Forget about the next tilt with their cross-river rival or even potentially playing in the seventh game for the Pacific International Junior Hockey League championship. There is arguably no bigger game for the Richmond Sockeyes franchise than on Saturday night.
The Sockeyes have been the league's most dominant team for the past decade and tomorrow's Alumni Game is a big reason why.
The contest, which sees past stars return to Minoru Arena to face the current team, is much more than a fun-filled two hours to determine annual bragging rights.
The game plays a big part in the template that makes Richmond the envy of almost every team in the PIJHL.
Proceeds from the game go to the Sockeyes Alumni Scholarship Foundation. So far over $100,000 has been raised with the money going to graduating players in form of scholarships. The winners are annually recognized at the club's awards banquet.
So not only do the Sockeyes offer a winning program with the reputation of enhancing a player's development, a potential scholarship is huge perk to dangle at a midget age prospect looking to take the next step of his career.
"A junior 'B' franchise providing scholarship to players is basically unheard of anywhere," said Sockeyes co-owner and alumni game organizer Doug Paterson. "We provide an opportunity for kids to play junior hockey without having to move away and maybe help out with their schooling costs too."
"Ridge Meadows tried to do it with the same concept for three years but it just never took off.
The key is having the right mix of people involved and always making sure there are more coming onboard."
What the Sockeyes also having going for themselves is a rich history, dating back to the 197273 season, that features plenty of success in both the B.C. Hockey League and the PIJHL. Thanks to a strong group of past owners including Bruce Allison, Lorne Williams, Romeo Bon, Ken Kirby and the current regime, hundreds of players remember their experience as a Sockeye fondly.
Scholarship funds are also generated through a beer garden and silent auction at the game, while an alumni golf tournament is in its seventh year and beginning to take off.
This year's alumni squad has a wide range of players involved including team captain Brooke Odenfald and Andrew Wolfe who are both in their 40s. Current Surrey Eagles head coach Matt Erhart will be suiting up, while Sockeyes coach Judd Lambert will be strapping on the goalie pads to face his own players. He starred for the club in the early 1990s.
Paterson, 58, is also an alumni and has played in past games but is taking this year off due to a knee injury.
The game gets underway at 5: 45 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $10.
