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As Europe Beckons, Bolts Are Ready To Go
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Published: September 26, 2008
NEW YORK - The Lightning packed up their gear, filed onto the team bus late Thursday night and headed through the Lincoln Tunnel en route for New Jersey.
Waiting for them at Newark International Airport was a chartered jet set to take the team and traveling staff members across the Atlantic Ocean, where the team begins an extended trip that will take them through three countries before returning to Tampa on Oct. 6.
Tampa Bay unveils its new look on the ice when the regular season opens up with a pair of games against the New York Rangers in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 4-5.
After all the anticipation and all the preparing, plenty involved with the team are anxious to get it all under way.
"We all feel prepared, so let's get the odyssey started," Lightning coach Barry Melrose said. "Let's get on the plane, let's have a good game Thursday against the Rangers and build on that and get over to Europe and get this thing started."
The European swing has been a popular topic during training camp. It is the perfect kind of a trip for a team full of new players hoping to find some bonding time. But for some of the team's players, it's a rare opportunity to play an NHL game in their home country in front of family and friends.
"I'm going home, basically," said left wing Vinny Prospal, who is from Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. "It's not my hometown, but it's my home country and it's going to be a special because we get to start the season there."
Radim Vrbata, who hails from Mlada Boleslav about 30 minutes outside Prague, shared Prospal's enthusiasm for getting the opportunity to play in the country of his birth.
"If we weren't going back home, I don't think I would be so excited because of the travel," Vrbata said. "But it's Prague and it's home, so it's great."
In addition to the Lightning's Czech players - which also includes David Koci - defensemen Andrej Meszaros and Vladimir Mihalik will have the chance to play a preseason game in their native Slovakia while goaltender Olie Kolzig will play Sunday's preseason game in Berlin, where he played during the 2005 lockout and where he spent a year of his life while he was growing up. Kolzig also represents Germany in international competition.
The experience for everybody, however, will be new. And although there is plenty on the team's itinerary to keep the players and staff busy, there is still the task of getting ready for the start of the regular season.
"There certainly are a lot of variables, but we're as prepared as we can be," Melrose said. "We're not going to keep their nose to the grindstone the whole time, we want them to enjoy the experience and have some time together. ... I want it to be a positive experience so it's not going to be cracking the whip every day.
"It's still camp, we still have a lot of work to do, but it's also a bonding time and I want them to look back at this time with good memories."
Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@tampatrib.com.
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