As both a player and a coach, Bob Woods traveled up and down the road in hockey’s minor leagues, riding the “iron lung” as the bus is known among those who travel the circuit. However, those days moved behind him when he was named an assistant coach of the Washington Capitals last summer.

Unlike the minor leagues, where all destinations are arrived at via ground travel, with rarely an exception, NHL players and coaches fly on chartered planes. One would think that Woods would be elated to see those days and miles behind him now that he has arrived in “the show”, but that would only be a partial truth.

“You know, I had a lot of good times on the bus, but the charter is pretty nice (21 seasons in the minors as a player and coach). You’re in your bed by 1 a.m. a lot of trips, and that’s key. It beats getting in at 4 a.m. and trying to get ready for a game the next night.”

Although he has visited quite a few cities during his rookie season in the NHL that he had not ventured to before, Woods admits that there has been precious little time for sightseeing, as he has remained focused on his job and family.

“It’s pretty time consuming with the travel.  It’s not like the American League where you play your 3-in-3 on the weekends and have most of the week to recoup.  You’re pretty much going every second day.  The prep work keeps you busy, and I try to rest and spend time with my family when I’m home.”

Family has always been very important to Woods, and while he and his family are becoming more acclimated to their new locale every day, he still speaks fondly of his years spent in Chocolatetown.

“We moved to the D.C. area in August and we’ve settled in pretty nice.  It’s a great area to live with lots to do and see.  The traffic hasn’t been too bad, but Hershey is a special place and was a tough place to leave.  We still miss our friends and the area very much.”

“I miss the small town atmosphere and just being where you get to know a lot of people in the area. I grew up in a small town (Leroy, Saskatchewan, pop. 637, according to the 2001 Canadian census). I also like the environment and just being a part of where hockey’s the biggest thing in town.  There’s pressure there, but it’s fun to be a part of it because you know people care.”