“We’re excited that we’re able to bring these former NHL players to Yarmouth,” said Shelley LeBlanc, president of the Gary J. Surette Memorial Association, the Yarmouth-based group organizing the event. “It’s going to be a fun night of hockey.”
Confirmed NHL alumni taking part in the event include Ray Bourque, Chris Nilan, Stephane Richer and Al Iafrate. An additional four or five NHL alumni will be added to the roster by game day.
Game time at the Mariners Centre is 7 p.m. General admission to the NHL alumni game is $25, with pre-game VIP reception and intermission meet-and-greet packages available. Tickets are available through the Mariners Centre box office and go on sale Dec. 1.
The Friday night NHL alumni game kicks off a weekend of hockey organized in memory of Gary J. Surette. On Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9, four teams will compete in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams playing for the championship.
An avid Boston Bruins fan, Gary Surette was active in coaching hockey throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He and Brian “Sumo” Comeau coached kids at the peewee A level (11-12 yrs), bantam A and AA levels (13-14 yrs) and midget A, AA and B levels (15-17 yrs) and were joined by Allan Surette at the bantam AAA level.
In December, 2015 Gary Surette passed away as a result of melanoma -- skin cancer -- having spread to his brain.
It’s expected that many of the players who take part in the tournament would have been coached by Surette.
Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Gilles Boudreau and Friends Cancer Help Fund, a Yarmouth-based organization, as well as The Lodge That Gives in Halifax. Both organizations were very supportive and caring during Surette’s brief battle with cancer.
“Gary was an avid hockey fan, and we’re happy that we’re able to honour his memory in this way,” said LeBlanc. “This event wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors, and we really owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Sponsors of the event include Thistle Hyundai, Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub, Carl’s Store and CJLS Yarmouth.
The Gary J. Surette Memorial Association is a non-profit organization seeking to raise funds to help ease the burden being felt by local cancer patients and their families.