Steve Shutt, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, will be part of the Montreal Canadiens Alumni squad that will hit the ice on Sunday against the Cold Cash Greenbacks oldtimers all in support of the Food First Foundation.
It's a polarizing world out there. What with all the fussing, fighting and name-calling, you'd think we'd all gone gone mad.
And that's just the United States congress.
Yes, it's time for hockey fans in the city to cat-call those who bleed the 'bleu, blanc et rouge' of the Montreal Canadiens but fans of Les Habitants will get to laugh loudest as some of the greats who wore the uniform pay a visit to Yellowknife all for a good cause.
The Montreal Canadiens Alumni will hit the ice to take on the Cold Cash Greenbacks on Sunday at the Multiplex in support of the Food First Foundation. It's the first visit for the Habs alumni since 2014 when they took on a joint RCMP/Yk Fire Department team.
“They actually contacted us last year when they were putting their tour together,” said Tess Ondrack, Food First's co-ordinator.
“They wanted to make Yellowknife a priority and we were so pleased that they got in touch with us.”
The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and there's a full opening ceremony planned, which includes Mayor Mark Heyck dropping the puck for the ceremonial opening face-off. There are plenty of extras during the game, such as a 50-50 draw, a silent auction and a puck toss sponsored by Canadian North, which has donated a trip for two to Edmonton as the grand prize.
In addition, the Midnight Petroleum U8 girls team will get to play a five-minute mini-game against the alumni in between periods and the G&G Thunder atom development team will be providing help by carrying the players' equipment and performing minor ice maintenance.
Lest you think it's a bunch of guys who played a few games here and there with the Canadiens, you would be mistaken. The confirmed list of players includes Steve Shutt, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Stephane Richer, who played the majority of his more than 1,000 NHL games with the Habs, and Chris Nilan, one of the best enforcers in NHL history.
“This is the first time we've done anything like this,” said Ondrack. “We do a lot of suppers to raise money and we do get some funding behind the scenes but this will be a great way to show people what Food First is all about and the work we do.”
The Habs alumni always auctions off two roster spots for people in the community to join them for the game and those two spots were won by Jen Walden and Charles Wyman. A separate auction was also held for someone to be a guest assistant coach, a role which will be assumed by James Sergeant.
As for the Greenbacks, they're excited to just be out on the ice and play with the Canadiens, said captain Darcy Milkowski.
“It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “When they were here last time, they brought some big names up and it looks like the same thing this time. We're all excited and looking to have a good time.”
As for who he wants to meet the most, Milkowski said he's not fussy.
“I'm just happy I got chosen to play in this game and have a chance to say I've been on the ice with the Montreal Canadiens,” he said. “Even if it's a pick-up game, it's great and something I'll remember for a long time.”
Ticket sales for the game are moving along nicely, said Ondrack, but there are still some available.
One block of tickets that's almost sold out are the VIP packages, which includes a meet-and-greet with the players after the game.
“Those are always popular,” she said. “The sales have picked up recently but we will have some available at the door.”
“I hope a lot of people show up,” added Milkowski. “It's a tough sell, especially on Super Bowl weekend, but it's a big help for Food First and the work they do in the community.”