A RedHot Thanksgiving at Madison Square Garden

First, I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was filled with family, laugher and, of course, pounds upon pounds of traditional Thanksgiving grub. It's one of the best holidays in my eyes, mainly because of my obsession with egg nog. This year was a special because I got to spend the final days of my vacation in New York City. The morning after waking up from a food induced coma, I found myself with my knees to my chest on a Peter Pan bus. We were heading to the Big Apple to play against Cornell University in the RedHot Hockey game. Every other year for the past six years, BU and Cornell battle it out at Madison Square Garden infront of a sold out crowed. My freshmen year was my first time going and it was an absolute blast, which made the fact that I had enough leg room for an ant not so bad.

This weekend, I lived a five-star lifestyle.

We first arrived at our hotel around 6:00pm after dropping our equipment off at Madison Square Garden. We stayed at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel on Seventh Ave. Last time I was here, I had a huge room looking right out over Madison Square Garden. This year I got stuck in a renovated janitors closet looking right at one of the nicest brick walls in NYC.

An hour after settling in, we walked a few blocks to Keens Steakhouse. When I tell you I have been looking forward to eating here for two years, I have been looking forward to eating here for two years. Going out to team dinner is always a great time, but Keens is the best. Mouth watering steak, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, and the best New York style cheesecake around, you can't beat it. 

After dinner we had some time to walk around and take in some sights. We walked from the restaurant down Seventh Ave to Times Square. I hadn't been there in two years and I had forgotten how amazing it is. On our way back, an old man dressed in some funky gear was giving out dance lessons for a dollar. Well, little did he know Sean Escobedo was in town. Long story short, a small crowed gathered to watch an old man and a crazy kid with a full grown mustache dance battling on the sidewalk. Classic Esco. 

After a great night sleep at the hotel and a long day of wading through the sea of people in Times Square, we were ready to play some hockey. A few of the managers and I headed over to MSG after pre-game meal at 4:00pm to set up. There was a lot of chaos because the Rangers played at 2:00pm against the Flyers and we were supposed to be moving into their locker rooms. With some teamwork and patience, we were able to get everything set up by the time the team arrived. 

I was pretty fired up because I found this huge flat screen HD television in the dressing room. Last time I was here they tried to stick me in the chokey (Matilda) using the jumbotron feed. Luckily I was able to hook everything up to get an HD feed from the tv. 

Finally, it was time for RedHot Hockey. As fans began piling in, the funky turquoise and purple color'd seats at the MSG turned to shades of red and white. The closer it got to game time, the harder it got differentiating between Cornell fans and BU fans. The place was going wild. 

The game was one of the best college hockey games I have watched in a while. It was back and forth action the entire time. Both teams were playing fast and physical with great scoring opportunities. (Above) Adam Clendening receiving six stitches in his chin during the second intermission after a big collision. After a Cornell goal got called back late in the third period, the game was sent into overtime. Red shirt junior Ross Gaudet tipped in the game winner from a shot from the point. BU WINS!! 

I got pretty caught up in the celebrations to take any pictures, but I'm sure you can imagine how much fun we had in the City That Never Sleeps. Dean Elmore, the Dean of Students at Boston University hosted an after party at an irish bar Feile. Family, friends, and fans all came together to celebrate the victory and to the entire organization. 

The following morning, we found ourselves packed into the bus like a sardine can once again. Overall, the weekend was better than anyone could have expected. We continued our undefeated status in the RedHot Hockey tradition, experienced New York City, shared laughs with close friends, and created new memories. 

If you have any questions about the day to day, behind the scenes activities that go on during a road trip like this, or anything else you would like to say, just leave a comment below.

Also, game highlights will be posted tomorrow.