Plenty of people from the NWT have made their way south to watch hockey games SA国际影视传媒� happens all the time and to many different locales.
James Williams and his mother, Pam Williams, are on their way to Elmont, New York to take in Games 3 and 4 of the National Hockey League Eastern Conference quarter-final between the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes at the UBS Centre, home of the Islanders. The SA国际影视传媒楥anes hold down a 2-0 series lead after winning the first two games at home in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
While you may think itSA国际影视传媒檚 a nice vacation, there are a couple of other Yellowknife connections to this story. One is courtesy of the late Robb Olexin.
James said the trip came about after the Islanders made the playoffs, much to the chagrin of his sister, Aurora Kotokak.
SA国际影视传媒淭he Islanders got in there by one point over the (Pittsburgh) Penguins SA国际影视传媒� Aurora is a Penguins fan, so she wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 really happy about that,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淢om and I started talking about going and we made the arrangements.SA国际影视传媒�
His father is the late Tom Williams, who was a diehard Islanders fan. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 the first connection.
SA国际影视传媒淒ad would have been going if he was still with us and I know he wouldSA国际影视传媒檝e wanted us to go,SA国际影视传媒� James said.
Mother and son left Yellowknife Thursday and flew into Calgary. From there, they were booked on a red-eye this morning to Toronto, where they were scheduled to board their flight into LaGuardia International Airport in New York City.
HereSA国际影视传媒檚 the second Yellowknife connection to the story:
Olexin, who, like Tom, succumbed to cancer last year, got into the arena-building business after moving away from Yellowknife. He travelled the world through his employment with Becker Arena Products in Minnesota to places such as Turkmenistan and even put together outdoor rinks for such celebrities as Kristi Yamaguchi, Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.
It was a craft he learned while working at the old Gerry Murphy Arena and he got to know Tom while playing hockey.
SA国际影视传媒淒ad and Robbie were really close,SA国际影视传媒� said James. SA国际影视传媒淭hey were both goaltenders and got to know each other really well.SA国际影视传媒�
Olexin had a hand in building the UBS Centre and it was during that time when he learned his old friend had been diagnosed with cancer. Knowing Tom was an Islanders fan, Olexin decided to do something to honour him: write his name on one of the girders within the building.
It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 just any place, though, James said.
SA国际影视传媒淗e wrote his name in a spot that eventually became part of the IslandersSA国际影视传媒� dressing room,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hat was so cool and so awesome to know that dad would be in that locker room with the team before every home game.SA国际影视传媒�
There was a request from Olexin to keep it a secret until the company had finished up its work, but James couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 resist.
SA国际影视传媒淚 put it right out there for everyone to see,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Tom will be there in some form as mother and son have taken an Islanders jersey autographed by Bryan Trottier along with his favourite hat.
SA国际影视传媒淢aybe having dad there in some small way will turn things around for the Islanders,SA国际影视传媒� said James.
