THUNDER BAY – The playing days of the former NHLers taking part in the Easter Seals Celebrity Classic may be in the past, but their competitive juices are still flowing.
Take Al Iafrate, the one-time Toronto Maple Leafs first-rounder, who was chirping the referee’s calls in a charity game, all in good fun, of course.
“That’s offside,” he shouted on Friday morning, arguing his opponent’s team’s goal shouldn’t have counted.
It shouldn’t surprise.
It’s that competitive nature that got them to the big leagues in the first place, and retirement doesn’t change their way of looking at the game of hockey.
Not one bit.
Still, they know they’re in cities like Thunder Bay for fun, to give a group of local players the chance to lace up their skates alongside a handful of former NHLers, hear a few stories and have a little fun.
“Honestly, they do all the work and the people who put on the tournament, they do all the work,” said Mike Krushelnyski, winner of three Stanley Cups with the 1980s Edmonton Oilers dynasty.
“We’re the lucky ones. We just come in. These guys bust their chops all year and fund-raise and things behind the scenes. It’s all about generating fun and trying to help some people out. With the pros, my job is to put a smile on their faces, tell them a story, show them Stanley Cup rings, give them an autographed picture. I think that’s the least we can do.”
It’s one of the reasons former 50-goal scorer John LeClair was back at the Celebrity Classic, an event that fell victim last year to COVID-19, but this year has managed to raise $80,000 for Easter Seals.
“To me it’s just awesome. You get a chance to spend the weekend with a bunch of great guys and obviously the cause, Easter Seals, it’s phenomenal with what they do, helping kids and supporting their families,” said the Philadelphia Flyers legend.
He admitted he’s not as young as he used to be, but it’s still a blast. His scoring touch is still there too, as he turned and fired the game-tying goal in a 10-10 tie on Friday morning.
“You’re not on the ice as much as you’d like these days, but you know what, you still have the fire you had playing and that’s all that matters,” LeClair said.
Also on hand was former NHL tough guy Dave (Tiger) Williams, the league’s all-time penalty leader.
“It’s all about Easter Seals. I do quite a few events on a yearly basis for Easter Seals. It’s very important for all of us, all Canadians to get involved with whatever charity is close to your heart. You’ve got to put some time in and you have to put some effort into it. That’s being a good Canadian,” Williams said.
It’s the thrill of a lifetime for the non-NHL players.
“You just really see how skilled they are,” said Brent Hagberg, captain of the RBC squad. “You think you have some skill, but when you step on the ice, you really have zero skills. And they’re so much fun and great to be around.”
Giovanni Gallo, who coached the Dell Mechanical team, called it a unique experience.
“It’s an opportunity for Thunder Bay to appreciate what they do for the community as a benevolence and an opportunity for them to play alongside their childhood heroes they watched when they were growing up,” Gallo said.
Other celebrities taking part include Rick Vaive, Dave McIlwain, Andre Roy and Wayne Primeau.
