Things started early Thursday morning as the Regina Pats boarded the bus for the long trip to Cranbrook, B.C., their first stop on their bi-annual trip through the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Packing the bus is an art that Head Trainer, Greg Mayer and Equipment Manager, Leigh Fitzpatrick have mastered. To get 25 player bags, equipment, coaches gear, and everything else a hockey team needs for a 10 day roadie on a bus is quite a thing to watch.

Next up, some entertainment on the bus, the guitar is courtesy of Dominick Favreau, and the Nuke LaLoosh pic is your Team WHL Captai, Colten Teubert.

On the bus and onward for a mid-afternoon practice in Medicine Hat, it's the first time since Cody Carlson has been back to the Gas City since coming to the blue and white. A strange experience for him, and it's just one of the three teams that Pats Assistant Coach Shaun Sutter played for in his WHL career.

Then it was a stop for lunch, then onto highway 3 through Lethbridge, and then into the Crowsnest Pass for a buffet supper at "Pure Country". The team finally arrived in Cranbrook at 10:30 Mountain Time (11:30 Saskatchewan time) to hit the sheets and gest some rest for a night battle with the Kootenay Ice.

The Pats stay it St.Eugene Hotel and Resort 10 minutes outside of "Cranny", and it's a picturesque place for sure.

The last picture has Greg Mayer in the background, as the club is heading to the rink for a pre-game skate at the Cranbrook "Rec Plex". A 1/2 skate, then the boys head back to the hotel for a little rest and pre-game before a huge Eastern Conference battle with the Ice tonight.

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