BayToday Jr. Trappers Insider - The Labreche Forum

New Jr. Trappers forward Stephen Langford gets the "Mile High" feeling writing his first Jr. Trappers Insider on a rock cut. The Colorado native will be sharing his blog with you every Wednesday. Enjoy!

Happy December Trapper Nation!

With winter knocking at the door there has been a lot going on around North Bay. The cut down day for the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League was December 1st. Fortunately, we have such a good tight- knit group and strong line-up that we did not make any trades or cuts.

It really helps the guys out, knowing that they are wanted here and don’t have to play scared.

Of course, anything can happen in junior hockey! You just have to play hard and be thankful for each day you have with your teammates.

With the cold weather arriving, there is something that happens up north that I haven’t experienced until just a few days ago - outdoor ice hockey rinks!

In Colorado, every odd winter gets cold enough to skate on ponds and lakes. Pond hockey in Colorado was a blast, yet sometimes it could be dangerous not knowing the thickness of the ice or the depth of the waters. Outdoor rinks take away those risks and also have the benefits of boards and nets!

Last week, Devan Turcotte and I went to his Grandpa’s house and worked on freezing the ground for the base of the outdoor rink behind his house known famously around these parts as the Labreche Forum - a place where Devan's dad and former NHLer Darren Turcotte learned the game.

That night was perfect, with big snowflakes falling down on us as we carefully hosed down every inch of earth making up the rink. Spraying the water was really relaxing, even though it was very cold , all I could think about was how fun it was going to be skating and playing on this rink!

Sadly, the weather has warmed up again making progress on the rink difficult. Hopefully, the cold weather will return soon so the ice can set up and the we can enjoy such a great outdoor experience! I know I’m looking forward to it!

A fun event took place a couple days ago at the YMCA, and next week I’ll explain more!

Come help us take on Kirkland Lake this Friday night at Memorial Gardens!

Go Trapps Go!!