Some former NHL players will take to the ice at the Sleeman Centre to help raise money for the Guelph Firefighters Benevolent Foundation. The game between the Pro Hockey Heroes and the Guelph Professional Firefighters All-Stars is on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Sleeman Centre.
Among the pros taking part is ex-Maple Leaf Gary Leeman.
“We do these things because we like to have fun and stay active,” said Leeman. “But it’s deeper than that. It’s for the community, it’s for people that have a problem. It’s always great to know that you are part of helping somebody get better.”
This is an opportunity for people to see hockey greats on the ice in a more intimate setting. Leeman said the event is also a way to reconnect with past players and those who had dreams of playing in the NHL.
“Made some relationships with the guys that we played against, the referees,” he said. “We certainly want to be entertaining and fun for the fans.”
Other former NHL players that will appear include Nik Antropov, Bernie Nichols, Dave McIlwain, Matt Martin, Mike Zigomanis, Nathan Perrott, Lou Franceschetti and David Ayres. While the event is for a good cause, Ayres said it does bring out the competitiveness in everyone.
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“If the score is close, the heat is going me on me,” joked Ayres. “I know a lot of firefighters, myself. They’ve always got that… hockey mentality… they always have each other’s backs and they’re very competitive.”
Ayres received a kidney transplant from his mom in 2005 when he was 27. He knows how important it is for hospitals in Ontario to have the latest equipment that help save lives.
“Anything to do with helping the hospital get better, the equipment for the doctors and the nurses, that’s huge for me.”
Ayres, a former Zamboni operator who currently runs a hockey clinic in his hometown of Whitby, is best known for appearing in an NHL game in Toronto as the emergency back-up goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 22, 2020. He entered the game in place of the Canes’ injured netminder. The Canes beat the Maple Leafs 6-3 giving Ayres the only win in his brief NHL career.
“He is a Leaf at heart,” Leeman said. “He’s friends with the (Maple Leaf) organization and it is good to have him on our side.”
The game is slated to start at 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by going to Pro Hockey Heroes website. More information can be obtained by calling 1-800-516-5810.
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