January 13, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets With the Comet players on the road, en route to Oklahoma and the southwestern area of the country last week, the Comets front office staff seized the opportunity to take in some of the United States' finest hockey history in Lake Placid, New York.

The Comets front office staff members the three-hour drive north to Lake Placid, New York, which played host to 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The three day trip marked not only an enjoyable time for Utica's staff but also a retreat to increase team unity away from an office setting.

Everyone arrived late Sunday afternoon amidst the NFL's wild card playoff games and the staff exchanged their secret santa gifts as the holiday season finally came to a close for the Comets, following a nine game home stand. With a fun exchange based primarily on "inside jokes", the gift giving was a bonding experience for everyone and whipped an already tight knit staff that much closer together.

As Colin Kaepernick led the 49ers down the field on a game winning drive, the front office staff walked across Mirror Lake and enjoyed a dinner at the luxurious Lake Placid Boat House Club, before a night in a snowy, but beautiful Lake Placid town. An early set of meetings followed the ensuing morning, where a variety of topics were discussed on how to make the Comets experience even better for the fans.

With temperatures north of forty and rain on the way down, the Comets staff was deprived of a day of skiing at Whiteface Mountain or a game of pond hockey on the lake. Many employees used their free time to walk to and visit the historic Olympic Center in the middle of the town.

Inside were the two hockey rinks from the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games, as well as a third rink that doubled as a curling facility. The 1932 rink was home to a Canadian gold medal, as our neighbors to the North finished with 11 points, two ahead of the United States who won silver. Despite playing home to many elite international players in the past, the 1932 Rink hosts mainly youth competition these days.

Appropriately, the 1980 rink was the star attraction, with everyone being a huge fan of the Miracle on Ice that occurred between the United States and Soviet Union during the medal round. The United States won gold in the following game on home ice against Finland, which completed the greatest upset in sports history. A trip to Lake Placid would never be complete without seeing where Herb Brooks and the boys completed the miracle, 33 years ago.

In addition to the arenas, the speed skating oval where Eric Heiden collected five gold medals was located directly out front. An exciting tour for the Comets staff was complete with a trip to the USA Hockey store to stock up for the incoming Sochi Olympics.

Despite a great time had by the Comets front office, Streamline Concepts, the local company that produces all the Comets videos, Chuck Obernesser and Jim Raymer felt excluded from the Comets plans. What resulted, toed the line between lyrical genius and utter chaos and for one small window, The AUD was under new management.

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Comets Corner: Lake Placid