Festival Cup: Post game highlights

So S and I went to the inaugural Festival Cup last night at the ACC.

It was an interesting event, a roughly equal mix of celebrities types and professional hockey players. We got to sit right up front, which is a prospect that S and I are unlikely to enjoy at a Leaf game anytime soon (not being budding multi-millionaires of course)

But for the 36 bucks a pop we got to see Sundin on the ACC ice, one last time, as well as Gilmour, Stajan, Avery, Robataille, and Cujo. If I had one complaint it would be that the game was almost a little too relaxed. I know this is a charity game and some of these players would be out a lot of money if they were seriously hurt. But it wouldn’t kill you to hustle after the puck and scrap a little bit in the corners would you?

Being energetic doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be rough. Just keep in mind that no one’s paying money to watch people skate around out there like its open ice night at their local arena.

What was kind of wank though was how they game was obviously pre-destined to end in a shoot out. With about fifteen seconds left in the game the ‘White’ team accidentally scored and you could tell from the ‘oh shit’ look on the scorer’s face that he knew he wasn’t supposed to do that. But the refs called back the goal and we were all treated to some amusing antics from Cujo during the shoot out as he flopped back and forth on the ice, bending over backwards so that some of the shooters would get a goal.

Things I enjoyed

Tim Robbins getting accidentally smoked by his own teammate.
Cujo playing the puck end to end on the ice.
Sean Avery getting booed every time he was on camera or on the ice
D.B. Sweeney. (toepick)
Tim Robbins getting in a faux-fistfight
The standing ‘O’ for Sundin (come back Mats)
Spezza getting his balls busted by the announcer
Jim Basille scoring a goal.

Things I did not

Dougie Gilmour only playing one shift, WTF?
The new Leaf ‘goal scored’ animation.
The idiots behind me (Is that Bobby Orr? I could kick Cujo’s ass)

Overall I had a good time and if they try this event next year, I think I could be persuaded to do it again.