When losing is fun

The Kitchener Rangers played their 8th annual benefit game last night against the Cambridge Ice Hounds and Kitchener Ice Pirates. And for the eighth consecutive year, the Rangers lost. Of course, as with every other year, it didn’t matter. I’ve never seen players and coaches smile so much during an 8-year losing streak.

The Ice Hounds and Ice Pirates are part of what’s called “special hockey.” Children with special needs and adults with developmental disabilities get a chance to play the game we all love because, well, we love it and we all should have the chance to play. So it’s a real thrill for these players to get on the ice against the Kitchener Rangers, which they do every year to raise awareness and funds for special hockey.

I’ve had the privilege of being the in-arena announcer for these games for the past several years and I just can’t say enough about the event. The Rangers players deserve tremendous praise for the way they interact with the Ice Hounds and Ice Pirates players. Rangers head coach Troy Smith hammed it up for the fans last night, and made a significant donation to Special Hockey when his attempt to “bribe” the referees was revealed. Oh, and one of those referees was none other than Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin. Everyone donates their time and fans make donations in lieu of admission. It’s just an all-around feel good night at the rink and when the final tally was announced, more than $2200 had been raised to help these teams travel, buy equipment, and play.

If you’ve never attended before, I hope we’ll see you at the 9th annual benefit game next year. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about Special Hockey, get details here. See ya back at The Aud for the Rangers-Spitfires game this Friday.