I heard willy say that every year at least one club after winning their league leaves the work mindset behind and just starts partying. He didn't come out and say it but that was probably the tigers in 2004. More than fire alarms and stolen goalie masks the fact that team went out and got polluted at every opportunity is probably what cost them a memorial cup. Getting woken up at 4am on the night before a big game is one thing if you were in bed at 11PM; it's a totally different thing if you got back in at 3AM after a night of drinking. Keeping them at a hotel where you can maintain the 'we're on a mission' attitude would be helpful. Although it didn't help the tigers in 04, heh.
Agreed that the 'team building' notion is a foolish one. You do that sort of thing in september, not before a major championship. The flames and oilers spend a fair amount of time here in the pre season, light practices in the late morning and then golf in the afternoon, and then drinks in the evening for team building, just so they can all get to know each other and bond.
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