Sam in Sochi: Catching Up

Aug 22, 2019

Tauros’ defenseman Sam Skinner is representing the Tauros, NAHL, and USA Hockey as a member of Team NAHL in the Sirius Junior World Cup in Russia.  After some connectivity issues saw Skinner’s messages lost in cyberspace we’ve caught up with him and hope to be back on track for Skinner to send us a quick update each to let us know what how he and the team are doing.  Enjoy catching up with Skinner’s adventure the last few days below.

Click here for more info on Team NAHL, including schedule, roster, and info on the Sirius Junior World Cup.

Sunday August 18th

For the most part I am trying to get adjusted to the time change. We were finally able to have our first practice as a team. It felt good to finally be on the ice and skate as a team. We had our team photo taken and we are looking official. It feels good to wear USA/NAHL on my jersey and to be representing for the Minotauros. Sunday evening we headed to Red Square. What a truly amazing place filled with history. Now I know why my mom said to take a lot of pictures of Red Square. After our visit to Red Square we headed back to the hotel for dinner and much needed rest for our exhibition game.

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Monday August 19th

Waking up today brought excitement because I was going to play my first game for the USA / NAHL. Our exhibition game started slow but I feel that as each period progressed we got better. We began to read each other on the ice and became closer as a team. There were not a lot of fans in the stands to watch but I feel it was the beginning of our journey as a team here in Russia with a 3 to 1 win. The evening brought rest and relaxation as I am still trying to recover from the time change.

Tuesday August 20th

I continue to adjust to the time change. I am waking up at 3am Russian time and am unable to fall back asleep. It was a light day for us today. We had practice this morning and then were able to visit the Kremlin. The Kremlin serves as the official residence of the President. Kremlin means a fortress inside a city and that is exactly what it felt like. We went on a guided tour and were able to see some of the following:  4 ballrooms, a ballroom filled with actual gold, sleeping quarters, the throne, a room where previous rulers names were imprinted in gold, and a series of paintings that portrayed the story of Adam and Eve. It was absolutely a sight to see! Next – our journey to Sochi.

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Wednesday August 21st

Today was a day for more travel but again filled with excitement as we arrived in Sochi – our final destination. Our hunt for the gold is slowly getting closer to reality. Our hotel in Sochi is sweet. It is nicer than the hotel we stayed in Moscow, has better WiFi, and the food tastes better. The food is the same – pork, fried cod, and noodles but tasted better. After getting settled in our rooms we stretched our legs and as a team had a pick up soccer game. It’s nice to continue to develop that bond. After dinner, wishing for a full nights sleep.  I was also excited to see that my 2018-19 jerseys raised $465 for Grantley’s battle with cancer!