Flyers' peewees dealt with two broken-down buses and still won

When the temperature plummets to below zero and there's about a foot of snow on the ground, things might not go as planned.

And they didn't for the Flyers' peewee squad bright and early Saturday.

Up against the bitter cold of Quebec City, the team's bus wouldn't start. The backup plan? The Devils' bus, but that was dead, too.

With an exhibition game approaching and the peewees waiting at the rink, the Flyers' parents and coaches faced a 20-minute drive and no buses to transport all of the equipment.

"It wasn't a great start to the day today," Rob Baer, the team leader, said with a smile.

But that didn't stop them. Instead, it made for a memorable and victorious day. Parents, coaches and billets teamed up to get the kids everything they needed just in time for a quick pregame skate. The peewees rewarded them with a 5-1 win over the Adirondack Jr. Wings.

"We had billets come to the hotel and load up bags and bring parents to the rink," Baer said. "I think six of our own parents had their vehicles with them, so we loaded them up with hockey bags. It all worked out. It was minus 7 this morning, the buses didn't start, it was nobody's fault. We adjust and we move on."

Saturday was the Flyers' final tuneup before their first game in this year's Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament.

Harry Marshall scored two goals and Josh Warren, Brody Grill and Matthew Lux also found the back of the net. Bryce Dagenais had two assists, while Jake Amacher and Sam Toscano did the job between the pipes.

When Warren opened the scoring, a "let's go Flyers" chant broke out in the stands.

"The parents just rallied," Todd Grill, the dad of Brody Grill, said. "I don't know how many people drove up here with their own cars, so we just started dividing up, putting people and bags wherever we could. The cars were pretty full, but we got here and everything worked out."

Grill hopped in a car with four other people, hockey sticks and two or three huge equipment bags.

"It's a close-knit group," the Lancaster, Pennsylvania native said. "Even though this team has only been together for a few months and it's not like we're together every week, but a lot of us know each other, everyone gets along. We know what this is all about."

Teresa Erb, the mom of Gavin Erb, kindly gathered people (including this reporter) and equipment into her car.

"We just like to pull everybody together, it doesn't matter who it is," the Bensalem, Pennsylvania native said. "We just all jump together and make it work."

Hockey parents always follow through.

"It was a little blip, no big deal," Baer said. "And we like sprinkling in a little bit of adversity — I think it's good for everybody."

Following the exhibition game, the Flyers had a planned visit to the Videotron Centre, which plays host for the historic tournament. Parents and billets packed the cars again as they made their way to the NHL-sized arena.

Steven Sweeney, whose son is a defenseman and shares the same name, fit seven people into his car.

"That's one of the things we preach to the parents before we come on this trip: adaptability," Baer said. "Things change in a moment's notice, the schedule changes, our transportation needs sometimes change, although this is the first time that this has ever happened. But you just have to be ready for anything and they were really good about it, nobody complained."

The aura of the Videotron Centre, a hockey haven for all ages, helped relieve any lingering stress from the Flyers' morning. Next up is the real thing. At this point, the Flyers sure seem open to any challenge that may come their way.