If you’re a hockey fan in Whitehorse, there’s only one place you should be this weekend: Sport Yukon.
Tickets for an exhibition game of NHL players this Wednesday in Whitehorse will be up for grabs at Sport Yukon this Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“I am very excited to announce that members of the NHLPA will be playing a charity game in Whitehorse,” said organizer John Chabot in a media release. “The citizens of Whitehorse and its surrounding communities will truly enjoy the rare opportunity to see a collection of NHL players up close in their local arena.”
Wednesday’s game is part of a northern tour that includes games in Yellowknife and Inuvik.
The tour, which is a fundraiser for Chabot’s First Assist Charity, fell into place rather quickly. Whitehorse was only added late last week. A stop in Hay River was cancelled to make time for the game in Whitehorse. Games have already been played in Cornwall, Ontario, last week and in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on Monday.
So far slated to play in Whitehorse are Ottawa Senators Chris Phillips, Chris Neil, Zack Smith, Peter Regin, Craig Anderson and Marc Methot; Winnipeg Jets Grant Clitsome and Jim Slater; Brian Lee of the Tampa Bay Lightning; and Shean Donovan, a retired NHL player who played with such teams as Pittsburgh, Calgary, Boston and Ottawa.
About 1,200 tickets for Wednesday’s game at Takhini Arena will be up for grabs. A Sport Yukon staff member told the News that it is unlikely there will be any left by Sunday - or even late Saturday.
Tickets cost $50 with a maximum of four per person (cash only). A block of 200 tickets will be set aside for people in the communities, who can order tickets by phone using a credit card.
Sport Yukon is located at 4061 - 4th Avenue in Whitehorse.
Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association is organizing the game in partnership with First Assist Charity and Chabot, a former NHL player and coach.
Founded by Chabot in 2001, First Assist Charity uses hockey to connect with at-risk Aboriginal youth in the North, promoting the importance of education.
More information can be found by searching “First Assist Charity” on Facebook or by following its Twitter feed.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com