When you have an occasion to talk to any member of the Boston Bulldog Alumni, one of the first subjects that they want to bring to your attention is the never-ending memory of the Utopian experience that they were a part of during training camp at Waterville Valley that began their career as Boston Bulldogs.

New Bulldog Nick Zappia from Manlius, NY, had this to say: "Waterville Valley is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. Great scenery, high mountains, really neat rivers and an atmosphere that just makes you want to get up early and start your day. Even my Dad (Kevin) took a week's vacation (like a number of other parents) and he's a hockey fanatic. I expected to see him at the rink every day, he was hardly ever there. He hiked up a mountain, he went biking, he played golf, and for him to miss hockey...Wow, it just doesn't happen."

The Bulldogs arrived on Monday, August 25th and spent an event packed week then headed home Friday the 29th just before supper time. The skated once Monday night, twice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and once again on Friday before heading home. What else did the week include? The 2008 - 2009 Bulldog players experienced physical testing, and a two mile run, a mountain climb (about which Seric Kapp remarked "What an unbelievable view at the top, but, oh brother did the trip down ever kill my legs"). They played a water polo tournament in a spring-fed lake, a nine hole golf tournament on Thursday morning. In what has become an annual tradition the Bulldog players, coaches, parents and friends, gathered in the town square on Thursday night for a "Steak-Out" barbeque. The barbeque is a rallying point for players, coaches and parent alike, many of whom have taken a week's vacation traveling the New Hampshire Lakes region and watching their sons as they take in an occasional practice. The week concluded with a lengthy and grueling mountain-biking competition before their final skate on Friday.

"Everybody seemed really anxious on Monday when we arrived, we hardly knew each other" stated Ryan Dyer from No. Redington Beach, FL. "By the end of the week it was like we'd been together for months." Jesse Hudson, from Ocean City, NJ described the night life in Waterville Valley "How about those black bears, they must be hungry or something, they come down from the mountains each night and knock over all the trashcans."

"The guys worked hard, had a lot of fun doing a lot of different things. I look forward to heading back up to Waterville Valley myself" stated assistant coach Bernie Sandford, who directed several of the on ice sessios during the week.