Arena of dreams
Local hockey fans relish the chance to skate with stars
Love them or hate them, there’s no denying the storied history of the Montreal Canadiens.
It’s what made Saturday’s Canadiens Alumni Tour matchup against the local Medicine Hat Blues at the Canalta Centre such a spectacle to behold — with the former Habs in attendance boasting more Stanley Cup rings to their credit than any pair of hands could possibly hold.
“It’s the biggest game of our lives,” said Medicine Hat goaltender Grant Seefried, who quickly became a crowd favourite with a handful of highlight reel stops on the Canadiens alumni squad. “It’s pretty intimidating, especially when you take the first one off the face. It’s fun though, and fast.”
Nine former NHL players took to the ice against a full squad of hockeyloving Hatters, and the local roster actually managed to hold its own in a 13-8 loss. But the score was the last thing that mattered.
The Canadiens Alumni Tour takes aim at raising money for grassroots or charitable causes, and focused their efforts Saturday on drumming up funds for the Medicine Hat Food Bank. For 17-year NHL veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion Kelly Buchberger — the lone Oilers alumnus in the bunch — it’s all part of being an ambassador for the sport he loves.
“I think the biggest thing for every professional athlete is that you have to give back to the game,” said Buchberger. “It doesn’t matter in what capacity, for us we’re capable of giving back by playing the game we love. We love being around the fans and people who love the game just as much as us, and when it all goes back to charity we know everybody’s a winner.”
Canadiens alumnus Jocelyn Lemieux added it’s a lot of fun for the travelling Habs as well. While many played in the same era, few played together at the same time. In fact, many lined up on opposite sides of the puck throughout their storied careers.
“Getting together and telling some dumb jokes from the past is great, but for me the best part is when you meet guys you played against but never really met in person. You play hundreds of games against these guys sometimes, but never even talked to them in person. To hear stories from these different teams and different eras, that makes it very interesting,” said Lemieux, adding he’s always amazed to see just how far the Canadiens fanbase can reach. “That’s really crazy, honestly. It doesn’t matter where we go. We all understand people like to wear different jerseys and fans out there can come to our functions wearing whatever jersey you want because you’re still supporting the NHL and the game we love. But to come across Canada, out west, northern Ontario, anywhere in Canada, it’s unbelievable the amount of fans the Habs have had over the years and continue to have.”
Medicine Hat’s Dylan Richards, a Detroit Red Wings fan, added you don’t even need to be a devout follower of the Habs to hold a good deal of respect and admiration for the franchise.
“I’m a Red Wings fan but I remember playing SEGA ’91, Stephane Richer with the big shot,” said Richards. “And I took a draw against him. It was pretty cool.”
Other Habs alumni included Gilbert Delorme, Gilles Thibaudeau, Richard Sevigny, Keith Acton, Patrice Brisebois and Aaron Asham — many of whom laced up their skated with a variety of franchises.
“When I was asked to do it all I could think of was how much fun it was going to be with my friends and some of the additions,” said Richards. “Having my wife and family here too, to being able to watch me — usually we play beer league hockey late at night so they don’t get the chance to watch us play — even if we are playing against a team a little above our calibre.”