Will musicians find favour in win city?
Clash of the Titans will decide whether stars of rock or ice claim the Cup
In a hockey game featuring musicians versus former professional players, one would think that the smart money would be on the NHLers. Right? Right.
“That is the case,” confirms Jim Cuddy. “Although there was one year when we gloriously won.”
The Blue Rodeo frontman has been playing on the musicians’ side since the first JUNO Cup 15 years ago.
“They played cat and mouse with us and let us tie the game with about two minutes left,” Cuddy said. But then the players sent in former Calgary Flame Lanny McDonald.
“He came swishing through and he scored. But there was about a minute and a half left. We went to a shootout.”
That’s when singer/songwriter Matt Barber, who was tending goal, rose to the occasion. “He stopped every NHL shooter except Cliff Ronning. And we won.”
That game was in 2009, the last time the JUNOS came to Vancouver. “As they were handing me the trophy, someone said ‘you will never touch this trophy again.’ And that’s pretty much been the case.”
This year, when the JUNOS return to Vancouver, so will JUNO Cup. Star player/unofficial team captain Cuddy will be back, joined by his son Devin, as well as a number of other musicians on one side, and former NHLers on the other.
The musicians are culled from various genres, from country to pop.
“I don’t look at the nomination list thinking about music,” Cuddy said. “I think about hockey players.”
Two years ago, JUNO Cup Jam was added to the festivities. On the night before the game, some of the musicians perform at an informal concert, with a backing band.
“It’s just supposed to a smorgasbord of people up there doing covers and unusual songs,” Cuddy said. “It’s more of a party jam.”
The Thursday night show effectively kicks off JUNO Weekend. Proceeds from both the game and concert go to MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with the JUNOS. Through programs and education initiatives, MusiCounts puts instruments in the hands of children in schools and communities across the country.
Participants in the Cup see the results of their efforts firsthand. “Lots of the musicians will do a presentation in a school, and they’ll see the kids and their new instruments,” Cuddy said. “And there have been a number of years where we’ve had a local school come and play the anthem with their new instruments. So we’ve seen how excited they are.”
One player who is returning this year is Cliff Ronning. This will be the former Canuck’s second JUNO Cup. The first was that infamous 2009 game at Thunderbird Stadium.
“I was the one who took the penalty shot,” Ronning said. “They made me shoot righthanded, when I shoot left. Sometimes they force us to play with the opposite hand. A lot of stuff goes on.”
Generally, he’s impressed by the level of prowess he sees on the part of the musicians.
“It’s actually not that onesided, that’s the scary part,” he said. “There are some players who are pretty darn good. [Country singer and 2003 Canuck draft pick] Chad Brownlee, he can skate. I don’t think any of our alumni can catch him. We try not to let him have the puck.”
The former NHLer, who is the vice-president and co-founder of premium stick manufacturer Base Hockey, says that he may take part in the jam. He’s not the one with the musical talent in the family, though.
His brother, Todd Ronning, plays bass in the classic rock band Bad Company. And Ronning’s daughter Carly recently sang as part of a choir at Carnegie Hall. Two years ago, she played the lead in a Theatre Under the Stars production of the musical Oliver!
Perhaps the 14-year-old is a future JUNO Award winner? “I always tell my kids, if they work hard and stay focused and do what they love doing, anything can happen,” Ronning said.