SHOOTING FOR SUPPORT
Two Hall-of-Famers will be on the ice in Summerside on Sunday
Hall-of-Famers will be on the ice in Summerside for NHL Legends Game to benefit Tyne Valley rink campaign
SUMMERSIDE – The mayor of Tyne Valley says he’s seriously considering putting on the goalie pads for the Ray Bourque and Friends NHL Legends Game at Summerside’s Credit Union Place on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Puck drop is 4 p.m.
Jeff Noye has done his share of netminding but never has he faced the likes of Bourque or any of the other players who will be lacing up for the Legends.
Any nervousness, though, would be offset by the excitement of being part of a Tyne Valley and area team that squares off against the Legends, he admits.
Even more important than that, proceeds from the game will be part of the fundraising effort to replace the Tyne Valley rink, which was destroyed by fire on Dec. 29.
Noye is part of the fundraising committee for a new rink. He expressed appreciation to Adam Binkley from the Summerside Boys and Girls Club for helping to arrange the game and the City of Summerside for providing the venue and security. Several sponsors are also helping out, he said.
“They’ve been awesome to give for the cause,” Noye said of all the support.
Steve Walton, president of The Legends of Hockey, says the Legends games bring out the hockey fans.
“It brings back a lot of memories watching these guys back in action and, for the guys involved in the game that get to play them, that’s a thrill of a lifetime they’ll never forget,” Walton said.
“Any hockey fan appreciates the guys coming to town, skating on their local ice. They like to see them in action, whether to see if they've still got the smooth passing, the shooting skills, their skating skills.”
Walton said the legends can identify with a community like Tyne Valley as many of them hailed from small towns.
“They really can connect with the people who are from that area and the terrible loss the people of the community have had to deal with,” he said. “Hockey fans all connect to that and the importance of a new facility.”
The Legends game will feature two Hockey Hall-of-Famers – Bourque and Joe Mullen. Other players expected to be in the lineup include former Summerside Western Capital Darren Langdon, Bob Sweeney Gary Leeman, Dennis Maruk, Lucien DeBlois, Ron Duguay, Roy Nolan, Alex Bezanson Paul Fitzgerald and a former Toronto Blue Jay baseball player Matt Stairs.
Walton recalls playing against the Fredericton-based Stairs in high school hockey and said he was a standout in both sports.
Regular admission and VIP tickets are available for the game. Walton said the VIP tickets, which provide more access to the celebrities, normally always sell out.
“It’s a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with your hockey hero,” he said.
Binkley said a Legends Game in aid of the Boys and Girls Club breakfast program a few years ago attracted a crowd of 3,800. He believes the need for a new rink in Tyne Valley will resonate with hockey fans.
“I think they’re going to have a full house,” said Binkley. “I think it’s going to be amazing.
“The Boys and Girls Club has utilized its connections to reduce the hosting costs for the game.”
It is helping with the live and online auctions that will be part of the fundraising initiative. Online auction items can be bid on at https://rally4thevalleyauction.ca.