THUNDER BAY - Wendel Clark, Ric Nattress and Al Iafrate will strap the skates back on and take on local hockey players in October.
The trio of ex-NHLers have been scooped up to take part in the Thunder Bay Celebrity Hockey Classic, a new fundraiser for Easter Seals Ontario.Nine others will be revealed during the registration period.
“It’s going to be a unique opportunity -- you’re actually going to be on the ice with your hockey hero,” said senior development officer of Easter Seals Ontario, Rhonda Harrison, on Wednesday, revealing the Oct. 20 event at the Tournament Centre.
The Celebrity Hockey Classic has been held across Ontario for a number of years, and helps send youth with physical disabilities attend Easter Seals camps in southern Ontario.
“We have kids from across the region we are going to fly down,” Harrison said. “The camp is a wonderful opportunity to let the kids be themselves.”
Registration fees for each team are priced at $1,500, with an additional fundraising minimum of $300 per player.
Clark is the long-time former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the No. 1 pick of the 1985 NHL Entry draft who went on to score 330 goals in 793 career games. In addition to three stints with the Leafs, Clark played for Quebec, the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay, Detroit and Chicago over a 15-year career.
Nattress spent 11 seasons int he NHL, after being chosen in the second round, 27th overall, by Montreal in 1980. The blue-liner spent parts of three seasons with the Canadiens before being dealt to St. Louis. His longest stay was in Calgary, where he played 226 of his 536 NHL games. He later played for Toronto and Philadelphia, retiring in 1993 with career totals of 2 goals and 164 points.
Iafrate, a teammate of Clark's, was the fourth overall pick by Toronto in 1984 and he spent an injury-plagued 12 years in the NHL, his first seven seasons with the Maple Leafs, where he twice scored 20 goals. Traded to Washington, he set career highs in 1992-93 with 25 goals and 66 points. Iafrate also played for Boston and San Jose, retiring in 1998 after a 799-game career.
Harrison is hopeful the star power of Clark, Iafrate and Nattress will start the registration ball rolling.
“Our goal is to get 12 teams. The top fundraising team is going to get the first pick, and the draft is based on how much money each team raises,” Harrison explained.
Teams will have the chance to meet the celebrities at a draft party the day before the tournament. Local players will then join their hockey heroes on the ice the following day, with each team playing three games each.
Harrison said the fundraising goal will be set at $80,000.
All players must be over the age of 21, and team size is expected to be in the range of 15 to 20 players.
Players can register at easterseals.org or celebrityhockeyclassics.com.
