From Fort St. James to Germany, the game of hockey literally took Bryan Adams effectually the earth.

It all started in the 1993-94 season in the Rocky Mount Inferior Hockey League, suiting up for one of the teams he grew up watching, the Prince George Spruce Kings.

That year, the Spruce Kings finished kickoff in the regular season with a mark of 36-14-2. Adams admits information technology didn't have long to realize the step he was taking in his hockey career.

"The first thing I remember is making that commitment to play for them then just packing my truck (with) what little belongings I had equally a 17-yr-sometime from Fort St. James and going to Prince George."

"When y'all are young, you don't really grasp the concept of what is going on and moving in with some billets. I don't call back it took me also long, only I remember pulling upward to their house and the rest is kind of history."

Equally a wide-eyed rookie, Adams quickly took annotation of the long route trips the Spruce Kings took.

"I call up going to Cranbrook or Creston and the road trips were long and I retrieve the snowstorms nosotros used to turn through. Even going up to Fort St. John (to play the Huskies), they had real tough teams back so. It was a battle but it was the get-go grouping of players I remember playing with."

(Orlando Solar Bears)

Some of the teammates who still come to mind for Adams are Don Campbell and Davey Jones, to proper noun a couple. In his rookie flavor, Adams enjoyed offensive success correct off the bat by tallying 21 goals and 23 assists in 49 games.

"I have to aspect that (breakout) to my coaches growing upward. I kind of express mirth at present as I am living in Michigan where a lot of the teams are much larger and we have a lot of kids who come up to tryouts."

"Only in Fort St. James, whoever showed up we took on our team and we were fortunate to have a adept core grouping of guys. We were a unmarried-A team playing confronting triple-A teams. So I built a lot of confidence growing playing against better competition."

However, the Spruce Kings came up curt in the playoffs against Fort St. John dropping the best-of-vii semifinal serial 4-2. The tough and rumble make of hockey the Huskies used to play even so sticks out to Adams to this day.

"I remember sitting there at 1 of the games and as soon as the puck dropped at centre ice all the gloves came off and I don't know who grabbed me only he was a tough son of a gun and he vanquish the pulp out of me. I remember Donnie Campbell was already in the dressing room and he asked me what happened."

"I remember the coach trip habitation and feeling actually shell up. I finally got in my bed and looked at my face only kind of tossing blood. They had a really big tough squad and every time you went to play them it was always a boxing."

Kings on the water ice

In 1994-95, PG went 41-nine-2 and once again clinched beginning place in the RMJHL. For his office, Adams recorded 37 goals and fifty assists in 48 games.

"Nosotros had a lot of guys who could put the puck in the cyberspace. Sometimes that doesn't e'er matter, but what does affair is when you have guys who work together and you are able to score and defend. We had proficient goaltending every bit well and I remember it being but an all-around kind of squad. (Full general manager and head coach) Len McNamara brought in guys from all over to get in work."

However, the Spruce Kings suffered more heartbreak by losing the league final in 6 games against the Cranbrook Colts.

"Nosotros had such a good thing going and then you run into a team equally as proficient. They were kind of the start team that nosotros actually ran upwards confronting that could keep up and score more than u.s.a.. They were good and they got the ameliorate of u.s.."

Starring with the Spartans

After finishing upward with the Bandbox Kings, Adams spent four solid seasons with the Michigan Land University Spartans playing for legendary coach Ron Stonemason.

In 1995-96, the Spartans went 22-7-1 in the CCHA with a star-studded grouping that included time to come longtime NHLers Anson Carter and Mike York.

Michigan State barbarous in the conference semi-terminal to their curvation-rival Michigan Wolverines so dropped the regional quarterfinal confronting UMass-Lowell at the Nationals.

"My eyes were big, I will put it that fashion. But I got my anxiety underneath me and played with some really good players and it was the best decision I ever fabricated to come to Michigan State."

"When it is time to play (University of) Michigan, it doesn't matter what else is going on, y'all want to win and practice everything it takes to win at all costs. All throughout the 90s, the (Wolverines) had really good teams featuring Brendan Morrison and Bill Muckalt. I think that existence some really good hockey and if we won that was pure excitement."

(Michigan State Athletics)

In 1996-97, the Spartans added future NHLer and BCHL alumnus Shawn Horcoff to the fold and went 16-7-four only to lose in the CCHA Terminal to the Wolverines. Michigan State then brutal to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 6-3 in the Regional Quarters of the National tournament.

The offensive numbers started to summit for Adams in his third season as he collected thirty points in 31 games. In 1997-98, the Spartans finally climbed the top of the mountain and claimed a league title past ousting Ohio State 3-ii in double overtime.

From there, Michigan State took another stride forward at Nationals but lost 4-3 in overtime to the Buckeyes.

In his final hurrah at the collegiate level, Adams was linemates with York and freshman Adam Hall, who played 682 games for a number of NHL teams. Adams completed the flavor with 37 points in 42 games.

Going pro

Every bit an undrafted actor, Adams had the opportunity to choose where his professional career would begin. The Fort St. James product ultimately signed with the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. He played in ii games with the Thrashers in 1999-2000, but spent near of his rookie season in the International Hockey League with the Orlando Solar Bears.

"I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I had a pretty expert senior year in college so I made the decision purely that (Atlanta) was an expansion squad. I thought it would requite me the all-time chance at success to go to a new team that was building from the ground up."

"I as well had the chance to sign with Montreal and that was tough for me because my dad is a huge Canadiens fan. I was torn nearly where I wanted to go. (But) it was squeamish because in the back of my mind If I didn't make (the Thrashers) correct away, playing in Orlando wasn't a terrible spot."

Adams tallied 34 points in 64 games equally a rookie for the Solar Bears. He is quick to indicate out the lifestyle of an IHL histrion was actually somewhat similar to the NHL based on travel.

"Well-nigh of the places we flew to (because) our closest game was Houston. We were flying everywhere, which was very nice. You are in the minors just you lot almost feel spoiled considering yous had it pretty proficient."

While with the Solar Bears, Adams grew close with Dan Snyder who eventually moved on and played with the Thrashers, just was tragically killed in a auto accident involving star player Dany Heatley.

In his second pro season, Adams suited in nine games for the Thrashers before getting sent back to Orlando where he claimed a Turner Cup championship.

"Things went alright with Atlanta. Looking back at things, y'all wish yous could have done a niggling better, but it is what it is. I then went back to a team I was actually comfortable with and we had all the pieces to the puzzle to be successful."

The Solar Bears were stacked with a agglomeration of players who went on to have either full-time NHL careers or journeymen tenures in the professional ranks such as Norm Maracle, Mike Weaver, Brett Clark, Jean-Pierre Vigier, Brian Pothier, and Jarrod Skalde.

Dances with Wolves and Griffins

(G Rapids Griffins)

Adams collected his second championship in as many seasons in 2001-02. Simply this time information technology was as a member of the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

"It was kind of weird in the fact that you get from winning a championship in i urban center and and so the team folds and you move to Chicago and finish upward winning the championship there."

"It was a tough yr for me personally as I broke my pes in training military camp and didn't end up playing for the outset petty while. Then the team gets going, then you take to find your manner into the lineup. I didn't play with Hall of Famers, simply I played with actually good pros like Rob Dark-brown and Steve Maltais."

From there, Adams spent a twelvemonth with the Grand Rapids Griffins and collected 25 points in 74 games while too lighting the lamp twice in 13 playoff contests.

A decade in Deutschland

Looking for a fresh start, Adams signed on with the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in 2003. He played in Iserlohn for three seasons, the last 2 as team captain.

"When I first went over in that location, it was guys who I had played confronting in the minors. I tin can't remember the exact number of import players they were allowed, only it was pretty loftier. I went to school with Mike Ford and he was all-time buddies with Matt Higgins. It was pretty much like playing with an AHL team."

"I was dorsum to having fun and getting a lot of water ice time."

During the NHL lockout in 2004-05, Adams reunited with a couple of former Michigan Spartans in Mike York and John Micheal-Liles, who found their way to Iserlohn.

Adams went on to play for Kolner Haie of the DEL for four seasons, post-obit head omnibus Doug Mason who he had a previous relationship with while in Iserlohn.

"That was a little chip of a factor simply I also created my own success by having some decent years. Information technology was a chance to motility on to a bigger facility that rivaled whatever NHL team. The facility they had was fantastic."

Bryan Adams (#nine – EHC Muenchen) in Aktion
Foto: Metropolis-Press GbR
Fotografenkennung: CP-11

In 2007-08, Kolner Haie fell shy in the league terminal against Berlin despite having some pretty recognizable pro names such equally Todd Warriner, John Slaney, Kamil Piros, and Ivan Cernik.

"That is a tough one to eat. I remember losing to Berlin. I wish we could go back and do it again but homo we had some battles and long overtime games. I think that season we played ane of the longest games in history that included four overtimes," added Adams.

He finished off his tenure in Germany with EHC München where he played for three seasons.

"I liked the game of hockey and I loved being down there but my body was getting pretty beat up towards the end, which is funny to say considering I wake up now and I experience groovy. Information technology was fourth dimension to move on and let the other guys play."

Adams suited upward on four occasions for Canada while overseas playing in the Hungarian Cup and Deutschland Cup.

He at present lives with his wife and family in Eastward Lansing, Michigan where he sells knee and hip implants.