Fan favourites gear up for the all-star celebrity classic

The all-star celebrity classic is one of the highlights of the Regina Pats centennial salute homecoming weekend.

The celebrations begin Friday night with a gala and then the alumni game Saturday followed by the regular season game against the Moose Jaw Warriors held Sunday.

Saturday’s game features a host of fan favourites including Scott Niedermayer, Curtis Leschyshyn, Garth Butcher and Kelly Chase.

“I just looked at Niedermayer and Leschyshyn and they look like they can still do triathlons and that may be a problem for some of us guys, but it will be a lot of fun,” Chase joked to reporters on Friday.

A weekend such a this is a great opportunity for guys like Clark to reminisce about his time in the WHL and the career and friendships it afforded him.

“You remember and talk about that time and it is great to get back and just reminisce about the game,” Clark said. “Between the Blades and the Pats, as a player, you loved to be loved at home and you loved to be hated on the road, that was the fun part of being on the road. That made the junior game.”

For Curtis Leschyshyn an event such as this classic carries extra nostalgia. He not only looks back at his time in the WHL but also the memories it is creating for his son Jake, who plays for the WHL.

“As a parent, you skate every stride that he skates, you absorb every injury that he absorbs,” Leschyshyn admitted. “We are proud of what Jake has done and hopefully his career continues past junior hockey and on to pro.”

You can catch players like Leschyshyn, Clark and Chase at the game at the Brandt Centre Saturday. Puck drop is at 3 p.m.