Niagara head coach Jason Lammers has been around hockey long enough to know that the game can take you unexpected places. This winter it carried him to the Swiss Alps, to caroling crowds and a rink that felt pulled from another century.

In December, while the Purple Eagles were on winter break, Lammers stepped away from Monteagle Ridge to serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the storied Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, one of the oldest and most celebrated tournaments in the sport. What he found there was equal parts hockey, holiday, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Collegiate Selects were the first NCAA college team to play in the tournament. 

"It was just a magical experience," Lammers said. "I'll forever be grateful for it. To have the opportunity to be over there was fantastic. And to represent college hockey, that was incredible."

A team built in days

Unlike a college roster built over months and years, the Spengler Cup squad came together in a matter of days. Players and coaches met first in Boston, then boarded a plane for Europe.

"We went for two days to Boston and went to a Bruins game right away," Lammers said. "The guys got to hang out with each other. That was a real priority for us as a staff. We all worked really hard at sharing meals, talking, and having coffee. It was intentional, but organic at the same time."

The chemistry showed. The Collegiate Selects reached the championship game, pushing the host club, HC Davos, to the brink. While they lost in the end, 6-3, the game was a watermark moment for the team, solidifying their place in the tournament. 

Hockey in its purest form

For a coach who loves old rinks and simple buildings, the Eisstadion Davos felt like home.

"It's really simply built," he said. "Literally wood and cement. You're just there to watch hockey. It was unique in its simplicity and brilliant in its simplicity."

Outside the rink, the team became local celebrities.

"The fans wanted selfies, they were honking horns when they drove by, you could hear them chanting outside the hotel," Lammers said. "It was magical."

With 10 minutes left in the final game, the building went dark, Lamemrs said. Fans lit up the arena with cell phones and sang a German Christmas carol.

"I told myself, 'Okay, I just need to stop coaching for a minute and enjoy the moment,'" he said. "It was really, really neat."

Lessons from Davos

Working alongside head coach Guy Gadowsky from Penn State and Mike Souza from the University of New Hampshire turned the trip into a traveling clinic.

"I felt like a kid in a candy store," Lammers said. "Just listening to Coach Souza and Coach Gadowsky, even the equipment guy, the strength coach, just picking their brains."

The tournament reinforced things Lammers is already doing at Niagara.

"I confirmed that a lot of what we're doing at Niagara is right," he said. "I was reminded about the simplicity of the game. Play fast, compete, and don't care who gets the credit."

Business trip with a purpose

Despite the postcard backdrop, the mission never changed.

"You're on a business trip, but you can have fun too," Lammers said. But when it was time to work, we worked. When it was time to enjoy the town, we enjoyed it."

One moment captured that balance perfectly: a viral clip showed head coach Guy Gadowsky lighting up the team between periods of their first game against Canada.

"At that moment they needed to be reminded we were on a business trip," Lammers said.

Bringing Davos back to Dwyer

Lammers is channeling the lessons learned abroad, especially as the Purple Eagles fight to finish the season strong.

"We don't feel like it's a big leap to get going," he said of his team, who tied Air Force Friday night and won, 4-2 Saturday night. "But we need to get clicking."

The trip reminded him why he got into coaching in the first place.

"It just confirmed how magical hockey can be when you get a group of people that don't care who gets the credit," he said.

And if the opportunity ever comes?

"If you ever get the chance, go see that tournament," Lammers said. "It's like Mardi Gras for hockey, a party celebrating the game. The coolest setup ever."