It was an evening of hockey, fun, and for many, a time to reminisce.
The Soo Pee Wee All Stars hosted the Montreal Canadiens Alumni team at the Community First Soo Pee Wee Arena Saturday.
“This is a celebration of our 50th year of operation at the Pee Wee,” said Chad Bouchard, Community First Soo Pee Wee facility manager.
“We ask a lot of the community all the time regarding sponsorships…this (bringing the Habs Alumni to the Sault for a game) is a way to give back to the community, to say thank you for the last 50 years.”
The Soo Pee Wee All Stars roster consisted of local recreational players from teams which rent ice time at the Pee Wee.
Billy Schill, a Shaw Cable employee, and Jon MacFarlane, a Sault firefighter, were two locals who paid to play with the Canadiens Alumni, who beat the All Stars 9-1.
Like all alumni hockey games, there were fun moments in Saturday’s event, such as a pie in the face from the Alumni for All Star player Richard Bishop.
“They’re amazing. The speed they play at, and the skill they have…it was such a thrill because I’m a big hockey fan and I remember these guys from the 80s’ and Montreal had some good clubs back then, so this was a big thrill for all of us,” said Pee Wee All Star player John Murtha.
The Habs Alumni team was coached by Steve Shutt, a left-winger who played with the 1970s Montreal Canadiens dynasty which won four consecutive Stanley Cups.
“We had a good group of guys (on that 1970s team). Everybody liked each other and you have to have that, because there are a lot of ups and downs,” said Shutt, who played in the NHL from 1972 to 1985.
“We had confidence in each other. We’d be down two or three goals and we’d come in the room and say ‘look, everybody do their jobs, let the scorers score, let the defence do their job, and we’ll be okay,’ and that’s how we overcame a lot of situations.”
“We practiced at a high tempo, and that’s the tempo we would take into the games,” Shutt said, speaking to SooToday.
Shutt, 65, is a Toronto native, now living in Sarasota, Florida.
He has been with the Montreal Canadiens Alumni team for six years as coach.
“It’s a lot of fun.”
“It’s interesting, because from a player’s standpoint we have three different generations of players on our team, so we have some interesting discussions.”
“From a fan’s standpoint, when you go on these alumni tours you get a chance to sit down and talk with people and they remember games and plays from the 1970s, and that’s when you realize how much you’ve affected people’s lives throughout the country, and what an impact you’ve made by playing hockey.”
General Admission tickets for Saturday’s game were $15 each.
$100 VIP Admission tickets included two beverages and food from the arena’s Centre Ice Bar and a meet and greet with the players.
Sponsors for Saturday’s game included Community First Credit Union, Fratelli’s, Centre Ice Bar and Grill, Labatt Breweries, Ironside Consulting, Eazy Express, Traders Steel, Gough Masonry, David Ellis Architect Inc., MET Energy Systems and Sims Custom Countertops.