The charity hockey game that saw former members of the Montreal Canadiens compete against local hockey players this past Thursday was a great opportunity for most people to experience what it was like to watch NHL stars in action live from the relative comfort and safety of their Farrell Agencies Arena seats.
But for one lifelong Habs fan, that great opportunity just wasn鈥檛 enough.
Instead Craig Mehling, 39, took his opportunity one step further, lacing up the skates and actually competing in the game, not as a member of the local team, but as a member of his beloved Montreal Canadiens. 鈥淲hat an unbelievable experience,鈥� said Mehling between the second and third periods of Thursday鈥檚 charity hockey game. 鈥淵ou get to watch these guys on television and then you鈥檙e on the ice with them and it鈥檚 surreal, it really is.
鈥淲atching how they can play and pass and shoot from the ice, it kind of took a little while to get the jitters out for sure.鈥�
Mehling said he was afforded the opportunity to play for the Montreal Canadien Alumni team by the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program - who was hosting the event - due to being a past Big Brother for nearly eight years, saying he was approached by BBBS Executive Director Irma Van De Bon-Nicol in regards to playing in the game. 鈥淲hen Irma called me from Big Brothers, Big Sisters and asked if I鈥檇 like to do it (play for the Canadiens Alumni team) I jumped on board,鈥� mentioned Mehling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great charity to be a part of and I was honoured that they鈥檇 ask me to participate.
鈥淟uckily I was able to canvas the business community and friends that I have to be able to raise enough money to play and to make this happen for me and I thank all of them for that.鈥�
The lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan said that the once-in-a-lifetime experience wasn鈥檛 just on the ice; but in the dressing room as well, where he was treated like one of the guys. 鈥淕oing in that locker room, it鈥檚 not the one in Montreal but it鈥檚 pretty cool,鈥� offered Mehling, adding his locker was situated next to that of former NHL enforcer and jokester Chris Nilan. 鈥淪itting beside Nilan and listening to his stories, that was pretty awesome even though I probably couldn鈥檛 repeat them publicly. I even got to see some rings and stuff like that, so it鈥檚 pretty cool.
I heard a lot of great stories from the past and how things are right now and what it looks like for the future in Montreal, so that was a thrill as well.鈥�
Another thrill according to Mehling was the opportunity to speak to one of the legends of hockey, Guy Lafleur. 鈥淵ou watch the guy playing growing up, his hair flowing in the wind, and then to stand beside him, it鈥檚 hard to talk about,鈥� mentioned a visibly excited Mehling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just awesome. It鈥檚 something you never thought would happen, and now it has and it鈥檚 amazing.鈥�
