It's 11 a.m. on a Tuesday in February in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Behind the city's Van Andel Arena, a bus is being loaded.
The arena is home to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins, primary affiliate to
the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings.
Through the years, the Griffins have seen over 120 players graduate from their roster
to a role in the NHL.
Among them are names like NHL All-Star goalie Jimmy Howard, Red Wings defenseman Nicholas
Cronwall, and forward, Valtteri Philpula.
Today the Griffins are making the short trip to Grand Rapids closest rivals, the Chicago
Wolves.
They may be leaving home ice, but few of them call Grand Rapids home.
Like many professional hockey teams, the Griffins are a fusion of global talent featuring players
like forward Gustav Nyquist from Homestead, Sweden, and top prospect Brendan Smith from
Mimico, Ontario.
Others hail from places like Quebec, South Africa, Alaska, or in the case of NHL veteran
Chris Conner, his hometown of Livonia, Michigan is only a short two-and-a-half-hour drive
on Interstate 96.
Players settle in and claim their seats, some of them doubling up for space.
Where each player calls home is explored via matching trivia in the team's magazine Graffiti,
which members of the team take it upon themselves to solve.
The
second-largest barbecue rib festival in North America.
While some members of the team take the time to relax, others jockey for seats to play
cards.
I knew it, I knew it, by the way.
I don't have a heart.
Don't play anything.
You're low as cards, you're low as cards.
Can you play?
Time expires, you're done.
Time expires.
While intense, this may prove to be the least physical competition for the next 24 hours.
The real test is still a few toll booths away in Chicago.
After arriving at the team's hotel, members of the Griffins continue their card game before heading to dinner.
For the Griffins, coaches and staff, they choose to spend time at a nearby sports bar to check on the Detroit Reds as they embark on a record-setting home winning streak.
The morning skate not only gives a chance for the players to fine-tune any game plans, but also for them to take a look at their opponents, though the term is used loosely.
It's not uncommon in professional sports to find yourself one day playing against the team that brought you up, rendering your former friends and roommates as new rivals.
Griffins captain Garnett Exelby is very familiar with this transition.
I was very fortunate to play here and play quite a bit.
We won a championship my first year in Chicago and that gave me a wealth of experience going into my second year pro.
I hit the ground running a little bit in the second year and got a great opportunity when Bob Harley came into Atlanta.
He was looking for a player just like me to make the team a little grittier in Atlanta, so I got a great opportunity there and tried to make it last as long as I could.
Many players return to the hotel to eat a lunch and rest their bodies before the punishment they are sure to endure.
And we are live at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois where tonight your Grand Rapids Griffins take on the Wolves in a road game in the month of February and a great rivalry renewed between the Griffins and the Wolves here in the Windy City.
Despite Grand Rapids in Chicago being in different divisions, games between the two teams lend themselves to the Griffins.
Tonight is no different.
Following the Griffins taking the early lead with the power play goal forward Mitch Callahan is called for slashing it and the game officials make sure that Paul is clear and unprotested.
Luckily nothing comes from the Griffins being short handed, though their momentum comes to a grinding halt as the Wolves strike twice in less than a minute.
Sending the Griffins to their locker room with a bitter taste in their mouths.
The team returns to the ice but just 83 seconds into the middle period Chicago finds a hole in Jordan Pierce.
Causing coach Kurt Fraser to turn to backup goalie Tom McCullum. The goal tending James seems to be just what Grand Rapids means but it would all be for naught if they can't break the Wolves netmining counterpart Eddie Lack.
Shot after shot becomes save after save and with every passing minute the deficit seems to grow.
The Griffins hard work finally pays off with 9 minutes left when Joachim Anderson bangs home a rebound off a shot by Chris Menard drawing the visitors within one shot of tying the game.
And halfway into the third period Brendan Smith gives the team exactly what they're looking for.
With the end of regulation in the beginning of overtime each team is assured one point but with a second point at stake this compromise does nothing to ease the tension and intensity between either side.
But sometimes intention and intensity don't win games.
It's 11.02 p.m. This may be the end of the road trip for the team but it's far from the end of their journey.
For many it's another tryout.
An opportunity to hone their skills.
A chance to prove oneself.
The result may sting but with each mistake and misstep they make they are learning and waiting for a chance to voyage further from home.
To make another stop and another step on their road trip to the National Hockey League.
Thank you for watching.
