ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Canadiens Alumni will be hosting the NHL Indigenous Alumni on Jan. 14 in St. Paul. The afternoon event will feature a team of St. Paul Canadiens alumni players taking on a team of former Indigenous National Hockey League (NHL) players at the Clancy Richard Arena.
The objective of the event is to support “the important work around truth and reconciliation,” and to celebrate over 200 Indigenous players who have played with the St. Paul Canadiens since the junior hockey club’s inception back in 1952, according to Patrick Lamoureux, president of St. Paul Canadiens Alumni Foundation.
“In doing so, we want to celebrate the game of hockey, celebrate Clancy Richard’s Arena, and celebrate the long history of the St. Paul Junior Canadiens,” said Lamoureux. “We thought that hosting an Indigenous alumni game would be an appropriate matter in doing so.”
“Speaking on behalf of our board, we are extremely excited that we are going to be hosting and welcoming the National Hockey League Indigenous Alumni team led by John Chabot,” said Lamoureux.
Lamoureux said Chabot will be bringing in six Indigenous and Métis former-NHL players, as well as special guests and invitees, including “three members of the Canada Women’s National Team and one member of the U.S. National Team who are, of course, of Indigenous and Métis descent.”
Chabot, who will also be playing with the NHL Indigenous alumni team, said that members of the NHL Indigenous alumni are excited for the upcoming alumni game.
“We're looking forward to it and it’s going to be fun,” said Chabot.
He also said that a big part of their trip includes visiting local schools and communities in the region, and speaking to Indigenous youth, “about our voyages as [either] male or female athletes, and what we had to overcome to get to where we are.”
According to Chabot, the NHL Indigenous alumni group was formalized around five years ago, with the aim of visiting communities and sharing their message. However, its members, either individually or in groups, have been visiting communities prior to the organization's formalization.
“We want to let the kids know that if you have a dream, you can achieve it,” said Chabot. “There are other Indigenous athletes who have achieved their dreams over the years, and just because you're from an isolated community doesn't mean you can't get to where you want.”
He added, “It's just there's a lot of work that goes into that dream. There's a lot of time that goes into it – a lot of perseverance and nothing is handed to you... We do want to make sure that these Indigenous kids know that their dreams are as valid and as reachable as anybody else's.”
The day prior to the alumni game, the NHL Indigenous alumni will be visiting schools in the region, such as Saddle Lake and Frog Lake.
As former NHL and national team players, the athletes themselves look forward to getting together, visiting communities, and hitting the ice.
“It’s nice to reconnect, especially after COVID and the isolated times that we went through after the last two years,” said Chabot.
The Indigenous alumni game on Saturday is set for 4 p.m. and will be followed by a regular season matchup between the St. Paul Canadiens current Junior B team, and the Onion Lake Border Chiefs at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the Jan. 14 event are $20 each, which includes access to both games. Tickets will be available at the door. Admission for children 10 years old and under is free with the purchase of an adult ticket.
According to Lamoureux, the proceeds generated from the event will be reinvested back into the community through various programs, including minor hockey and grassroots initiatives.
The proceeds will not be used for profit, but will help support the hockey community, including children “who may need a little help in terms of being able to continue playing hockey.”
Lamoureux said the alumni hockey game is the first of its kind throughout the history of the St. Paul Canadiens.
“We hope that many people will come out and fill the Clancy Richard Arena with family and friends, and people from all over to celebrate this historical moment.”
