The lighter side of hockey at Essar Centre Sunday (21 photos)

An enthusiastic crowd cheered on the NHL Alumni Benefit Tour team as they played a friendly game with the Law Enforcement All-Stars Sunday afternoon at Essar Centre.

The game, which the Alumni won 11-6, was a fundraiser for Special Olympics Ontario.

Sault Ste. Marie will host the 2019 Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Winter Games from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 of next year, Special Olympics being the charity of choice for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Before Sunday’s game, $6,000 was officially donated to Special Olympics Ontario by Scotiabank, Mystique Event Marketing and the NHL Alumni All Star Tour, the cheque accepted at centre ice by Cst. Shaun Beaulieu and Insp. Monique Rollin of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.

Sunday’s game, which also included a skills competition and time for some sledge hockey, was a chance to see some retired NHLers have a game with local police and other law enforcement officials, seeing the lighter side of both teams (including a pie in the face at one point), all for a good cause.

Retired NHLers on the NHL Alumni Benefit Tour team included;

• Ken Belanger
• Dennis Maruk
• Aaron Gavey
• Owen Nolan
• Jeremy Stevenson
• Craig Coxe
• Brent Gretzky
• Mark Laforest (in goal)
• Denny Lambert
• Jay Wells
• Bryan Muir
• Dave Hutchison
• Mike Krushelnyski

The law enforcement team roster consisted of mainly Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers and Special Constables, but also RCMP officers, Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre corrections officials and one Anishinabek Police Service officer.