Brad May and Friends

[YOUR Hero]

PRINCE GEORGE, BC- The Prince George Cougars are proud to announce that they will be hosting the “Brad May & Friends Hockey Challenge” on December 14th, 2004 @ 7:30pm at the Multiplex.





This charity event, organized by Vancouver Canuck Brad May and business partner Karim Chandani, was developed to ensure that even in the midst of an NHL lockout, the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice would not endure any financial hardship.

The “Brad May & Friends Hockey Challenge” will feature NHL players suiting up against one another, with 25% of the proceeds going to benefit the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, 25% to the Prince George Hospice Society, and the remaining 50% to other local charities.

[...]

They're playing in Vancouver (2 games) and Kamloops as well. Sold out up here. :heart: Jarome :heart: is playing in Kamloops, hopefull he makes it up here. I heard today that Bertuzzi will play in one of the games in Vancouver, at which time he'll address the fans in attendance.

Brad May is a classy guy and has gotten many big names to participate. Hats off to him. Yes, I have tickets.


Are there any other of these types of things happening in other places?

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

Dennis Leary did something with the firefighters a few months ago, pretty sure some of the Bruins had something to do with it.

[MoRcHeEbA]

my dad's got tickets for the Kamloops game, I was gonna go but couldn't get time off work :'(

[MoRcHeEbA]

also wtf who goes to prince george :'( Linden's even got a house in Kelowna and they're not going there :(

[MoRcHeEbA]

oh yeah World Junior training camp is here starting next week :cool: I've got tickets to the games as well as the gold medal game in Grand Forks. Appearently more canadians have tickets to the game then americans :D

[YOUR Hero]

Prince George is a hockey hotbed, Kelowna, despite their team's sucess, is not... Actually I was surprised that Kelowna did have a game too.

I envy you for the Junior games. Bring a sign :love:

[YOUR Hero]

Iggy won't be here tonight. :'(

Modano ended up dropping out of the entire event, so what though, he's a fagggggggg. Still looking forward to it. I shall take some pictures tonight.

[The Naitch]

#44 NO SURRENDER!!!!

[YOUR Hero]

Did you go to the games in Vancouver?

[MoRcHeEbA]

didn't Madano play in prince george? or was he in Sask somewhere?

[YOUR Hero]

Nah, he pulled out of this entire event.

I can't believe I forgot my camera. :sadmotherfucker:

Ah well. The wife and I, as well as a packed house, had a good night watching the game. Kolzig and Smyth were the 'stars of the game'. Both showed some great talent and wowed the fans. Brewer got the loudest ovation (former PG Cougar) followed by Brad May.

[YOUR Hero]

Tuesday, December 14, 2004<!--/DATE-->
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<!--HEADLINE-->May excited about trip north<!--/HEADLINE-->
<!--SUBHEAD--><!--/SUBHEAD--><!--BYLINE-->by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor<!--/BYLINE-->

<!--BODY-->It's May day in Prince George.



The Brad May and Friends Hockey Challenge, which goes at 7:30 p.m. at the Multiplex, marks the first time current National Hockey League players have skated in Prince George.

The game, which is a sell-out, will have NHL stars Ryan Smyth, Shane Doan, Olaf Kolzig and former Prince George Cougars defenceman Eric Brewer headlining a solid lineup.

"We're going to go up there and have a blast," said May.

"We're happy to bring a game like this to Prince George, where this kind of thing hasn't happened before. It's an honour to be a part of it with these guys. I've been working on setting up the teams, splitting up the guys, and it will be a good exhibition of NHL talent. We can hit, and we'll roughhouse a bit and have some fun, but no one wants to get hurt. The other games we've played, they've been awesome, good stuff for the fans.

"People will really enjoy seeing the four guys who played for Canada in the World Cup -- Eric Brewer, Shane Doan, Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan. There are lots of good players."

The best part? It's all in the name of charity, with 25 per cent of the net proceeds going to Canuck Place in Vancouver, and the other 75 per cent staying in Prince George.

Similar games have already been played to capacity crowds in Victoria and Vancouver, where 17,000 showed up Sunday to see the locked-out NHL players skate alongside the WHL's Vancouver Giants.

"There are expenses for this game, but we're committed to raising money in these communities so we can give $50,000 or $75,000 back to the area and help out people who need it," said May, 33, a former first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres (14th overall in 1990). May has played for the Sabres, Phoenix Coyotes and the Vancouver Canucks in a 13-year NHL career, scoring 120 goals in 804 games.

"That's the plan, that and have some fun. What a reception, what a response we had in Vancouver. It was fun for the Giants players, it was fun for everybody."

Brandi Brodsky, the business manager of the Prince George Cougars, has helped organize the event on a local level, but May and business partner Karim Chandani are responsible for raising money through ticket sales, corporate partnerships and Canuck Place t-shirt sales (autographed t-shirts will cost $20).

Many of the star players who suited up Sunday will not be in Prince George -- Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi, Dan Cloutier and Trevor Linden among them. As well, Mike Modano, the captain of the Dallas Stars, did not arrive in Vancouver because of a minor eye injury suffered last week in Dallas.

But May said some of the no-shows will actually help raise the level of play.

"It's a good number, because we'll all get to play more, get into a good rhythm and get a good sweat going," said May.

"We're looking forward to getting on the ice and playing up there."



Playing shinny for charity

The Brad May and Friends Hockey Challenge charity game is at the Multiplex tonight, 7:30 p.m.;

gates open at 6:30.



The roster

Goaltenders

Jamie McLennan (Florida Panthers)

Olaf Kolzig (Washington Capitals)

Defencemen

Bryan Allen (Vancouver Canucks)

Eric Brewer (Edmonton Oilers)

Scott Ferguson (Oilers)

Scott Hannan (San Jose Sharks)

Brad Lukowich (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Brad Palmer (former Minnesota North Star and Boston Bruin)

Todd Simpson (Ottawa Senators)

Jason Strudwick (New York Rangers)

Darryl Sydor (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Forwards

Chris Neil (Senators)

Mike Keane (Canucks)

Georges Laraque (Oilers)

Fernando Pisani (Oilers)

Marty Murray (Carolina Hurricanes)

Brad May (Canucks)

Tyson Nash (Phoenix Coyotes)

Stu Barnes (Dallas Stars)

Shane Doan (Coyotes)

Matt Cooke (Canucks)

Garrett Burnett (Anaheim Mighty Ducks)



O Canada

Four players — Brewer (right), Doan, Smyth and Hannan, all former WHL stars — contributed to Canada's World Cup victory in September; and the anthems are due to be performed by a 4-year-old named Zachary.



Canuck connection

May, of course, joined by defenceman Bryan Allen and forwards Mike Keane and Matt Cooke.



Invited, but not coming

No NHL, but still in the trainer's room — Brent Sopel (ankle injury); Mike Modano (eye injury suffered during a workout last week in Dallas). The others who were once on the list but are now not able to be here include Steve Staios (family issues); Marty Turco (who was in Europe); Shane Hnidy (signed in Europe); Dan Cloutier (family issues); Richard Matvichuk; and Lyle Odelein.



Stars say no thanks

Sorry, they're not here — Jarome Iginla, Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi, Ed Jovanovski, Mattias Ohlund and Trevor Linden. They all played in Vancouver on Sunday, and Iginla will be joined by Darcy Tucker and others in Kamloops on Wednesday.



Rules of the game

Full-out hockey — three periods, 20 minutes each, stop time; No red line; Tag-up offsides; No-touch icing; All penalties result in a penalty shot.



Admission information

The game is a sell-out, announced attendance will be 5,895. As of Monday, the Kamloops game to be held Wednesday had sold 3,689 tickets. Earlier games in Victoria (4,000 and change) and Vancouver (more than 17,000 on Sunday to see Bertuzzi, Naslund, Linden and Cloutier) filled the respective rinks.



For your entertainment

During the first intermission, local band The Pucks will perform

In the second intermission, a shootout will be held involving all the NHLers and lucky minor hockey players from the peewee B Freightliner Cougars — Gus Correale, Matt Jubinville, Chris Allbee, Tyson Young, Mitch Elliot and Jared Crossan.

A planned silent auction is apparently not going to happen, but commemorative autographed t-shirts will be selling for $20



Travel agents Players to arrive at roughly 11 a.m. at Colin Kinsley International Airport; some will go to Northland Dodge for an autograph session, some will go to the 7-11 on 20th Ave., both at noon; the players will have a lunch at a local restaurant, and a post-game social will be held at earls (tickets available for $20). Players are scheduled to leave on 10 a.m. flight Wednesday for Kamloops, where they play that night.

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There were a few other players that played. They were local people that payed $5,000 to play along side the NHLers.

One of the great memories was the 4 year old little boy that sang the National anthems. He was cheered rather loud.