聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Arcola Prairie Place Celebrity Sports Dinner and Auction hosted on Saturday, Oct. 15, was a success.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 President of the Rink Board, Cooper Ryan, was appreciative of the support the event received, 鈥淚t went really well. We had a lot more people come out than we had first expected. We were a little bit nervous about how it would go or what to expect, but we had a great turn-out.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Approximately 200 people were present for the evening which included a prime rib dinner, auction, and two retired NHL players: Brad May and Rob Ray.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 May and Ray jerseys were both auctioned off and with the auctioned jerseys came the opportunity to sit and eat your meal with the NHL enforcers.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Following the delicious meal came the entertainment. Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Trevor Gowan, spoke with Rob Ray and Brad May on-stage in what was called the 鈥淗ot Seat.鈥� The former players spoke of their lives and told stories about their NHL careers, while also giving their thoughts on the current landscape of the NHL.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 They both remember their first NHL games fondly.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a great game, I scored on my first shot of the game,鈥� May remembered.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 While, Ray added, bantering with May, 鈥淚 scored on my first shot, first shift, in my first game.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As enforcers in the NHL, the topic of big hits and fighting in the sport was discussed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗itting, hard hitting, should be in the game,鈥� May said. 鈥淐oncussions are serious, injuries are serious, because of that accountability and responsibility need to be there too. You wanted to hurt the guy across from you but you never wanted to injure them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檇 fight my mom to get to a Stanley Cup, she鈥檇 win, but that was the mentality that you鈥檇 be going out there with.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 May had played on eight teams in seven cities, having played for Vancouver twice, explaining that he really enjoys the nomadic type of lifestyle although the first time he was traded it was difficult.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ray on the other hand had played for the Buffalo Sabres for much of his career had only played for two teams.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Laughter ensued as May explained, jokingly that he was wanted, while Ray lightheartedly nodded and countered that he did his job.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Listening to the two former players speak though, it became evident that their job as enforcers in the NHL is one of the past and it was one which took a certain kind of mentality.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 miss hockey without a doubt, but I can still skate, shoot, and play; but, I can never fight again and it sounds strange but I miss it, I loved it. I don鈥檛 hate anybody, I just loved the fight,鈥� May explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ray added, 鈥淚t was mental for sure. You needed to be intense, but you needed to be able to turn that intensity on and off. Some nights you鈥檇 get so into it that it would feel like there was nobody else around. You had to learn how to deal with it because you鈥檇 get a tap on your shoulder and it鈥檇 be time to go. There would be guys that would be playing for a year or two, but they just didn鈥檛 have the sense of when to turn it on, when not to, and who to do it with.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When asked who the Rob Ray and Brad May鈥檚 are of today, both replied that their position on the ice as enforcers are gone.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n this day and age a coach would never promote a fight,鈥� May said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 While Ray added, 鈥淭here鈥檚 not that player in the game anymore. The rules are different and it鈥檚 really a different game, I don鈥檛 know if you can even compare them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For Brad May, his efforts in the NHL brought him to the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Buffalo Sabres and one of his favourite moments was heading past the blue line carrying the puck: 鈥淚 had worked so hard on this one move, and I wasn鈥檛 really getting it, but I was working hard on it and I never gave up on it. So we鈥檙e in the game, and I鈥檝e done it, I鈥檝e just beat Ray Bourque on the blue line, which doesn鈥檛 happen, and I scored a goal in playoffs.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The score had been tied until that point at 5-5 when the rush took place and Rick Jeanneret, the announcer of the Sabres, began chanting 鈥淢ay Day! May Day! May Day!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For Ray, he scored on his first shot of his first shift of his first game and was also happy to say that he scored in his final game as well. As he thought back to what was a definitive highlight, May explained that one of the surreal aspects of playing for the Sabres with Ray was that the entire crowd would start chanting 鈥淲e want Ray!鈥� if they wanted a momentum or energy change.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ray agreed that those moments were amazing to have, an entire rink chanting your name, and that it was neat to have his parents there watching him play and the crowd going crazy for him; but, that it also came with a duty, because Ray knew that once the chanting started he鈥檇 be tapped on the shoulder and it was time to turn the intensity up.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The auction followed with Kelly Clarke an auctioneer with Ritchie Brothers taking to the stage.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a great night, lots of people were saying how much they enjoyed themselves afterwards,鈥� Ryan explained. 鈥淭hank you to everyone who came out and made it a great night.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A total of funds raised was not available at the time The Observer went to press, but Ryan has said that a lot of work has been put into the rink and the fundraiser was a way to build their bank account back up as well as a way to continue providing maintenance and renovations of the rink.
