Beneficial game
Benefit game to feature pro, ex-pro, major junior, junior A, university and midget players
Andrews Hockey is hosting its annual benefit game Sunday in Charlottetown.
When you’re dealing with hockey talent like Ross Johnston, Josh Currie and Ryan Graves, picking sides isn’t easy. So Brad MacKenzie, an organizer of the Andrews Hockey benefit game, did the best he could. “We invited these players to play and tried to make the teams as evenly matched as possible,” said MacKenzie, who also holds a hat as executive director of Andrews Hockey. The annual fundraising game goes Sunday, at 7 p.m., at the Bell Aliant Centre and this year the proceeds go toward Josh, Tanner and Corey Lund’s education fund. The boys lost their father, Gerard, this year. “The Lund family has been involved in our programs for about 15 years. Josh and Tanner have attended our camps, played on our spring teams, worked as demonstrators and are currently instructors in our program,” said MacKenzie, who’s also an assistant coach with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “At the start of the summer their father Gerard Lund, who has been very involved in the hockey community, passed away suddenly. “This obviously effected the entire hockey community a lot and we wanted to dedicate this year’s benefit game to helping out the Lund family.” The game features a laundry list of who’s who in Island hockey from the pro, ex-pro, major junior, junior A, university and midget ranks. Names such as Ryan MacKinnon, Kameron Kielly, Brett and Alex Gallant, Zack MacEwan and Darryl Boyce are no strangers to any hockey watcher. Up-andcomers like Evan Nause and Brad Morrissey along with grizzled veterans, including Paul Drew, Drew MacIntyre and Mark Flood, dot the list; as does Al MacAdam, Doug MacLean and Fred (Fiddler) MacDonald, who are set to participate as special guests. MacKenzie said getting players to commit was the least of his problems. “All of these players have been involved in the Andrews Hockey programs and many of them still skate and train with us every summer,” MacKenzie said. “They all know the Lund family and were more than willing to play in the game to help support the cause.” Also in the mix is a silent auction with several items like minor hockey registrations, signed memorabilia and other items donated from local businesses up for grabs. And the list also features the jewel of hockey silent auctions. “We will be auctioning off all of the signed game-worn jerseys from the players in the game,” MacKenzie said. The game is an hour. On-ice officials are Thane Arsenault, Tanner Doiron, Ryan Reid and Jared MacAdam. Tickets are $10 and available game day at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Donations will also be accepted at the door.