Henrik Lundqvist, right, greeting Martin Brodeur after the game, said he was impressed by the attitude of the storm victims who attended the game.(Photo: Mel Evans, AP)
Story Highlights
- Players would like to stage another event in New York City
- Players also put their game jerseys up for auction to raise money
- Henrik Lundqvist came over from Sweden and Bobby Ryan arrived from California
6:37AM EST November 26. 2012 – ATLANTIC CITY – Early into a post-game party at Caesars Atlantic City, one of the Operation Hat Trick Organizers mentioned that staging a second act could be in the works.
“Guys already are talking about doing another one in New York,” former Flyers tough guy Todd Fedoruk said over a loud DJ music in a crowded party room.
How about a second charity hockey game for Superstorm Sandy victims in Manhattan, perhaps at Central Park skating rink?
Put up a bunch of temporary seating there and maybe 20,000 fans show up for a great cause, perhaps a lot more.
MORE: Locked-out players put on show[1]
“Central Park?” Fedoruk said with an affirmative nod and a smile. “I like that idea!”
Act 1 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night was a hit, as this 87-year-old arena best known for boxing drew 10,792 hockey fans, most of them Flyers and New York Rangers backers who are missing the NHL two-plus months into a lockout that’s threatening to wipe out the entire 2012-13 season.
“I don’t know what the final dollar amount is, but I think it’s big,” said Flyers left wing Scott Hartnell, who brainstormed the idea of an Atlantic City charity game during a recent conversation with Fedoruk.
All proceeds from the game will go to New Jersey Hurricane Relief Fund, the Empire State Relief Fund and the American Red Cross, but how much that is won’t be revealed until “sometime later in the week,” said Gina Giacomantonio, part of the Operation Hat Trick PR team.
Organizers, Giacomantonio said, might even wait to announce a final dollar figure raised until figures come in from an internet auction for Operation Hat Trick game-used jerseys, which ends next Sunday night. All 32 jerseys except for New Jersey defenseman Andy Greene’s were posted last Saturday at auction.steinersports.com under its Superstorm Sandy category, and a day into the auction Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s had a high bid of $850.
Minus expenses, which might or might not be subtracted from the final total, ticket sales alone would surpass $215,000 if all were sold for $20, but that number could be significantly higher because an undisclosed amount went for five times that.
“Hockey fans are the best fans in the world, without a doubt … especially when it’s partnered with disaster that’s close to everyone’s homes,” said Hartnell, who was dressed in a Flyers-like white jersey with orange trim captaining Team Hartnell to an entertaining 10-6 loss against Team Richards, which was captained by New York Rangers center Brad Richards.
MORE: Photos from Saturday’s game[2]
Some of the NHL’s biggest stars showed up for the event – Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and Lundqvist, to name a few.
“This was awesome,” said Wayne Simmonds, one of five Flyers playing for Team Hartnell. “Obviously, it was for a good cause. Players showed up in masses. A lot of big-name players showed up to support this cause. It’s a great event and we’re going to raise a lot of money for them.”
Some players traveled along way to get to Atlantic City. Lundqvist came all the way from Sweden, while Cherry Hill, N.J., native Bobby Ryan, a star winger for the Anaheim Ducks, flew into the area from Southern California.
Before returning home on Sunday, Lundqvist tweeted that traveling halfway around the world for a fundraiser led to a experience beyond his imagination. On his @HLundqvist30account, the 2011-12 Vezina Trophy winning netminder wrote, “Met a lot of people yesterday that lost almost everything in the storm, still in good spirit. You people impress me!”
Edward Dickson, director of homeland security for New Jersey, felt the same about locked-out NHL players uniting to make this charity event possible.
“People have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, not only in New Jersey but also in New York, so for these guys to come in with their talents and raise some money to help folks that were impacted by Sandy is huge,” Dickson said.
Randy Miller writes for the (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post
