SUMMERSIDE – The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals will unveil Billy’s Buddies on Thursday night.
The Caps will host the Woodstock Slammers in their final home game of the 2017-18 MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) regular season at Eastlink Arena. The Slammers were travelling to Summerside on Wednesday night, so the game will go ahead regardless of the weather. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
“Every player on our team is going to have the option to bring a friend, a kid,” explained Caps head coach Billy McGuigan. “It’s going to be a pretty cool incentive for the kids. They get to do the pre-game with us, go over video with us, sit in the dressing room with the guys, they will be introduced at the start of the game, watch the game and come back in between periods. At the end of the game maybe we will get some pizza for them . . . Basically, it’s a day as a Cap.”
McGuigan noted most of the players have chosen family members or close friends.
“From a coaching standpoint, I want to get across to our players and to the community of Summerside and P.E.I. as a whole that we are here for kids and the people,” continued McGuigan. “I want both the players and kids to experience a situation like this. It’s a great incentive for showing our players and their families that we are about family and about community.”
Credit – Jason Simmonds – Summerside Journal-Pioneer