Toledo pro hockey alumni to face Fort Wayne ‘oldtimers’ in alumni game
1/24/2013The Walleye will honor Toledo's rich pro hockey history with an alumni game for the first time next month.
The contest will feature players from the Blades, Goaldiggers, and Storm. The group of retired players will face former players from the Fort Wayne Komets organization.
The exhibition game, sponsored by The Blade, will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Huntington Center. It will take place at 5:05 p.m. before the Walleye's regular-season game against Fort Wayne.
The Toledo players expected to attend include Derek Booth, Dave Falkenberg, Jim Hunter, Bill Joyce, Jim McCabe, Nick Parillo, Andy Suhy, Doug Teskey, Ted Tucker, Mike Whitton, Gordy Hunt, Andre Vanopdenbosch, Rick Piche, Bruce MacDonald, and Taylor Raszka.
Walleye coach Nick Vitucci and his assistant, Dan Watson, also will play. They both played for the Storm.
Other alumni players attending but will not play include Jerry Badiuk, Greg Jablonski, Brian Kinsella, Doug Mahood, and Bill Mitchell.
Some of the Komet "oldtimers" appearing in the game include: Kevin Bertram, Kelly Perrault, Ron Leef, and Martin Burgers. Robbie Irons, George Drysdale, Reg Primeau, and Chuck Adamson will serve as the coaches for Fort Wayne.
Tickets for the doubleheader will be $15 each and will include admission to the alumni game and Walleye game.
The alumni game is part of the Walleye's Hockey Heritage Weekend.
Walleye make moves
Two Walleye members signed tryout contracts with American Hockey League teams on Wednesday. Forward Adam Hobson signed with the Rockford IceHogs while defenseman Erik Spady signed with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Also, goaltender Kent Simpson was reassigned from Rockford to the Walleye.
Simpson took the loss in Rockford’s 6-3 defeat to Texas on Monday.
Hobson four goals and six assists in 16 games this season with the Walleye. Spady appeared in two games with Toledo since signing on Jan. 15. after playing 34 games this season with Fort Worth in the Central Hockey League.