Hockey legend Guy Lafleur is expected to meet fans in Richmond as part of the second annual Hockey Day in Richmond.
City council approved spending $76,500 to help host the Feb. 9, 2013 event, which will see the Montreal Canadiens’ great sign autographs for fans at the Richmond Olympic Oval.
Hockey fans can also expect to see Vancouver Canucks alumni for the day-long event. The oval’s two rinks will host a variety of hockey games, including a Vancouver Canucks alumni game and a Junior B hockey matchup of the Richmond Sockeyes and Aldergrove Kodiaks.
Dubbed Richmond Celebrates Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada 2013, the event isn’t an official host of Hockey Day in Canada on CBC, but the city hopes to land that hosting role in 2015 from the public broadcaster.
Official host of the 2013 event is Lloydminster, Alta.
Planned for the Richmond event are a variety of hockey experiences: ball, table, floor, ice and road—with the oval’s riverfront plaza hosting a large road hockey tournament. Exhibits, displays and performances from the Odds are also planned.
This year’s event falls on the newest long weekend—B.C. Family Day.
The city’s first hockey day event, held Feb. 11, 2012, drew 16,000 to the oval, according to a staff report.
Guy Lafleur
•Recognized as one of the greatest NHL players of all time, Lafleur helped his team to five Stanley Cup championships and is a three-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy (top scorer) and two-time winner of the Hart Trophy (most valuable player).
•He began his career in 1971 and retired in 1985 with 1,246 points in regular season competition—a team record. He came out of the retirement for the 1998-89 season, playing for the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques before retiring again in 1991.
•His 518 regular season goals for the Canadiens are only second to Maurice Richard's 544.
•He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988