Adam McQuaid Enthralled by HBO’s ’24/7′ and Its ‘In-Depth Look’ Behind the Scenes

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Dec 21, 2011

Adam McQuaid Enthralled by HBO's '24/7' and Its 'In-Depth Look' Behind the ScenesWILMINGTON, Mass. — Adam McQuaid gets an inside look at life in the NHL every day when the rugged blueliner reports to work for the Boston Bruins.

But that doesn't mean he isn't as fascinated as every other hockey fan by the glimpse inside the world of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers that HBO's 24/7: The Road to the Winter Classic is providing.

McQuaid admitted watching last week's debut of the second season of the documentary series, and eagerly awaits the remaining episodes.

"I think just from a hockey fan perspective, it's pretty neat to watch," McQuaid said after practice Wednesday. "I guess it's the in-depth look at things. You can see how teams are preparing and the mood in the room between periods. You don't get to see that stuff [elsewhere]. It's neat how they break things down, follow guys away from the rink and show what they do in the community. People don't realize how busy guys are doing stuff away from hockey. It's kind of neat. You hope everybody is just being themselves and you get to see guys' personalities."

The series debuted last year by chronicling the buildup to the Winter Classic clash between Pittsburgh and Washington. That was one year after the Bruins hosted the annual outdoor game at Fenway Park. HBO wasn't on hand to go behind the scenes with the Bruins that year, but how would McQuaid handle having the cameras follow his every move if Boston were to participate in the Winter Classic again?

"You'd want to just be yourself and kind of just go about your business like they're not there," McQuaid said. "Because if you're thinking about that, then you're not thinking about what's important — the games and what you need to do on the ice. I think it would be neat to see yourself in game situations and maybe be able to step back and remove yourself and actually be able to watch yourself in the games. That would be kind of cool. As long as you're not getting distracted it would be good."

HBO didn't film the preparations for the 2010 Winter Classic between the Bruins and Flyers, but McQuaid is no stranger to 24/7 audiences. He made a memorable cameo last year when HBO's cameras caught an up-close glimpse of a spirited scrap he had with Washington's Matt Bradley in a Dec. 18 game at the Garden.

"I didn't see it myself, but people obviously told me about it," McQuaid said. "I completely forgot actually that they were being followed at that time. I saw some cameras in the hallway after the game, but I didn't even think they would possibly be showing that [fight], but maybe I'll have to check it out. Maybe it's still on YouTube or something."

McQuaid and the Bruins could be making another appearance on 24/7 Wednesday night when the second episode of this season airs. Boston visited Philadelphia on Saturday and put a 6-0 pounding on the Flyers. Philadelphia may not want to have much footage from that game aired, but McQuaid expects to see some coverage of the blowout.

"I don't know, everyone goes through their ups and downs," McQuaid said. "It's part of the game. I'm sure people want to see how they react when they lose just as much as when they win. I'm sure it wasn't the end of the world for them, so I don't think they'll worry about it too much."

McQuaid said he'll likely check out what makes the cut from that game in Wednesday's episode, joining plenty of other hockey fans seeking the latest philosophical musings from Ilya Bryzgalov, more colorful profanities from coaches John Tortorella and Peter Laviolette and all of the other inside access the series provides.

"It's cool that the camera angles are different, which is kind of neat," McQuaid said. "I think it's just a more in-depth look at how things go on. I think it's good for the game, good for the fans."

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