The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins have announced the format and the special guests for their upcoming fundraising dinner.
The event will take place on May 10 at Affinity Place, and will be a pub-style evening. Those who attend will enjoy a supper with chicken wings, pizza and beer.
The special guests will be Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play announcer Rod Pedersen, who has made several appearances in Estevan in recent years, former NHL referee Mick McGeough and former NHL player Jim McKenzie. They will be telling stories in a laid-back setting.
“I figure that’s the perfect mix for entertainment,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood.
Food will be brought to the tables throughout the evening. The three speakers will chat at various times during the night, and there will be time for socializing. There will be live auction items, but not a silent auction.
McGeough, who hails from Regina, officiated more than 1,000 NHL games from 1987 to 2008.
McKenzie grew up in Carlyle and has family in Estevan. When he won the Stanley Cup in 2003 with the New Jersey Devils, he brought the trophy to southeast Saskatchewan.
He played 880 NHL regular season games and another 51 postseason games. He also gained a reputation during his career for being one of the most articulate players in the league.
Lewgood has not heard McGeough and McKenzie speak before, but he has heard both are outstanding storytellers, thanks to their experiences over the years.
He expects McKenzie will be a draw due to his local connections.
“Anybody who’s a hockey fan knows Jim McKenzie for his contributions to the game, and I think the local people are going to have even more of an appreciation for him, because they followed him and he brought the Stanley Cup back here and he’s kind of a local hero,” said Lewgood.
Among the items for the live auction are a washer-drier set, vehicle rims and tires, a Minneapolis sports weekend, a Las Vegas sports weekend and a fly-in fishing trip. The guest speakers are likely going to bring something for the auction as well.
Lewgood is confident the event will be a success, even though it is being organized on short notice. They have had a quick start to ticket sales, and they hope to wrap up ticket sales by May 8.
He’s not concerned that the lack of notice will hurt ticket sales.
“The overhead on this is modest, and as a result, we’ve been able to scale back our ticket prices,” said Lewgood.
Tickets are $100 each or $800 for a table of eight.
