Heritage Center and Clydesdales to Host Summer Hockey Classic

June 29, 2012

Northland Sports Online

St. Louis Blues players Jamie Langenbrunner of Cloquet and Cade Fairchild of Duluth will headline a group of current and past local professional and college players who will participate in the Duluth Heritage Summer Hockey Classic brought to you by the Duluth Clydesdales. The event is scheduled for the Duluth Heritage Sports Center for Friday July 13th at 6:00p.m. and is being sponsored by tire maker Cooper Tires. Duluth Tire and Pro Tire of Hermantown are the local retail outlets for Cooper Tires.

Brothers Jack and Chris Connolly of Duluth are also scheduled to appear in the exhibition, along with Los Angeles Kings 2010 first-round draft choice Derek Forbort, Chicago Blackhawks pick Drew LeBlanc of Hermantown and former Kings goaltender and Duluth Denfeld goaltender Rob Stauber. Many more players with local ties to northern Minnesota and Wisconsin will also play.

A regular who’s who of local past greats of the game will also included in the night festivities and include Huffer Christensen, Mike Sertich, Derek Plante, Bill Watson, current UMD Coach Scott Sandelin, Mark Heaslip as well as others.

“It’s been 15 years since a similar exhibition was held,” said event organizer and Duluth Clydesdales General Manager Butch Williams. “The game will recognize the current crop of college and pro players from the area, and as a community we need to applaud the efforts of these individuals and give them an encouraging pat on the back for a job well done” continued Williams.

The event will be a benefit for local youth sports programming for financially disadvantaged families who would like to see their sons and daughters participate in youth hockey programs.

A Clyde Iron street dance featuring music by the Bryan Olds Band and In Tandem will follow the game and begin at 9:00p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for youths 17 and younger, and are available at the Heritage Sports Center, Stewart’s Wheel Goods, Stauber Brothers, Play It Again Sports and Central Sports in the Holiday Skywalk. The ticket cost includes free admission to the street dance following the game. Any Duluth Huskies fans will also get $2 off their admission to the dance when they present their ticket stub from the July 13th Huskies game.

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