd and might be more competitive. Just take your cues from what the others are doing. If you show up and tell people about your trip, I'm sure you'll be welcomed. You might even have the rink to yourself, depending on the location and time, it's hard to predict.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Buffalo: Check our various winter events around Harborcenter and canalside. Lots of outdoor ice skating around the area. Avoid the fruit belt. Also, if you have time/gas budget, Bar Bill in East Aurora has some really good beef on weck/wings if you're trying to do that. Buffalo gets pretty cold and windy, and snow is starting to mount so definitely be careful driving. North Buffalo has some nice park areas/giant mansions

Rangers: Expensive AF. Get a real NY pizza of course. Lots of tourism. Don't go to the south Bronx for very long or around Broadway Junction

 

[Jorge Garcia]

While you're around the canal in Ottawa, you might want to take a look at a true hockey relic. The Aberdeen Pavilion (more often called the Cattle Castle) is a recently restored exhibition hall in Lansdowne Park near the football stadium. The Stanley Cup was contested there by the original Senators in the early days of the last century, before the NHL existed.

 

[patnyrnyg]

On the Habs board, there is a great thread about visiting the city. If you have time, you can drive from Montreal to Quebec City, about 2-2 1/2 hours and Vieux Quebec is great.

In toronto, right near the Aquarium is a cool brewery called the Steamwhistle. Their brewmaster is from the Czech Republic and used to work for Pilsner Urquell.