Former NHLers to battle Hollywood North Stars in fundraiser for Olympic athletes
The rosters are filling up, and if you’ve been listening to Larry and Willy on the Jack FM morning show, the trash talking has already begun.
The Keg Sea to Sky Hockey Challenge is shaping up to be more than just another celebrity game with a strong side of NHL legends taking on an impressive collection of celebrities to raise money for future Olympic athletes.
For the Whistler game on Saturday, Feb. 21, the 2010 ($20.10) general admission tickets have already sold out, although there are still MVP packages available. Tickets are also selling well for the Sunday game at General Motors Place in Vancouver.
The hockey heroes team includes:
Boston Bruins legend Cam Neely, who had his number retired after 13 solid seasons on the right wing;
Six time Stanley Cup winner Bryan Trottier from the New York Islanders and Pitssburgh Penguins (also a Calder Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner);
Stand-out defenceman Jyrki Lumme from the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Pheonix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs;
Goalie ‘King’ Richard Brodeur who played 16 seasons with the Quebec Nordiques, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and Hartford Whalers;
Russ Courtnall, an all-star who played 14 seasons on right wing with Toronto, Montreal, Minnesota, Dallas, Vancouver and Los Angeles, and won a Stanley Cup with Montreal; Geoff Courtnall, Russ’s brother, played more than 17 years in the NHL, making it to the post-season 15 times with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks;
Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams played for Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, Los Angeles and Hartford in his 14-year NHL career, adding toughness to every team he played with and riding his stick into the history books as he averaged 20 goals a season;
Mark Lofthouse played with the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings, but is better known for his heroic point scoring totals in the AHL;
Nancy Drolet and Danielle Dube are silver medal winning members of the 1998 women’s Olympic hockey team.
The team also includes Whistler’s Rob Boyd, who is better known for downhill racing that hockey, and Olympic speed skating champion Gaetan Boucher.
The Hollywood North Stars bench is a little more crowded, but includes a good mix of athletes, musicians and television and radio personalities.
The team will be coached by hockey broadcasting legend Howie Meeker.
The Hanson Brothers from the movie Slap Shot are busy putting on the foil to lead the team:
BCTV morning news anchor Steve Darling; BCTV News sports anchor Jay Janower; Larry and Willy from Jack FM; B.C. Lions Brent Johnson and Cameron Legault; Mark ‘The Toaster’ Torlay from Mountain FM; Whistler hockey star Chuck Blaylock; Michelle Stafford and John Enos from The Young and the Restless; Olympic snowboarder Ross Rebagliati; Comics Jamie Hutchinson and Brent Butt; Jackson Davies from the Beachcombers; and a complete line of musicians – John Mann from Spirit of the West, Craig Northey from The Odds, and Matt Johnson from 54-40.
Ron Hoggarth, a former NHL referee, will be wearing the stripes, Whistler Mayor Hugh O’Reilly is dropping the puck, Mike Ciccone and Rebecca Hall from Mountain FM will be announcing the game, and appearances will be made by Steve Podborski and Cathy Priestner, Canada’s first speed skating medallist.
The Whistler game gets underway at 4 p.m. at Meadow Park Sports Centre. After the game MVP ticket holders will attend a cocktail reception and silent auction, a gala dinner with the players, and a stand-up comedy show hosted by Dennis Hull of the ’72 Summit Series team.
All of the proceeds from the game will go towards the Athletes at Work Legacy Fund for Olympic hopefuls, supporting the programs offered by LegaciesNow.
"I think everyone wants to bring back that feeling we all had when both our women’s and men’s hockey teams won gold in Salt Lake City," said event producer Will Davis of Destination Funny Entertainment. "But that’s not going to happen without investing in our athletes – all our athletes. Selling out these venues will show our athletes we’re behind them and we’re going to raise the funds they need to compete with the best in the world."
The MVP tickets are available for $185.10 at Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.ca. You can also pick up your tickets at the Millennium Place Ticketmaster outlet.
Tickets to the Vancouver Game are $20.10 or $52.50 for club seats.
For more information on the event, visit www.seatoskyhockey.com.
