The Waterloo Warriors men's hockey team is embarking on the preseason road trip of a lifetime.

The Warriors have landed in Europe for a three-country trip that will see them play a trio of European professional teams in exhibition action over the next nine days.

In their first European tour since 2012, the Warriors will play three different teams from three different leagues, in three different countries. After arriving in Munich on August 28, Waterloo will kick off exhibition action in Northern Italy on August 30 against Rittner Buam of the Alps Hockey League. Two days later, the Warriors will visit EHC Freiburg of the German 2^nd league (DEL2), before wrapping up their exhibition action on September 2 in Zug, Switzerland against the EVZ Academy of the Swiss 2^nd league (SL).

In the ultra-competitive OUA hockey landscape, the chance to play tune-up games against professional opponents can be invaluable preparation for when the regular season starts in early October. But according to Warriors head coach Brian Bourque, the off-ice activities and team bonding is as much – or more – important than what happens on the ice.

"The unity and camaraderie that gets built, that's the ultimate goal," said Bourque. "The hockey is almost a secondary reason to do a trip like this."

In addition to their three games, the Warriors will also get the a full European sightseeing experience: they'll visit the picturesque Partnachklamm (Partnach Gorge), and they'll enjoy tours of Verona and Freiburg. The team will also visit the impactful Dachau concentration camp memorial site, before wrapping up the trip with a guided tour of the BMW plant and a Munich brewery tour.

"Every single former player we talk to said that these trips can't all be about the hockey," said Bourque. "We purposefully modelled it so we could play three games in four days, and then have a chance to experience these countries together. You want to see the culture, and grow as a person."

The European tour was organized by Sports Time Europe, a company that specializes in exhibition tours and international tournament travel for players, families, and friends. The trip was also made possible in part by contributions from Warriors alumni donors, and Bourque said that, in his conversations with former Warriors, these types of trips seem to leave some of the most indelible marks on the players.

"Teams that have done these trips in the past, they all talk about the experience for years," said Bourque. "They remember the relationships, and the bonds they form."

The Warriors will return to Canada on Thursday, September 5, ahead of the official opening of training camp. The OUA regular season kicks off on October 3, when the Warriors host the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
Professor Vaughan's European Adventure

You can follow the team across Europe through the eyes of Warriors superfan Mary

Ann Vaughan. Professor Vaughan is a recently-retired professor in uWaterloo's Economics department, and her contributions to Warriors athletics have made an impact on countless student-athletes. Professor Vaughan has joined the Warriors on their European adventure and she'll be blogging about all the sights, adventures, and exhibition games as the Warriors make their way through Europe.

Read Professor Vaughan's European Adventure blog here!