Being an official during a charity hockey game is an interesting experience.
I had the opportunity to skate as a linesman for the Crossfield Raise the Roof Flames Alumni Charity game this past weekend.
I have attended a couple Flames Alumni games in the past, and the prospect of being able to skate alongside former NHLers had me excited for weeks leading up to the event.
The game was held Oct. 15 at the Pete Knight Arena, and was organized by the Town and various community groups to raise money for improvements to the arena, which has been in need for a few years.
I was officiating the game alongside a former classmate in high school, Noel Dickie, and his father for the event.
As with reffing any sort of game, minor hockey, major hockey or senior hockey, you spend your time before the first period talking about how you will be calling the game.
Unfortunately, we came out of the gate a little too ready to call a serious, competitive game.
A couple penalty shots and offsides later, we came to realize these guys were out here to entertain the crowds, not to be called on every icing and offside they offered up.
We put our whistles away.
The second and third periods were extremely entertaining. It’s amazing to see some of these guys, like Archie Henderson, all 6’6” of him, making strong tape-to-tape passes with guys or the incredible patience and control Sheldon Kennedy has with the puck.
A couple highlights from my game were listening to Henderson beg his opponent at many a faceoff to let him win the draw.
I found myself watching the game at one point, and turned around to have Airdrie Thunder forward Dylan Johnston careening at me, with no time to get out of the way. It was a bodcheck I wasn’t expecting.
Watching Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson score on his older brother MLA Rob Anderson was rather entertaining, especially when you could tell how upset the elder Anderson was when I retrieved the puck.
After the game, well-known former Flame Lanny McDonald showed up to support the event, sign some autographs and come out to the dinner and dance.
In speaking with some of the organizers during the very entertaining dinner and dance with local band Jo Hikk, early numbers before the silent auction and drink totals suggest the event raised more than $40,000 for arena renovations.
It was super cool to skate with players who graced the ranks of the NHL, amazing to see how they all still had that drive and skill to play a fast-paced, entertaining game of hockey and humbling to see a community pull together for an event that will ensure its rink will be able to support minor hockey for years into the future.
