Want to take a shot on Kirk McLean? Or try to deke Dave Babych? What about playing under the lights at Rogers Arena?
That's what the Celebrity Shinny League is offering. The Toronto-based company is bringing their series of shinny games to Vancouver this fall. Each event features a couple of ex-NHLers (in Vancouver's case it's the pair of legends from the '94 playoff run) in a relaxed game on NHL ice.
"We play in the NHL arena," explains owner and self-appointed commissioner Murray Sheehan (himself a former OHL player). "Then afterwards we get in a suite and we watch the host team."
Sheehan says he was inspired by the memories he had of playing in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena as a junior player. He plays these days in men's leagues and thought it would be fun to organize something so people could play in NHL arenas and get a taste of the big time.
"Being a regular kid from a small town playing in these massive arenas, it really is surreal to be on the ice," he says. "You can't beat it, standing on the ice staring up at the stands."
In other cities, players like Wendel Clark, Todd Bertuzzi and Al Iafrate have participated already.
"When you're on a 2-on-1 with Wendel Clark it's easy to delude yourself that you're in an actual NHL game," Sheehan adds.
It's a full-day event, he explains. While details for the Vancouver game are still to be confirmed due to McLean's schedule, it normally lasts from around 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The event starts with the shinny game around 1 p.m., which will be on the ice at Rogers Arena. After the game, the players (including McLean and Babych) will head up to a suite to watch a Canucks game. Included will be professional photos from the shinny game (and maybe video as well), along with food and drinks in the suite.
"The celebrities will be in the suite to watch the game," Sheehan says. "They like to hang out and it's a really fun time."
The ex-NHLers will be sharing stories from their time in the league, as well.
"They're really just cool guys," says Sheehan. "You forget that they're normal dudes who are really, really good at hockey."
The cost is still being set, he adds, as it's heavily dependent on who the Canucks will play. If it's the Leafs, it'll be more expensive than if they play Buffalo, he explains, adding that a lot of the games they organize are against the Sabers since people are more interested in the experience and hanging out with the big leaguers than the NHL game iteself.
Around 300 people have already expressed interest in the Vancouver game via email. However, if this one fills up, don't fret; his plan is to continue with the league, coming around to Vancouver twice a season.
