The Montreal Canadiens are coming to Humboldt - well, sort of.
On Oct. 27 the Elgar Petersen Arena will play host to a game between Canadiens alumni and a team of locals. It will be the first ever game of its type to be held in Humboldt. Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur will be coaching while fellow legend Steve Shutt will be on the ice to join, among others, Rick Green, Karl Dykhuis and Steve Penney.
The game has been in the works since the summer, when Lorrie Bunko of the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation approached Broncos president Jamie Brockman about organizing an alumni game in Humboldt Though the foundation eventually dropped out of the project, the seed was planted and Brockman got to work, sending "at least 150 emails" to Sylvie Gladu, his contact in Montreal. After several months the rough outline of the game was in place, though Brockman found out that Lafleur was coming in a most unusual way.
"There are three stops on this tour, two in Manitoba and one here," Brockman said. "I checked the website for the game in Portage la Prairie and it said that Lafleur was coming, so I asked Sylvie and found out he was coming here too."
The game is for players 30 and over, as most of the Canadiens alumni are years removed from their playing days. The roster is now full, with 15 skaters and one goalie. Most are from the local area, though one player will come from as far as Edmonton.
"So far there seems to be a lot of good buzz about it," Brockman said. "If you go with the Habs or Leafs you're going to have haters and people who say, 'I'll never go see the Habs.' Then you're also going to have people who love it."
Regardless of where you land on the Canadiens' fan spectrum, for the players on the ice it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to skate with former NHL players. Participants and VIP ticket purchasers will also have a meet and greet with the Canadiens alumni after the game.
The team of locals is scheduled to take the ice for the first and third periods, while the second period will see the Canadiens alumni square off against members of the Western Canada Montreal Canadiens Fan Club, a group based out of Saskatoon.
The game is scheduled for Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Humboldt Broncos' website or call their office at 306-682-5575.
