Four-day celebration of hockey wraps up tonight
After three days of all-star week festivities – including last night’s $100-a-plate banquet – it’s time for the main event.
The puck drops for B.C. Hockey League’s All-Star Game tonight (Wednesday), 7 p.m. at South Surrey Arena.
The mid-season showcase will highlight some of the league’s brightest lights, from Burnaby Express sniper Kyle Turris – expected to be a high first-round pick at this summer’s National Hockey League Entry Draft – to league-leading scorer Tyler Bozak, who has 88 points in 41 games for Victoria Grizzlies.
Local talents Scott Jow and Kyle Funkenhauser, of host Surrey Eagles, will also hit the ice for Team Coastal.
Both Eagles are taking part in their first BCHL all-star games.
Like most all-star contests, Fans attending the game can expect offence to be front-and-centre, with players eschewing defence for highlight-reel goals. Last year’s game, played in Salmon Arm, ended 13-10 for the Coastal Conference over their Interior Conference foes.
Tonight’s game brings to an end four days of activities hosted by the Eagles. Sunday, hockey fans were treated to an NHL alumni game, while Monday and Tuesday the team hosted a breakfast, and dinner banquet, respectively.
This is the first year the league’s mid-season showcase has been more than just a banquet and a game. When the team was awarded the game last year, owner Ron Paterson promised to up the stakes for future games.
“It’s been a lot of hard work organizing all this but we think it’s something we can be proud of,” he said.
A few tickets are still available for the game, and can be purchased by calling Eagles’ box office, 604-531-GOAL.