From hotel room to hotel room, Team Canada spent almost 30 hours on the road to get to Toronto from Omsk. A journey that started very early Sunday morning in Omsk and ended late that same night in Toronto – with a 11-hour time difference thrown in for good measure.

Saturday, September 1st

7:27 p.m. (local time) / 6:27 a.m. (ET)

Canada wraps up a 4-2 victory over Russia at the brand-new Arena Omsk. The team heads home having swept Russia – in Russia – four games to none.

Four games remain in Canada: September 4th in Winnipeg, September 5th in Saskatoon, September 7th in Red Deer and September 9th in Vancouver.

Tickets are still for sale in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Vancouver

10:45 p.m. (local time) / 9:45 a.m. (ET)

Team Canada members arrive at the Tourist Hotel in Omsk after a hearty North American-style dinner at local restaurant.

Sunday, September 2nd

4:30 a.m. (local time) / 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Wake-up call

4:45 a.m. (local time) / 3:45 p.m. (ET)

Breakfast at hotel

5:00 a.m. (local time) / 4 p.m. (ET)

Personal luggage of Team Canada and media members is loaded onto two buses and one truck

5:23 a.m. (local time) / 4:23 p.m. (ET)

Buses and truck leave for Omsk Airport, along with 25 players, 15 staff members and nine media members – all very tired

5:40 a.m. (local time) / 4:40 p.m. (ET)

Arrive at Omsk Airport, where the team goes through security at the airport entrance and proceeds to check in

5:50 a.m. (local time) / 4:50 p.m. (ET)

Brad Marchand, Claude Giroux and Dana Tyrell purchase souvenirs for family and friends and back home – at least they didn’t wait until the last minute

6:50 a.m. (local time) / 5:50 p.m. (ET)

Last Team Canada members clear security

7:38 a.m. (local time) / 6:38 p.m. (ET)

Flight departs for Moscow (a 3.5 hour flight)

8:00 a.m. (local time) / 12 a.m. (ET)

Flight lands in Moscow (a three-hour time difference from Omsk) at the Domodevodo Airport – the first step is completed (note – there are four airports in Moscow – our flight to Frankfurt is not out of this airport but out of Shermetenko Airport)

9:20 a.m. (local time) / 1:20 a.m. (ET)

Buses loaded with team members and luggage, as well as one truck with equipment, leave Domodevodo Airport en route to Shermetenko Airport

10:25 a.m. (local time) / 2:25 a.m. (ET)

Players and staff members unload bus and transport equipment and luggage into airport

10:45 a.m. (local time) / 2:45 a.m. (ET)

Players and a few staff members leave the airport by foot and go for lunch at a hotel across the street – lunch gets all-around rave reviews

10:55 a.m. (local time) / 2:55 a.m. (ET)

Luggage is cleared through security and piled up at the check-in counter while the players are at lunch. All of the hockey equipment is checked all the way through to Winnipeg; personal luggage will meet the players and staff in Toronto for the one-night layover.

11:30 a.m. (local time) / 3:30 a.m. (ET)

Check-in for all players and staff

12:30 p.m. (local time) / 4:30 a.m. (ET)

Everyone for both flights to Frankfurt has been checked through

1:30 p.m. (local time) / 5:30 a.m. (ET)

A first group, made up of some players and staff, departs Moscow for Frankfurt

2:30 p.m. (local time) / 6 a.m. (ET)

Second group departs Moscow for Frankfurt

2:25 p.m. (local time) / 8:25 a.m. (ET)

First group lands in Frankfurt. There is another two-hour time difference to account for – the team has already gone through five time zones. While it is 2:25 p.m. locally, it already feels like 7:25 p.m.

2:45 p.m. (local time) / 8:45 a.m. (ET)

Ninety-nine per cent of the first group is in line at McDonald’s

3:45 p.m. (local time) / 9:45 a.m. (ET)

Second group lands in Frankfurt

4:20 p.m. (local time) / 10:20 a.m. (ET)

Team Canada convenes at Gate 41 in Frankfurt ready for the longest flight of the day, one that will bring them back to Canada

5:00 p.m. (local time) / 11 a.m. (ET)

Flight departs on time from Frankfurt, en route to Toronto. Another six-hour time difference to account for – in total the team goes through 11 times zones during today’s trip.

7:50 p.m. (ET)

The flight gets in a little late but no one is complaining. The flight was almost nine hours long – the team has been in the air for almost 15 hours today.

8:20 p.m. (ET)

No confirmation that the equipment has been checked through to Winnipeg so we all await nervously at the luggage carousel. First personal luggage to arrive belongs, appropriately enough, to head coach Brent Sutter. A few minutes in and we have yet to see any hockey equipment. It looks good. Equipment managers Robin and Serge will be getting on a later flight through to Winnipeg to start setting up.

8:55 p.m. (ET)

Players’ and staff luggage is all accounted for and the team goes through customs. The players have just found out that they will be wearing 1972 jerseys in Winnipeg and everyone is excited. Team captain Milan Lucic and alternate captains Karl Alzner, Sam Gagner and Brandon Sutter are first up to try them on and wear them as they arrive to much applause from fans awaiting the group. They are also greeted by 1972 members Rod Seiling and Ron Ellis, who congratulate them on their great start.

9:00 p.m. (ET)

Media interviews a number of the players – it’s great to be home and they can’t wait to be playing in front of home crowds

9:20 p.m. (ET)

Players and staff take the shuttle to the airport hotel and check in to their rooms

9:45 p.m. (ET)

Team dinner at the airport hotel

10 p.m. (ET)

The wake-up call came almost thirty hours ago – it’s time for some shut-eye!