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Post by donzz on Mar 8, 2008 19:33:14 GMT -5
I have only been a Spirit fan for the last 3 seasons. I have never traveled to another arena to watch them play. It sounds like a lot of you guys do. I think that would be a blast! I have only been to lower Ontario once and that was to Lake Simcoe to fish.
I believe you have to have a passport now just to get into Canada? Has anyone gone all the way to Kingston to watch a game? Maybe I should start close like Plymouth? Anyone ever have a bad experience? Thanks for the info!
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Post by kivpit on Mar 9, 2008 0:36:17 GMT -5
I have only been a Spirit fan for the last 3 seasons. I have never traveled to another arena to watch them play. It sounds like a lot of you guys do. I think that would be a blast! I have only been to lower Ontario once and that was to Lake Simcoe to fish. I believe you have to have a passport now just to get into Canada? Has anyone gone all the way to Kingston to watch a game? Maybe I should start close like Plymouth? Anyone ever have a bad experience? Thanks for the info! Ive been to 12 OHL cities (including Kingston)... No, you do not need a passport to get into Canada. All you need is two forms of ID(drivers license, birth certificate)... The only link you will ever need for arena info www.ohlarenaguide.com... |
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Post by dragoni27 on Mar 9, 2008 2:23:29 GMT -5
The Spirit will probably do a couple bus trips for the playoffs, that would be a good way to get started. My wife and I went to both games in the soo and had a lot of fun even though we lost both games.
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Post by bpfox on Mar 9, 2008 8:21:36 GMT -5
I have managed to get to all 21 OHL cities since the Spirit have been in the league. I have said it before, but for your benefit, I will say it again. One of the best things about the OHL is how easy it is to see away games. You have at least half of the cities are within a 5 - 6 hour drive. The cost of gas and the strength of the Canadian Dollar have made trips much more expensive than they used to be, but with good planning, a few trips each year are doable. Spirit sponsored bus trips are a good economical way to get started. If you are by yourself that is. If you have a group of 3 or 4 it is actually cheaper to drive yourself. Not as much fun for the driver, but you can save money. Start with the Western Division teams first. With the exception of the Soo, the other three teams are real close. You might want to plan your trips around other things to do. Let's say, a trip to Toronto. Toronto is a great city with lots of things to do. You also has several teams in the area so pay attention to the Spirit schedule and schedule your trips accordingly. You say you have been to Lake Simcoe to fish. Well, you passed through, or right by, several OHL cities to get there. Sarnia, London, Kitchener, Guelph, Mississauga, Brampton and Barrie. You get the idea. While they keep pushing the Passport regulation back, don't wait to get one. You do have other choices. There is a new US Passcard that can be had for half as much as a passcard, but you can't go as many places with it. You can get into Canada for hockey games however, and it that's the extent of your "foreign travel" it might just be a good option. Go to this web site for more info: www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/03032008_3.xmlOr you might want to try this one as well: travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.htmlHappy travels! |
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Post by IGive1 on Mar 9, 2008 10:19:56 GMT -5
Go to Plymouth to see the building and how they do things. It will make you appreciate what we have here in Saginaw.
Definitely get into Canada to see a game. Sarnia is less then 2 hours away. I think you need to see and really feel how important the game is to Canada. It really is a big part of the culture there. It will give you a sense of the what Canadian kids have gone through to get to the OHL and the status of the league in the eyes of the Canadian people. We are very fortunate to be a part of the OHL.
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Post by aj0512 on Mar 9, 2008 11:34:34 GMT -5
For sure, check out the websites other people gave you above, donzz. Especially the OHL Arena Guide...its got everything you need to know when traveling to a new arena.
I haven't been to as many arenas as I would like (being a poor college student, I don't always have the extra cash). But if you're looking to travel this year, I'd wait to see if there's any bus trips to a playoff game (usually there is). I myself am hoping to travel to an away playoff game this year if my schedule can co-exist with the Spirit's schedule, since I've never been to Kitchener, the Soo (Steelback Centre...I've been to the Gardens), Windsor, or London.
If you're planning on waiting until next season, I'd start small and begin with the division cities. Sarnia has a nice arena and only about a 90 minute drive from Saginaw. Plymouth, while they probably have the worst arena in the league, is also a short drive. As far as Windsor goes, they're getting a brand new arena in the middle of next season, so if you want to see "The Old Barn" as they call it, get there as soon as you can. The Soo is a long trip, but it's fun to cross the bridge and see some of the wonderful landscapes of northern Michigan.
You don't need a passport as of yet (just a birth certificate and a driver's license). Traveling to OHL cities is a wonderful experience and you'll see just how much hockey is cherished in Ontario.
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Post by donzz on Mar 9, 2008 17:08:44 GMT -5
Thank you all for the info. I really appreciate it!
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acin
2nd Liner
Posts: 181
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Post by acin on Mar 9, 2008 18:40:08 GMT -5
I went to a london game a few weeks back, there arena is amazingly huge. I was so overwhelmed, in a good way. I felt like the building shook when the 9,000+ fans screamed.
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Post by spiritfan8 on Mar 9, 2008 20:46:58 GMT -5
Having just gotten home from Owen Sound and Kitchener, let me put in my plug for away games. One of the benefits that we did not expect when we began following the Spirit was the number of really nice people we would meet and get to know. There were 18 of us at Jack Astor's today for lunch, and I believe 15 for dinner last night at OS. (A big thank you here to johnt and shirley, who do such a great job scoping out all these locales for everyone!)
There are always horror stories floating around about how visiting fans are treated in rinks. So far I have yet to have a bad experience of any kind. (Of course I don't do anything stupid like trash the home team, either) We had a great time visiting with many OS fans last night. And since we could only get single tickets for today's game, I sat by myself in the midst of many hard-core Ranger fans. Now that was intimidating, but if you can handle being the only person standing up and screaming for a Spirit goal, then no problem!! Again, I visited w/ several Ranger fans (all of whom were especially cordial after the Rangers' win!!!). I even blew the spirithorn!!! One big difference between OHL fans here and in Canada is that almost every fan in a Canadian arena really knows their stuff. I love talking to them and getting their take on what's going on w/ their team.
Road trips are the best part of the season, as far as I'm concerned, donzz!!!!
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