Retired NHL players take on Georgina firefighters in charity match

Retired NHL players hit the ice in Keswick to take on members from the Georgina Fire Department on Thurs. Dec. 29, 2022 (Steve Mansbridge/CTV News Barrie)

Firefighters from the Georgina Fire Department never know what challenges they may face when they wake up each day, but a battle they had on Wednesday was both exciting and for a good cause.

Local firefighters hit the ice at the Georgina Ice Palace on Wednesday to take on retired NHL greats from Rick Vaive to Gary Lehman in a charity game. While each side was itching for a victory, both teams were united in raising funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"The game itself is in support of the firefighters' charity of choice, which is Make a Wish Canada, which is such an important charity, especially with all that we've dealt with as a society since 2020 till now," says event organizer Jenn Moore. "Having the opportunity to really come together and have these kind of events and have fun like this with family, I think, is very important right now."

Fans in the stands were treated to seeing the talents of some of the greatest to play. The roster of players included Nik Antropov, Dave Hutchison, Al Iafrate, Matt Martin, Dave McLlwain, Ric Nattress, Bernie Nicholls, John Ogrodnick and George Bowman.

"Oh my God, Lehman, Iafrate, all of the old players, it's nice to see them," said Andy Harris, one of many excited spectators. "It's fantastic!"

The game is one of about eight organized annually by the Professional Hockey Heroes. The group spearheads multiple charity games annually, with the NHL veterans taking on local firefighter departments across Ontario.

The annual event in Keswick typically raises about $4,000 from ticket sales and other fundraisers. All of that money will now be directed to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"Well, we believe in it because of the young kids that it helps throughout the community and throughout Canada to help them bring their wishes come true when they are going through a serious illness or something that is affecting them," says Paolo Campagnolo, a firefighter in Georgina.

Al Iafrate says he looks forward to the game in Keswick every year.

"I'm just glad I got invited and after all, as you can try to do is to help make the world a better place, and the platform is there for us to do it, so it's awesome for us to be involved," says Iafrate.

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