NEWS
Date: Feb 10, 2012
Kings head outdoors on Saturday in the 'Nook
Ryan Paulsen - The Daily Observer
Photograph by Anthony Dixon - The Daily Observer
On the first day of 2013, hockey fans across the continent may get to see the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings face off at the NHL’s Winter Classic, but outdoor hockey fans in the Pembroke area won’t have to wait nearly that long for their favourite players to hit the ice in the great outdoors.
On Saturday, the Pembroke Lumber Kings will be marking Hockey Day in Canada by taking their practice down Highway 41 and onto the ice at the Shady Nook Recreation Centre.
Starting around 1 p.m., the practice is scheduled for roughly an hour, followed by an approximately half-hour free skate where fans can mingle with the Kings and get some autographs.
“We did it last year as well,” said Kings’ coach and general manager Sheldon Keefe, “and it was a spectacular day. Obviously, you bring hockey back to its roots when you start playing outdoors and Hockey Day in Canada is a nice time to do that.
“They’ve done a great job there with the improvements at Shady Nook and we were able to have a full practice, for the most part, out there last year. Our guys really enjoyed it, it was a nice turnout, and I think there was a number of kids that enjoyed watching the guys and then mingling with them as well. It was a great event all around, so we’re pretty excited about getting involved again this year, and hopefully the weather co-operates and gives us another great day.”
Although the Kings’ public practices, outdoor or indoor, are always a favourite with fans young and old, the players also get to benefit from the change of venue, said Keefe.
“It’s a nice change too, for our guys. Practices can get a little monotonous at times, and this is an opportunity to mix it up a little bit, have a little fun, play outside and hopefully enjoy the change.”
