Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Marc-Andre Bergeron scored two goals in a span of 15 seconds to lead the Montreal Canadiens alumni team to a 7-6 victory over the Napanee Raiders alumni during Thursday’s charity game at the SPC.
Napanee’s alumni, made up mostly of members of the 1993 Schmalz Cup winning team, gave the former NHL-ers a run for their money.
Chris Nilan put the Habs up 1-0 in the first but three-time Harold Webster Memorial Trophy winner and former Raiders head coach Mike Casselman responded for the home team to knot it at 1-1.
The celebration was short-lived however as Bergeron, whose NHL career high in goals for a season was 15 with the 2005-2006 Edmonton Oilers, went top shelf just seconds later for his first of what would be a hat trick performance.
In the second Paul Davis, who was one of two locals to win an auction for a chance to be on the Canadiens roster, fired a one-time shot that found the back of the net to put the Habs up 3-1.
“When you grow up as a kid and watch the NHL every Saturday, you always dream to play in the NHL,” said Davis, who played minor hockey in Napanee and coached there for nine years. “To have the experience to go out and play with those guys was just fantastic.”
Davis said he was a bit conflicted however, as he grew up a Boston Bruins fan. On this night however was happy to wear La Sainte-Flanelle. Fellow auction winner Andrew Perrett also laced up the skates with the Canadiens while Brian Woodcock won the auction to serve as the team’s guest head coach.
“It was pretty special,” added Davis. “They were pretty pumped when I scored. Great bunch of guys, they really welcomed me with the team. It was pretty special to sit with them and take a ribbing from them. Especially Nilan, he’s quite a joker.”
Napanee’s Jason Sutton, the ‘94-’95 Raiders’ President’s Award winner, cut the lead to 3-2 and ‘92-’93 President’s Award winner Jason Hogle followed suit to tie it up 3-3.
Montreal’s Gilbert Delorme scored late to give the visitors a 4-3 edge heading into the third. Ryan Moore had an early goal for Napanee to tied it at 4-4 before Bergeron went off with two goals in a matter of seconds. Aaron Asham went five hole on Raiders’ goalie Rob Galt to score what turned out to be the game winner. Current Raiders head coach Mike Hartwick cut the deficit to 7-5 and Shawn Wannsborough scored with just under five seconds left to pull the Raiders within one, but that was as close as they’d get.
“I didn’t think it’d be a one goal game,” said Sutton, who served as Napanee’s captain for the game. “Robbie Galt, our goalie, played well.”
Despite the fact several of the Canadiens players have been retired for quite a few years, Sutton said the talent was still there.
“They’re good skaters, they never give up the puck,” said Sutton. “You’re always chasing them. If you don’t have the puck it’s hard to get.”
“It was great to see all the guys,” added Sutton. “I hadn’t seen some of the guys in two or three years.”
Back in 1993 the Hanover Barons gave the Raiders quite the battle for the Schmalz Cup with Napanee winning in six games. As tough as they were however, Thursday was their biggest challenge yet.
“These guys were a lot better,” Sutton said of the Canadiens.
Money raised from the game will go to the Richard Dickson and Terry Gray Memorial Sports Fund.