While most of the players who played for the Montreal Canadiens Alumni team at Affinity Place Sunday have been retired for more than a decade, it’s clear they still have the skill to put on a show.
The alumni defeated a team of local residents dubbed the OSI-Can Bruins 18-7 at Affinity Place. They showed their speed and puck skills, while also entertaining the crowd with humourous moments.
The Habs alumni team’s most well-known member, though, was their coach, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Steve Shutt. Shutt won five Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in the 1970s.
“We have a lot of fun,” said Shutt. “I’m coaching right now, and we have two or three generations of players. So it’s kind of interesting to listen to different generations.”
When he travels to the smaller towns across the country, he finds out how much of an impact hockey and the Canadiens have had on people’s lives.
“When you get into these smaller towns, and you’re talking with somebody, and they’ll say ‘Geez, I remember this game in 1978,’ and it literally changed their lives.”
The alumni team featured several players who were part of the Canadiens most recent Stanley Cup championship team in 1993, including defenceman Patrice Brisebois and forwards Jesse Belanger and Oleg Petrov. Shutt was an assistant coach on that team.
Also on the team were goaltender Richard Sevigny, and skaters Marc-Andre Bergeron, Keith Acton, Glen Metropolit, Pierre Dagenais, Jesse Belanger, Norm Dupont and Mathieu Dandenault. They were joined by two local players, Brad Ford and Ron Klassen. Sgt. Tyler McMillen of the Estevan Police Service was Shutt’s assistant coach.
“We have a good mixture of guys,” Shutt said.
Members of the OSI-Can Bruins were goaltender Blaine Kovach, and skaters Preston Majeran, Adrian Bachorcik, Brad Robinson, Lincoln Empey, Jeff Smith, John Wells, Braden Lonsberry, Jesse Ewen, Wade Young and Evan Handley.
“They only had two lines and three or four defencemen, and that’s generally what we have,” said Shutt. “But we’re used to playing. We play 40 or 50 games like that. So I think those guys ran out of gas in the second period.”
Among the more notably humourous moments came in the final minute, when Majeran was awarded a penalty shot. The Montreal players stood on each side of him, and created an overhead arch with their hockey sticks that Majeran had to skate under.
The Montreal Alumni also faced the Estevan novice Bearcats female team in a brief scrimmage in the first intermission.
A meet and greet followed the game. The alumni signed autographs for fans and interacted with the spectators.
Shutt noted that he played in about 1,000 alumni games, so it’s time to move into coaching. He also wonders if he could keep up with the other players on the ice, even though he recently lost about 25 pounds.
He also praised Affinity Place. While the players were getting ready for the game, Shutt took a walk around the building.
“This is a great facility. It’s the perfect junior hockey facility,” said Shutt. “I know the success that Estevan has had throughout the last 60 years with their hockey program here, so you guys deserve a rink like this.”
Proceeds from the contest will be directed to OSI-Can, which is dedicated to helping serving members and veterans of the Canadian Forces, the Allied Armed Forces, the Estevan RCMP and community first responders such as municipal police services, emergency medical services, firefighters and more. It is a joint project of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Saskatchewan division and the Royal Canadian Legion’s Saskatchewan command.
