For the first time in three years the Play For A Cure All-Star game will be played in LaSalle.
Play For A Cure is a private fundraising event for cancer research that will be held over two days on April 7 an 8, which culminates in the All-Star Game happening on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Vollmer Complex.
Event organizer Jeff Casey says he couldn't be happier with how things are shaping up, as the all-star game is a way to acknowledge their top fundraiser's by putting them along-side over 10 NHL alumni that will also be playing in the game.
Team Graves features Adam Graves, Al Iafrate, Mike Krushelnyski, Marty Turco, Gary Leeman, Dave McLlwain and Nik Antropov, while Team Coffey features Paul Coffey, Tim Taylor, Derian Hatcher, Michael Leighton, Aaron Ward, Rick Vaive and Dan Daoust.
Combined the teams have played over 10,000 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup 15 times.
Casey says they partnered with the Windsor Essex Community Foundation to create their own fund to support cancer research.
"It's called the Cancer Research Collaboration Fund and we raise money to support local cancer collaborative research. And so our players now have done all of their fundraising and we're about to pull off this amazing event that happens on Thursday and Friday."
Today will be a big day ahead of the game, as Casey says Ron MacLean will be in town for the event.
"He's going to be on stage interviewing some of our NHL Alumni, and it's going to be a wonderful night," he continued. "And then we play hockey on Friday all at the Vollmer Complex, ticket's are $20 and people can get them on our website."
He says they're planning on running the event kind of like a Spitfires game.
"We're going to have a little show at the very beginning, I'm going to do a cheque presentation, we're going to have lights, anthems and introductions. We're going to have a kids game, a flag bearer, an in-game experience and all the Spitfire mascots are going to be there. We've some great responses from our sponsors."
All proceeds from the game will go to the Cancer Research Collaboration Fund which was established in partnership with the WindsorEssex Community Foundation to support collaborative cancer research initiatives in Windsor-Essex.
Tickets are $20 and are available here.