Watch above: There is a strong connection between sports and the military. But little did a Fort Saskatchewan family know about their connection to an NHL game in St. Louis earlier this week. Kevin Karius has the story.
EDMONTON — Kris Lovegrove says he wasn’t sure what was happening Tuesday night, when all of a sudden his Facebook page blew up with comments.
“All my friends were saying, ‘You’re on Brian Elliot’s mask!'”
On Nov. 11, Canadians and Americans marked Remembrance Day and Veterans Day, respectively. NHL players were among those who honoured the military by wearing camouflage jerseys and specialty masks.
St. Louis Blues goaltender Brian Elliott, who was born in Ontario, wore a mask with a Canadian soldier and flag on one side and an American soldier and flag on the other. Across the chin read the words ‘Thank you for your Service.’
As it turns out, the picture of the Canadian soldier wasn’t just of any soldier. It was a picture of Retired Cpl. Kris Lovegrove, who served his country from 2005 to 2011 with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and now lives in Fort Saskatchewan with his wife and their daughter.
“It’s kind of cool and a coincidence that I turned up there,” said Kris.
“It was unbelievable,” added his wife, Natasha Lovegrove.
During a tour in Afghanistan in 2008, a picture was taken of Cpl. Lovegrove and Cpl. Dylan Swanson while in Kandahar. That picture soon surfaced on the internet and was eventually painted by an Ontario artist.
Then, somehow, it made it its way to Elliott’s mask.
“When we saw it on the helmet, we were just like, ‘Wow!'” said Natasha.
“I didn’t realize Brian Elliot’s connection to the Army,” added Kris. “And that representation from the Canadian and American side – obviously he’s Canadian and he’s married to an American and he lives there … I thought it was pretty cool.”
The former corporal says he’s always been a huge hockey fan and knows the deep appreciation athletes have for those in the military.
“From the soldier’s point, most of us are sports fans ourselves and if we were able to, we’d be playing in the NHL,” said Kris.
And for 60 minutes Tuesday night, he kind of was.
The mask is now up for auction on the NHL’s website. Proceeds will benefit The Mission Continues, a St. Louis-based charity that empowers veterans facing the challenges of adjusting to life at home.
With files from Kevin Karius, Global Sports.
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