This weekend’s road trip to Tri-City will mark quite a few firsts for the Kootenay Ice.

The Ice have never participated in anything quite like the seven-team Red Lion Hotels Pre-Season WHL Tournament.

It will mark Kris Knoblauch’s first road trip as head coach, where he’ll take the prestigious front-right pair of seats on the bus.

“It’s going to be weird seeing him up there. We’ll see if he can pull it off or not,” said defenceman James Martin, with a laugh.

Knoblauch, for one, isn’t relishing the new perspective.

“I don’t know. I will be sitting there, but I’m not sure I’m looking forward to it because (former head coach Mark Holick) always whined about how cold and drafty it was up there,” said Knoblauch. “We enjoyed giving him a hard time about it, but now if I’m the one complaining about it that will be different.”

The Ice were to report to the Rec Plex at 7 a.m. so they could reach Kennewick, Wash. in time to take on the Seattle Thunderbirds at 3 p.m. today.

Tomorrow, the Ice take on the Portland Winter Hawks and Sunday they wrap things up with a game against the host Americans.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes, Spokane Chiefs and Everett Silvertips are also taking part in the WHL exhibition tournament.

“We have (several) guys who are trying out for the team still, so it’s a good experience for them to bond with the guys a little better,” said Martin. “That first road trip is always a bonding road trip.”

One of those prospective rookies is Jared Iron.

“I’m pretty pumped for the tournament,” the 16-year-old said while taping a stick prior to Thursday’s practice. “My first Dub game, so I’m pretty pumped to play.”

Iron said he feels comfortable with the team after a couple of days of bonding activities — including some time spent playing EA Sport’s NHL 11, which now features CHL teams like the Ice.

Iron said the video game was cool, even if he wasn’t represented on it yet.

“I wish they would have. It would have been sweet to play myself on there, but maybe next year,” he said.

While the trip to Tri-City will help with bonding, returning forward Brock Montgomery is looking forward to actually throwing off some bonds: particularly those related to being a rookie.

“It’s exciting,” he said, of his first trip as a sophomore. “I was getting tired of packing and unpacking that bus. It will be nice to just put my bag out there and get on the bus for once.”

Aside from loading equipment and sticks and the like, there are other nuances of bus travel about which the rookies have to be cognizant.

“I remember being a rookie on the bus, and you kind of just had to stay out of the older guys’ way and try to stay away from the back of the bus as much as possible,” said Martin. “If you hang out with your age group you should do fine. If you’re coming to the back of the bus to go to the bathroom all the time, some guys might be getting annoyed.”

NEW BOSS

Knoblauch led his first practice as head coach Wednesday, marking the start of a feeling-out process for players adjusting to their former assistant becoming the top guy.

Martin said it wouldn’t take much doing.

“Knobber is still Knobber,” he said. “His personality isn’t going to change just because he’s head coach in that perspective, but he is head coach now. You have to give him a little more respect, and he obviously has all the boys’ respect from last year and so far he’s doing a great job. (Wednesday’s) practice went really well.”

Some of the 19 returning players who have known him as the assistant aren’t sure if they can joke around with Knoblauch the way they used to. Even he isn’t quite sure.

“My coaching philosophy, how I handle those players in the dressing room stays the same,” he said. “Maybe on the bus and working with them after practice, maybe that relationship changes a little bit. I don’t know. I guess time will tell.

“I’ll keep them on pins and needles.”

Montgomery realizes Knoblauch will have to be a bit stricter now, but he was excited to hear of the promotion this summer after Holick took a job in the American league.

“He knows the game really well, and I think it will be good for our team,” said Montgomery. “He’s a player’s coach, he knows. He’s been there, he’s done it.”

Ultimately, the changes in the coaching staff — including the addition of assistants Todd Johnson and Jerry Bancks — aren’t weighing heavily on Montgomery. He’s just excited for exhibition play to start up.

“The coaching staff, that’s good, but I just want to go out there and play,” he said, with a grin. “Do what I do best and hear from the coaches after the game.”