Exclusive podcast with NHL Network Analyst Jamal Mayers
-xclusive with Blackhawks Ambassador Denis Savard
Numerous former Chicago Blackhawks will take part in a celebrity hockey game for “Unite on the Ice” Thursday, Feb. 5, at 5 p.m. The event is an evening of celebrity hockey and open skate activities benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. (public skate info can be found below)
“Unite on the Ice” kicks off the winter festival leading into the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field this Saturday, Feb. 7.
NHL alumni – including Hall of Fame Blackhawks player and coach Denis Savard, 2013 Stanley Cup champion Jamal Mayers, former Blackhawks Brian Noonan and Eric Daze (check out our exclusive with Daze here), and former NHL players Gino “The Tank” Cavallini, Adrian Aucoin, Steve Maltais and Jose Charbeneu – will all participate. (full rosters can be found below, note all the former Blackhawks)
“Unite on the Ice” opens the 12-day winter festival built around a college hockey doubleheader on Saturday:
#9 Miami vs. Western Michigan at 3 p.m.
Michigan State vs #13 Michigan at 7 p.m.
The Hockey City Classic is pretty much the college version of the NHL’s “Winter Classic” or “Stadium Series.” Or as they call it in Canada, the “Heritage Classic.”
The inaugural Hockey City Classic was held in 2013 at Soldier Field and it featured Notre Dame vs. Miami and Minnesota vs. Wisconsin. Last year it was moved to TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, where the Gophers took on Ohio State.
Drew Russell is Vice President of Properties for InterSport, a 29-year-old sports and entertainment marketing company based in Chicago. The first event of this kind produced by InterSport is the college, three-point and slam dunk championships, which are still in existence today.
“What we wanted to create in 2013 was a bowl game like atmosphere for college hockey,” said Russell.
“We achieved that and we look forward to replicating that again this year.”
The 2013 event drew about 50,000 fans and Russell hopes to duplicate that level of attendance again this time. Alcohol will be sold and tail-gating will be in full effect for both games on Saturday.
Eric Daze spoke of the fundraiser exhibition game on Thursday:
“It’s going to be a really fun event and very exciting, for a great cause. It’s going to be a lot of fun for us to be playing outside like we did when we were kids.”
More from the Winter Festival:
-Bryan Bickell the favorite player of Daze
–Former Blackhawks playing in alumni game
-Exclusive with Jamal Mayers
-Exclusive with Denis Savard
Here are the rosters for Unite on the Ice:
TEAM SAVARD Coach: Dennis Savard
1 Paul Cavallini 14
2 Jose Charbeneu 20
3 Adrian Aucoin 33
4 Kerry Toporowski 77
5 Phil Russell 5
6 Jamal Mayers 22
7 Ted Drury 18
8 Dave Mackey 26
9 Steve Maltais 11
10 Anders Sorenson 75
11 Dave Karpa 33
12 Brianna Decker 14
13 Steve Sarauer 24
14 Justin Lewandowski 27
15 Alex Rigsby (G) 33
TEAM SILVER Coach: Jeff Silver (Coyote CEO)
1 Gino Cavallini 17
2 Bob Nardella 7
3 John Varga 14
4 Grant Mulvey 22
5 Reid Simpson 33
6 Kevin Doell 21
7 Steve Martins 26
8 Eric Daze 55
9 Brian Noonan 10
10 Megan Bozek 9
11 Ray Eichenlaub 18
12 Marko Loncar 57
13 Taylor Hustead 27
14 Brian Bicek 10
15 Aaron Shellberg (G)
Regarding the event on Thursday night the public can purchase tickets to skate at 5:45, 6:45 or 10 p.m. Each session is 45 minutes, and there is a maximum of 250 people allowed on the ice per session.
“People will get the opportunity to skate on the ice at Soldier Field for $15, which is a bargain,” said Russell.
The ice rink will remain open for about ten days after the game for various youth organizations and sponsored events.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive Inc.
You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)