THUNDER BAY – Bashing a ball off her brother’s face wasn’t enough to earn Kiki Patterson a spot in the Staal Foundation Open’s Summer Classic celebrity road hockey game.
But throw in a little luck and on July 11 the 11-year-old will cross sticks with a collection of past and present NHLers, including brothers Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared Staal, whose family foundation is the title sponsor of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event.
Several days after the first five spots were handed out, the result of an online video contest, on Wednesday Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal made the wild-card selection the old-fashioned way, each remaining finalist tossing his or her stick into a pile in the middle of the West Thunder Community Centre gymnasium.
Staal sifted through the collection of sticks, drawing Kiki’s.
“I’m so excited that I can’t stop shaking,” she said on Wednesday. “I’ve loved hockey my whole life. I’ve been playing it forever and to play with four NHL stars will be amazing. I can’t wait.”
Kiki submitted a video to the contest, with the help of her older brother, demonstrating her hockey skills.
“My brother, he was the one who got hit in the face with a ball for laughter,” she said. “I kind of shot it, it hit him in the face and went back in the net. I think he went through a lot of pain so I could get that video.
“We had lots of fun making it and he encouraged me, just like my mother did.”
Staal, used to plying his trade on ice, said he’s looking forward to playing in the game, a precursor to the third-year tournament at Whitewater Golf Club.
“It’s something different, something fresh. And I grew up playing road hockey as well. So I know how much fun I had playing up and I know when I was growing up getting to play beside Thunder Bay NHLers would be pretty cool,” he said.
“Hopefully they’re as excited as we are.”
How will his skills translate from ice to asphalt?
“I’m not sure,” he said. “It’s different, but hopefully I can hold my own out there.”
Notes: Tournament officials announced NHL hall-of-famer Bobby Orr will make a return appearace at the Staal Foundation Open next month ... Volunteers and caddies are also being sought for the third-year event.
