MONTREAL - Chateauguay doesn’t have its own NHL team, not yet anyway, but it had the next best thing Thursday night.
About 1,250 tickets were snapped up by eager hockey fans for $20 a shot – roughly the cost of a couple of beers at a real NHL game – to see some real NHL stars raise cash for charity.
The 20 NHL players, including such local stars as Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov, Lars Eller and Josh Gorges, were drumming up some charity dollars for the local minor hockey association and other children’s charities.
“It’s pretty cheap, so it’s really good, there’s no hockey, so might as well come here, and it’s closer,” said one fan.
The pride of Chateauguay, Corey Crawford, who usually backstops the Chicago Blackhawks, played in front of his hometown fans Thursday and came out with a victory for his team and for some local charities.
Team Montreal included players such as Gionta, Markov, Gorges, Bruno Gervais, Alexandre Burrows, Guillaume Latendresse, Colby Armstrong, Mathieu Darche, Derick Brassard and Steve Bégin.
Patrice Bergeron, Steve Bernier and David Desharnais found themselves on the Quebec team, which was on the losing side of a 7-4 score. Also suiting up for that squad were Lars Eller, Travis Moen, Brandon Prust, Francis Bouillon, Roman Hamrlik, Benoit Pouliot and Mathieu Perreault.
Lilianne Demers was in the front row with his Canadian jersey.
“My favorite player is Lars Eller and there he is right in front of me,” said the 14-year-old student, who also suffered a bruised hip after being hit with an errant puck.
Max Talbot and Bruno Gervais of the Philadelphia Flyers came up with the charity tour, which will also stop in St-Hyacinthe and Sherbrooke.
The Habs' leader was impressed with the quality of play.
“I was surprised at the pace it started right off the bat and if we're going to do this that's what it has to be,” said Canadiens’ Captain Brian Gionta.
The game, as one organizer explained, could have been played without fans, but they added to the experience.
“We could go to any rink and close the door and have the two rosters and just play between us and try and get ready for the next season but at the same time we decided, might as well give a show for the fans and get money for charity,” said Maxime Talbot.
And one beneficiary of the largesse noted that the cash will come in handy.
“This year we had to increase the inscription because the costs went up but we'll apply the money we receive tonight on the inscription next year,” said Yvon Bouchard of the Chateauguay Minor Hockey Association.
