Music: {allcanada} JETS, POLICE TEAM UP FOR CHARITY

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

{allcanada} JETS, POLICE TEAM UP FOR CHARITY

The Winnipeg Free Press describes how National Hockey League lockout has reached Day 40-something, the Winter Classic may be deep-sixed later this week and indifference among the game's faithful seems to be setting in across the map.

But one side-effect to the lockout is just now becoming apparent:

The watchability factor of charity hockey games in North America is going through the stratosphere. And now a marquee event will be held in Winnipeg on Nov. 17 at the Max Bell Centre.

Details of "The Goals for Dreams Hockey Challenge" -- which will benefit the Dream Factory and The Children's Hospital Foundation -- were released on Monday by the Winnipeg Police Service Patrolmen Hockey Club and the NHL Players' Association.

The two teams will be captained by Andrew Ladd and Mark Stuart of the Winnipeg Jets and the collection of stars participating tentatively includes Dustin Byfuglien, Bryan Little, Jim Slater, Olli Jokinen, Jonathan Toews, Travis Zajac, Tanner Glass, Colin Wilson and Shane Hnidy.

"We'll try and get a bunch of guys out, have some fun and raise a bunch of money," Ladd said Monday after another skate with teammates and local NHLers at MTS Iceplex.

"It's fun to mix things up. You get into such a routine right now where it's skate, work out, skate, work out. After a while it gets a little old. So just to mix it up and do something different and play games or simulated games. It's fun to have that break in between the monotony of skating and working out."