Well, it's almost that time of year again, and I had to tell you about a few things going on with our team.

The first one is an old tradition that many take part in. The Yankee Swap. We do it in our family as I imagine many of yu do as well. Everyone brings a small gift in, sometimes as a joke, others are quite nice. It is the luck of the draw, and if you are the last person to draw, you get the pick of the gifts. We had fun with ours, some funny selections, the most popular being a push-up set that is advertised on an infomercial as the "ultimate push-up". Strange choice, none the less...

Bob Marley, Maine's most popular comedian, is back again at the Merrill for his holiday shows, and has become a bit of a Pirate faithful upon his return to Maine. The guys are very excited to take in a night with Maine's King of Comedy next week. I warned them not to sit too close...

Our trip to Orono finished with mixed emotions for me. A 6-2 loss never sits well, but it was still fun to be around the campus and Alfond arena for a day and reminisce about the old days.

I did see some familiar faces up there, and got a chance to talk with Head Coach Tim Whitehead. One of the best parts of our conversation was the state of youth hockey in Maine and ideas on how it could improve. Hearing that from the head coach of Maine's university got me thinking. One of my future goals will be to start a better development of our youth hockey and maybe make Maine an example of a youth hockey development model in the U.S. More on that down the road...

The last part of this piece is a special one, and it always makes me proud to be a hockey player. As long as I have been a pro, Christmas has had a special meaning in each city I have played. The teams have always been behind an effort to make others lives better around the holidays. This year, the guys went out and helped a number of families less fortunate with gifts for their families. It may sound like a familiar story, but I will tell you, this team has a different feel than others I have been part of. Every team does their part in charitable work, but these guys this year have really been as active and enthusiastic about donating their time or giving as any group I've been part of. You always hear how the game has changed with the kinds of contracts you see in pro sports, but trust me when I tell you these players are a super group of young men that haven't let their success change their character.

Last night they were out in full force delivering gifts we had purchased to the families. I know it was a special night for the guys and also for the people they met. Of course, it is understood that part of your duty as a pro athlete is community service, but this team has embraced the call. I would like to salute all my teammates, the "Secret Santa's"! Happy holidays, everyone!

I purposely waited until tonight to submit this entry. I made a trip up to Orono and Bangor yesterday, to help Maine Savings and the Pirates promote next Tuesday's game between Manchester and Portland. the Pirates decided early this season to play a game in another part of the state to give people outside the Greater Portland area a look at the team and the talent in the league. Also, it will let the UMaine fans watch a few former Blackbears playand one coach. Manchester has Scott Pellerin on their coaching staff, along with rookie sensation, Ted Purcell. Although, Purcell may be in Los Angeles, the parent team, at the time. He is the leading rookie scorer in the AHL so far this season.

And, how could I forget? Me... Yes, before the ice age and indoor rinks, I was a member of the UMaine Black Bears. They were two of the best years of my life.

I would say my professional career started at Maine. Of course, every part of my development contributed to where I am today, but the steps I made in those two years paved the way for my path to pro hockey. The biggest reason, Shawn Walsh.

For those of you who may have missed his tenure at Maine, he built Maine hockey from scratch. Coming from Michigan State, a hockey power house, Shawn infused the state of Maine with a tireless enthusiasm that changed the face of hockey in Maine. He was a hockey "nerd", holed up in his office day and night, searching for ways to make the program better. and better it became. And it all started with the recruiting class of 1985.

I was one of the fortunate high school seniors who took recruiting trips to five different schools, paid visits with my parents to get a look at the programs. and, to be honest, I only considered Maine as an afterthought. But, throughout the whole year, Walsh kept telling me about the school, the team, the future. By the time we drove up to Maine, I was so intrigued by the prospects of Maine, my heart was pounding in anticipation. And, by the end of the weekend, my parents turned to me in the car, and asked, "Well, what did think?". And with no hesitation, I said, "This is the place." They agreed.

Shawn Walsh had sold a floundering program to a very elite recruiting class. the guy could sell ice to the eskimos. Ever since that 6 win season, Maine hockey has been synonumus with winning.

As we return to Orono next week, the site of the battle will be a trip down memory lane. The first official time I stepped on the Alfond ice as a Black Bear was at midnight the first day the college hockey season opened. As we stepped on the ice, a standing room only crowd greeted us during our first practice! what a start to a college career. I don't recall my first game at Alfond, but i do have many memories in that building. A game that season against Sokol Kiev, from Russia ( what an education!), my first collegiate goal against BC the next season, our first playoff win at Alfond ( thunderous crowd), my return as an Olympian and my last official game at Alfond, a classic win over NHL star Rob Blake's Bowling Green Falcons to earn a birth in the NCAA Final Four in 1988. Now, nearly 20 years later, who would have guessed I'd be playing a professional game for a Maine team in the rink that virtually kick-started my career. I'm sure Walshy will be watching with interest, wanting to tell me to move my feet or just make the first pass on the breakout, with that oh so encouraging smile...

Although I could spend all night telling you about my time there, I'll finish by telling you about the heart of Alfond, the fans. Long known as the toughest fans in Hockey East, they could be credited with many wins at Orono. I remember countless tales from players, coaches and parents of opposing teams about the rowdiest, loudest, most loyal fans around, and how happy they were to leave the building in one piece. Thats parents included!

Some of the guys in the room in Portland have experienced the excitement of Alfond, playing in the collegiate ranks, and the others are anxious to see what it is like.I'm hoping for a packed house on Tuesday night, and a chance to recapture some of the nostalgia of that special period in my life.

As I walked in the doors of the arena last night, I couldn't help but peer down at the ice, scan the walls and listen to the sounds of the high school game in the building. It was a magical time up there, the legacy carried on by many fine players including my brother, and now we will add to the history of Alfond with our match. I wonder if Scotty and Ted will be as nervous as I will be, like an 18 year old freshman about to pull the white and blue on for the first time... These memories will last a lifetime.

Before I forget, a former teammate, Mario Thyer came by with his son, Ben, to say hi the other night at Sawyer Arena, in Bangor. I remember completing a beautiful pass play started by Mario, a magician with the puck, and sliding it over to Christian Lalonde, who the goal that all but sealed our victory against Bowling Green. Mario went on to play for the North Stars and a few other teams.

And lastly, Nonni and John Daly, the two people in Orono that symbolize the program, and who have been dear friends to my family and Scott Pellerin's, will surely be in attendance next Tuesday. I certainly look forward to seeing them, as much as the constant updates about the happenings of the current Black Bears. Nonni and John, see you soon! Hope to see the rest of you up there filling the Alfond to the rafters and helping us to another victory over the Monarchs. Who knows, if we are lucky, the pep band may be there! Stay warm, Weino