Card games and Tolstoy: How the Oilers pass the time in the air

National Post

2 days ago

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'Yes, we're very business-like, it's important to be focused, but you can also have fun,' said Knoblauch, 'And, I don't think fun is going to distract anybody from what our goal is.'
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The coach uses the time on the plane to look at game film, figure out line combinations for the next game and, when it's all done, maybe take a bit of time to unplug from hockey. Knoblauch likes to read on the plane, and is currently working on Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. It's a book about how an idea is sparked, and how it can take hold in business or our social interactions. Over five million copies of the book have been sold, and it spent almost a decade on the New York Times' bestseller list. There are currently nine holds on the book at Edmonton Public Library, so it you read this story and want to borrow it, you're going to have to wait.
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When he's not playing cards or honing his racing skills on Mario Kart, defenceman Darnell Nurse also enjoys reading on the plane. Right now, he's in the midst of Leo Tolstoy's epic, War and Peace.
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'I've been working at War and Peace by Tolstoy for, like, a month and a half, two months,' said Nurse. 'So, maybe I can find a way to finish that one.'
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While flying between the Miami area and Edmonton is pretty arduous, there are former FC Edmonton players who might be out there reading this article and snickering. When the now-defunct team played in the North American Soccer League, the Eddies would have to make a couple of visits a season to the Caribbean to face the Puerto Rico Islanders. And, unlike the Oilers, FC Edmonton's players and coaches had to fly commercial. The team would often not all fly together. Some players would connect in different airports. But, the best and quickest route would see the team fly to Minneapolis, then to Atlanta, and, finally, to San Juan. There were times that it would take the better part of two days to finish the route, and then the team would have to play in hot, humid, punishing conditions, then get back on a series of flights to return home.
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