Giants to retire Mr. Hockey’s No. 9
LEGENDS: Howe to be honoured at home opener, while Quinn gets his own special night in November Steve Ewen
The Vancouver Giants will kick off their new start at the Langley Events Centre by honouring Gordie Howe.
The Western Hockey League club announced Wednesday that it will retire jersey No. 9 during the home opener at the LEC on Sept. 23 against the Everett Silvertips as a tribute to Howe, a longtime co-owner of the Giants.
The number is synonymous with Mr. Hockey, largely from his time wearing it with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe died in June. He was 88. The Giants are moving to the LEC from the Pacific Coliseum for this season.
Howe, much like the late Pat Quinn, was instrumental in Vancouver being awarded a WHL expansion club for the 2001-02 campaign, since their inclusion in team brass gave a Giants added credibility in the hockey world.
Quinn, another longtime co-owner, died in 2014. The Giants have already retired the No. 3 that he wore during his playing days. They will honour Quinn during a Nov. 10 game against the Prince George Cougars.
Quinn will be officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 14.
Both Quinn and Howe were close friends of Giants owner Ron Toigo.
“I don’t think you can put into words (what it was like) walking on the ice with Pat Quinn and Gordie Howe after we won the Memorial Cup at home,” Toigo said, pointing back to the 2007 national championship victory at the Coliseum.
“It was one of those days I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Against the Silvertips, the Giants will wear special Gordie Howe jerseys and the game puck will bear a No. 9 crest. Two of Howe’s sons, Murray and Marty, are slated to be in attendance at the LEC.
The Giants announced other promotional events for this season on Wednesday.
Highlights include the Teddy Bear Toss game on Dec. 16, with the Portland Winterhawks providing the opposition.
McKinstry sidelined
Giants defenceman Ryely McKinstry missed practice on Tuesday and general manager Glen Hanlon admits the player is having concussion-related issues.
He was injured on Saturday on the road in pre-season play against the Victoria Royals. He didn’t take part in Sunday’s game against Victoria in Ladner.
McKinstry played just 11 games last season due to concussion trouble.
McKinstry, 18, is a Calgary native who was a second-round pick, 23rd overall, in the 2013 WHL bantam draft by the Giants.
Pre-season finales
The Giants wrap up the pre-season this weekend.
They visit the Kelowna Rockets on Friday (7:05 p.m.), and then return to the LEC on Saturday (3 p.m.) to face the Royals.
Teams are expected to be without players bound for NHL training camps this weekend.
For the Giants, that means they’re slated to play exhibition contests on Friday and Saturday without left winger Tyler Benson (Edmonton Oilers), centre Thomas Foster (Edmonton Oilers), right winger Radovan Bondra (Chicago Blackhawks), right winger Ty Ronning (New York Rangers), defenceman Dmitry Osipov (Chicago Blackhawks) and defenceman Darian Skeoch (Anaheim Ducks).
The Giants acquired Skeoch on Monday, along with a 2018 fourthround bantam draft pick, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for defenceman Brennan Menell.