All-Stars Gather in Belleville
By Aaron Bell
The OHL's best are coming to Belleville. 40 of the league's most skilled players are traveling to Belleville today to play in the 2006 Bell OHL All-Star Classic on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. on TV Cogeco and Rogers Television).
The players will also participate in tonight's All-Star Skills Competition and Three-on-Three Game at the Yardmen Arena.
For the players, the Bell OHL All-Star Classic is an opportunity to match their skills up against the best players from around the league in one showcase event.
"I played in it last year and it was pretty exciting with the caliber of players that you're playing with and against," said Barrie Colts' captain
Bryan Little. "It's the best around and you couldn't ask for a bigger honour than to be named to play in that type of game. (But), I'd hate to be a goalie for those games -- there's going to be a lot of offence.
The players also recognize the rich tradition of great players that have played in the OHL All-Star Classic. Peterborough Petes sophomore Jordan Staal was selected to play in the game this year. His older brother Eric, who is a star in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes, played in the CHL's Hershey Cup All-Star Series against the Western Hockey League in 2002. Marc Staal, a defenceman with the Sudbury Wolves, played in the OHL All-Star Classic last year in Owen Sound and was named to the Eastern Conference roster again this season.
"It's a great honour," said
Jordan Staal, who also played in the Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game in Ottawa in January. "It's a really good league and there are a lot of good players out there. I'm glad to be on it and hopefully I have a lot of fun there. I'm sure so it should be a pretty exciting game. Hopefully we can show the fans a good game and play our best."
Ottawa 67's coach Brian Kilrea may be the most experienced all-star in the history of the OHL. He coached against Bill Long in the original OHL All-Star Game, which was played in Sudbury in 1977. This year will be his seventh appearance behind the bench in the OHL All-Star Game, a distinction he earned when he guided the 67's to the Eastern Conference championship last season.
"It's one of those things where you win and you're fortunate enough to be part of the All-Star Game," said Kilrea, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. "I'm looking forward to it. We got waxed pretty good in the game (in 2004) in Peterborough. I'm hoping in turn that our guys will play a little bit better and show that there's been a shift in power. I think we have some tremendous players on our side."
This is the second time that the OHL All-Star Game has been played in Belleville. The Bulls also hosted the game in 1983, which was just their second season in the OHL. That game included stars like Dave Gagner, Kirk Muller, Al MacInnis, Pat Verbeek, Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuck, Tony Tanti, Brad Shaw, Bob Errey and Steve Yzerman, along with Bulls' stars Dunc MacIntyre and Dan Quinn.
"The opportunity to welcome the major junior hockey community back to Belleville is an exciting part of this celebration," said Bulls' President and Governor Gord Simmonds. "We are particularly thrilled to be able to share this event with the families and fans in our region who share our love for the game. They have supported major junior hockey in a most passionate way for the past 25 years. Now they have a chance to welcome the league's very best."
The Bell OHL All-Star Classic has become one of the marquee events on the OHL's calendar. Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Steve Yzerman, Chris Pronger, Doug Gilmour, Eric Lindros, Jason Spezza and Eric Staal are all former OHL stars that played in OHL All-Star events.
This year's edition is sure to follow in the trend of being a showcase event featuring many of the most skilled young players in the game. Future NHL stars like
Bobby Ryan of the Owen Sound Attack, Robbie Schremp of the London Knights, Ryan O'Marra and
Michael Blunden of the Erie Otters, and
Marc Staal and
Benoit Pouliot of the Sudbury Wolves were among the 40 players that were selected to play in the game.
"All-Star games are all about the opportunity to bring the best of the best together," said OHL Commissioner David Branch. "It's remarkable when you look at the talent that has played in this game over the years."
A limited number of tickets are still available for the game. Tickets can be purchased at the Belleville Bulls Box Office or by calling 613-966-8338 ext. 3885. Ticket packages are $30 which includes a reserved seat for tonight's OHL All-Star Skills Competition and a reserved seat for the Bell OHL All-Star Classic on February 1.
The game will be broadcast in Ontario on Rogers Television and TV Cogeco and on the digital cable Super Sports Pak.
OHL All-STar Site
