During the weekend of June 4-6, 2010, the 2010 Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament will be underway in the fine city of Brantford, Ontario. The tournament, named after and attended by Wayne Gretzky’s father Walter, is a fundraiser for the Brantford Sports Infrastructure Legacy Fund and the Walter and Wayne Gretzky Scholarship Foundation for the Blind Youth of Canada. Why am I telling you all this? Because, for the second year in a row, I will be captaining a team at the tournament, and I’d like to see you come out and play too.
See, in addition to raising money for charity, this year’s tourney is also trying to break the Guinness World Record for most street/ball hockey teams registered in a tournament (I know, there’s a record for everything, it seems). On top of that, there’s a huge outdoor concert, called Hockeyfest, that will also be going on right across the park from the tournament. And for another bit of incentive, filmmaker Kevin Smith will also be returning for his second year of tournament action with his team Puck U. So if possibly playing against me and my Monroeville Zombies isn’t enough (and who doesn’t want to body check a film critic into the boards; it’ll get you a penalty, but still, how can you refuse!?!), you might also get a chance to score a goal or two on Smith as he does his best Martin Brodeur impression (Martin Brodeur from the Cup-winning years, not this year’s playoff loss to the Flyers, hopefully). Finally, Smith and podcast partner Scott Mosier (who will also be playing on Puck U) will be doing a live SModcast from Brantford (listen to last year’s live SModcast and you can almost hear me weeping; Kevin’s team won only one game last year, and it was against my Zombies).
Registration is still open until May 26th, so if you didn’t know about the tourney, but love you some street hockey, Film Threat, Kevin Smith, Canada or charities for children, then get some of your best friends together and come out and play. And if you’re worried about being less than athletically inclined, then don’t be. I’m well over 200 lbs, clumsy as a blind ox, asthmatic, can’t run for s**t and yet I still played last year and am coming back for more this year. Just register to play in the recreational division, and join my Monroeville Zombies, Kevin Smith’s Puck U, Smith’s other View Askew sponsored street hockey teams the Funployees, LA Mings, Reapers, VAG (View Askew Girls; all-ladies team), Vulgarians and other like-minded and equally-athletic teams in street hockey action. I hope to see you there!
I'm rocking a rugby helmet and cricket gloves; amazed they even let me play last year...
