By Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Sports
Members of the Montreal Canadiens alumni team will take on some of the best players to ever don a Napanee Raiders jersey in a fundraising hockey game sponsored by Canadian Tire on Nov. 9 at the SPC.
The Canadiens alumni tour team will feature the likes of Chris Nilan and Jocelyn Lemieux with several more names to be confirmed ahead of the date.
They’ll be opposed by members of the local team which brought home a Junior C championship 25 years ago.
“What we’re attempting to do is get as many kids that played on the 1993 all-Ontario (Napanee Raiders) team to play,” said Chuck Airhart, a member of the Raiders board and event organizer. “I think the nucleus of our team will be those guys.”
That 1993 team defeated the Hanover Barons in six games to clinch the Raiders’ only Schmalz Cup title.
Among those that will represent the home team will be Aaron Uens, Ryan Moore, Andrew Hart, Jay Sutton, Randy Holmes, Jason Hogle and even current Raiders coach Mike Hartwick will strap on a pair of skates. Serving as guest coaches of the Raider team will be Andy McGarvey’s sons Craig and Cal.
The roster the Canadiens fill out promises to be one that spans several eras of the storied franchise with several Stanley Cup champions.
Tickets for the event will be $15 for anyone under 12, $25 for anyone over 12, with $75 VIP tickets available which will grant access to a meet and greet with the Canadiens alumni prior to the game, as well as the ability to watch the game from the Shelin Pool lounge. Tickets are available at Napanee’s Canadian Tire, the NDCF offices at 47 Dundas Street E, or Mike Bossio’s MP Constituency office at 20-B Richmond Blvd.
Proceeds from the game will go towards the Napanee and District Community Foundation, which has recently been combined with the Greater Napanee Sports Association.
Along with raising funds through ticket sales, there will also be raffle prizes, one of which includes the chance to serve as an assistant coach on the Canadiens bench during the game while the other includes a chance to not only win a custom Canadiens jersey, but also the opportunity to join the Montreal alumni team and skate amongst the legends in the exhibition charity game.
More details on those prizes will be announced in the weeks leading up to the game.
After the game the members of the Raiders alumni team will host a meet and greet with the fans.