The Georgia Swarm has a busy week ahead of it. Its second game of the season awaits the team on Friday, Dec. 28 when it takes on the Toronto Rock. But before the Swarm heads to Scotiabank Arena, players will happily have their hands full celebrating the holidays.
Everyone celebrates it differently, but they all enjoy it with family and close friends. Bryan Cole, Jordan MacIntosh, Mike Poulin, John Ranagan, and Connor Sellars all shared what they respectively do during the holidays and what makes it so special to them.
Where do you usually celebrate the holidays?
Cole: I usually celebrate the holidays in Fort Erie/Burlington with parents and grandparents.
MacIntosh: My wife and I travel from Boston up to Rochester, NY to spend Christmas Eve with her family. On Christmas Day, we pack up the car and drive up to Oakville, ON for Christmas with my side of the family.
Poulin: We spend Christmas Eve with my wife’s family and Christmas Day with mine.
Ranagan: At my grandma’s house in Queens.
Sellars: Usually spend the holidays at my parents’ house in Brampton or my aunt and uncles’ houses.
What’s your holiday tradition?
Cole: Our holiday tradition is to unwrap gifts together and have dad’s “breakfast of champs” and see how many bows we can stick on grandpa when he falls asleep.
MacIntosh: Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day dinner are big for us. I also do a night out on December 26th with some of my closest friends from home, including Alex Crepinsek and Calgary Roughnecks captain Dan MacRae.
Poulin: My dad makes crepes Christmas morning after we open presents.
Ranagan: My dad is an incredible cook, and he always makes a massive breakfast for us Christmas morning.
Sellars: No family traditions really, just open gifts on Christmas Day and always get together with family.
Best holiday memory?
Cole: Best holiday memory is sledding with my GT racer.
MacIntosh: Many good ones. Last year, I surprised my wife with a trip to Ireland, and her reaction was priceless. That’s a good one. As a kid, my family used to play pond hockey on Christmas Day, which was one of my best childhood memories.
Poulin: Waking up to find Santa brought me an air hockey/ping pong/pool table when I was a kid.
Ranagan: Just the time spent with family.
Favorite holiday movie?
Cole: “The Grinch” (Jim Carrey).
MacIntosh: “Elf” – along with pretty much everyone else!
Poulin: “Elf” and “Home Alone.”
Ranagan: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” more specifically the one with Jim Carrey.
Sellars: “Elf.”
Funniest or worst gift you’ve ever received?
Cole: Funniest gift I’ve ever received – probably a 300 pack of garbage bags.
MacIntosh: Year after year my friends get me bird seed as part of my gift. It’s a nickname I can’t shake, and they love to remind me!
Poulin: My dad once bought all five of my sisters a gift and forgot about me … so being forgotten by my dad was pretty funny (not at the time).
Ranagan: The best gifts are anything related to the New York Jets.
If you could go on a destination holiday vacation, where would you go?
Cole: Bermuda.
MacIntosh: I love traveling in Europe. I also think Christmas should have some cold weather and snow, so some place like Switzerland or the Alps in France would be pretty awesome.
Poulin: Switzerland. There has to be snow on Christmas morning.
Ranagan: Hawaii. Mele Kalikimaka!
Sellars: If I could go on a destination holiday vacation, it would either be Hawaii or a Mediterranean cruise/trip to around the Mediterranean countries.
Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie?
Cole: Absolutely.
MacIntosh: Not even a question. It absolutely is.
Poulin: ABSOLUTELY it is!
Ranagan: No.
Sellars: “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie. I would say it’s adjacent with Christmas but not a Christmas movie.
