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NHL Alumni, police score big for Special Olympics (27 photos)

Fans pack the stands at Rotary Place for high-scoring affair

Andrew Mei was looking forward to “shenanigans” being part of Friday’s NHL Alumni game in Orillia, and he wasn’t disappointed.

He and his son, Jonathan, got to see plenty of it as former NHLers took on local law-enforcement officials.

The police played a clean game, but the alumni bent the law, with players interfering from the bench and tossing sticks in the path of opponents who were taking penalty shots.

Before the game began, Jonathan Mei, 11, was asked who he thought would win.

“Probably the police,” he said.

He might have been right if it weren’t for the former pros’ unprofessional conduct. The NHL Alumni won 16-12.

The real winners, though, were Special Olympians. Proceeds from the event go toward Special Olympics Ontario.

Special Olympics Orillia also benefited. Event sponsor Scotiabank gave 300 tickets to the local organization, which it sold as a fundraiser to support its athletes.

“It’s good for the community,” Joyce Cameron, who looks after fundraising for Special Olympics Orillia, said of the game. “It brings a lot of people to Orillia and unites everyone. It’s good to show everybody how the community supports our athletes.”

Friday’s game was a sort of homecoming for one of the NHL Alumni. Ethan Moreau went to high school here and played for the Orillia Terriers before joining the NHL, where he played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings.

“This is probably the best place we’ve played,” Moreau, who is in his second year with the NHL Alumni Tour, said of Orillia. “It’s sold out. They’re enthusiastic.”

He saw some familiar faces on the opposing side, having faced off against some of the same police officers last year.

"They have some pretty decent players,” he said. “It was awesome to see them again. It was fun.”

Joining Moreau on the alumni side were Mark Laforest, Jay Wells, Nik Antropov, Mark Napier, Ken Belanger, Mike Krushelnyski, Bryan Muir, Dave McIlwain, Al Iafrate, Chris Kontos, Brent Gretzky and Rick Vaive. Former NHLer Dave Hutchison was the referee.


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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