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WINNIPEG — A Buffalo sports journalist is back on track after what he calls the worst travel experience in 25 years of covering sports.

“It’s definitely been a John Candy Planes, Trains and Automobiles saga,” Buffalo News reporter Mike Harrington told Global News on Tuesday morning after an epic 28-hour trip to Winnipeg and an equally difficult trip out.

The cold seemed to do in the trip as United Airlines cancelled flights to and from Winnipeg and “bathrooms on planes were freezing,” Harrington said. Cancelled flights meant his trip from Buffalo took a detour all the way to Vancouver and back to Winnipeg.

The trip home turned into another nightmare as the cold continued and flights were cancelled again.

In the end, the only escape was a car rental and a drive to Minneapolis – and it took 10 minutes just to get the frozen rental vehicle open, and another 15 minutes to start it, Harrington said.

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“This is absolutely the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he said.

Harrington tweeted his misadventures as they happened.

His nightmare began innocently enough at 8:52 a.m. on Dec. 30 with a tweet, complete with the obligatory weather complaint, about the fact that he was travelling to Winnipeg for the New Year’s Eve Jets-Sabres game:

Follow @BuffNewsVogl for today’s #Sabres practice updates. I’m making jaunt to Winnipeg, where today’s HIGH temp will be -17F. Yep. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 30, 2013

Trouble started at the O’Hare Airport in Chicago:

Thanks for nothing, @united. Ran thru God-forsaken OHare cuz board said on time. Made w/8 mins to spare — but plane not at gate. Terrible. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 30, 2013

Then came another comment on the lovely Winnipeg weather:

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He wasn’t receiving information about flight changes because United Airlines was calling his Buffalo home:

Hey @united, how about you stop calling my home number with flight updates while I’m in Chicago? That’s why we have cell phones, right? — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 30, 2013

At 3:53 p.m., he shared this update:

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2nd canceled flight of the day from Ohare to The Peg. #sportswriterissues — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 30, 2013

And at 5:01 p.m.:

@adamwish1474 all flights canceled tonight. Will try again tomorrow. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 30, 2013

But instead of spending the night in Chicago, he was told he’d have to fly to Vancouver that night in order to catch a morning flight to Winnipeg for the New Year’s Eve game — no flights out of O’Hare Airport were going to get him to the ‘Peg in time.

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Of course, the flight to Vancouver was delayed 90 minutes when a passenger had to be removed after he vomited on two others in first class. His removal necessitated a half-hour search for his luggage, as well. Here’s Harrington’s 3:21 a.m. tweet:

After a brief rest, he tweeted at 9:12 a.m.:

Cab to airport, bag checked, through security line. All good so far. #questforThePeg — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

Boarding here in 40 minutes. All systems go. But they were yesterday too at OHare. #QuestforThePeg pic.twitter.com/poOs3mEdAT — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

But the plane arrived and his hopes rose:

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BREAKING: The plane for The Peg arrives in Vancouver. #QuestforThePeg pic.twitter.com/PR045wEUTi — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

Of course, then there’s the weather …

It is currently 44 degrees in Vancouver. For those scoring at home, I’m about to lose 79 degrees. Oy vey. #QuestforThePeg — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

He successfully boarded and at 1:37 p.m. tweeted:

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BREAKING NEWS: A mere 28 hours after leaving Buffalo, TBN has landed in The Peg!! But ….. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/WAQkTogcSm — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

There is a plane at our gate and we have to sit and wait for it to move. Good Lord. #ThequestforThePeg continues. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

And then at 1:58 p.m., more than 29 hours after that first tweet, he finally saw the Jets. Sort of.

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A follower chimed in with an appropriately Photoshopped image:

OMG!! Brilliant. RT @igollert: @BNHarrington just in case you didn’t catch the in flight movie Mike…….. pic.twitter.com/nQ2tJH2shU — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) December 31, 2013

The quest for the Peg ended in time to cover the Sabres’ 3-0 loss to the Jets … but the next morning the quest to LEAVE Winnipeg began.

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It started off innocently enough at 6:57 a.m. on New Year’s Day:

Time for #EscapefromThePeg. Easy. Flight leaves 40 mins to Minny. It’s minus-24F. All the roads/sidewalks crunch under you. Frozen solid. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

Things looked hopeful, though Harrington was still complaining about the weather:

Peg issue: You layer up, long johns and all, for the cold and you thus COOK in the plane. How do people live in this? Coldest trip ever. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

But then it was time to call in John Candy:

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Plane on de-ice pad. Maintenance issue. Back to the gate. Nightmare continues. Cue John Candy. #QuesttoLeaveThePeg — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

Deplaning. At least an hour. #QuesttoLeaveThePeg — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

And George Costanza:

I’m so big in The Peg they don’t want me to leave. Flight canned. Rumors of nothing till Friday. Cue Seinfeld: George is gettin upset. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

Finally Harrington gave up on planes altogether:

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Numerous folks saying to drive to Minny. I’m trying. One-way car rental ACROSS BORDER is a major problem I’m hitting. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

Wheels down to Minny. Yes, I’m cold. No tweetin and drivin. Later! #EscapefromthePeg pic.twitter.com/Wwgfs6bxWJ — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 1, 2014

The car successfully took him into his home country:

And finally, with a mid-journey stop to interview Ryan Miller about making the U.S. Olympic squad, he reached his destination:

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Update: Just checked into Minny hotel. One hour to write Miller story. 7 1/2 hour drive. #QuesttoLeaveThePeg is complete. — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) January 2, 2014

Despite the travel nightmare, though, Harrington said he enjoys visiting Winnipeg.

“I love the MTS Centre, the fan base, the atmosphere,” he said on Thursday morning. “The people in Winnipeg have a good sense of humour about themselves.”

He had to take a final shot, though – one sure to spark sympathy from the many Winnipeggers driving rutted, ice-covered streets.

“Who plows your roads?”

You can read Harrington’s own account of the trip at the Buffalo News website.