Women in HHOF Legends Tour- Canadian Press 9/20/06
September 27, 2006
TORONTO (CP) - The annual autumn Hockey Hall of Fame legends tour will include female players for the first time, and Cassie Campbell can't wait to step onto the ice.
Eluding Borje Salming to get a shot on goal might pose a problem but the recently-retired captain of Canada's national women's team won't be shying away from the challenge. She's skated in games with men before, but not with this many Hall of Fame members in the lineups.
"We've had a few exhibition games and charity things with some of former and current NHLers and for the first period you're just trying not to be in awe and trying to showcase what you're capable of doing," Campbell said following a news conference Wednesday to promote the five-city tour. "It's pretty hard, but it's going to be a great thrill."
Campbell will be on Canada's team with Hockey Hall of Fame members Dale Hawerchuk, Lanny McDonald, Steve Shutt, Bryan Trottier and Billy Smith. Tiger Williams, Glenn Anderson, Butch Goring, Cliff Ronning are among others set to play. Hayley Wickenheiser and Geraldine Heaney also will join Campbell in the red and white sweaters.
The World team includes HHOF members Salming, Rod Langway, Joe Mullen and Peter Stastny. Igor Larionov, Anton Stastny, Chris Nilan, Joel Otto, Kevin Stevens are among others who'll play, as will U.S. women's team representatives Cammi Granato and Angela Ruggiero.
"It'll be interesting because we'll be dressing in the same room for the first time," Campbell said of pulling on pads alongside Granato and Ruggiero. "Off the ice, there's a great deal of respect, and it'll be exciting to have all of us included in such great games."
The tour will begin Sunday, Nov. 12, in Toronto and stop Tuesday in Ottawa, Wednesday in Edmonton, Thursday in Calgary and Sunday, Nov. 19, in Vancouver.
Hawerchuk has played charity games in the past that sometimes included female players.
"The way they think the game through is impressive," he said. ``You can see why they were successful.
"They're very articulate in their thinking on the ice. They're always one step ahead of the play. The only difference is the power of the male against the female, but they seem to make up for it with their positioning.
``Henri Richard used to tell me, `You either have it or you don't have it.' It's as simple as that. The good ones, the Lord gave them something inside that could give them that jitterbug or that peripheral vision that wasn't natural to a lot of people. You can see in playing with these girls that they have that special intangible."
A hip injury forced Hawerchuk to retire in 1997. He didn't play hockey for the next three years, but he agreed to play in a charity game one night, and he's been at it ever since.
"I always love playing against Borje Salming,'' he said. ``The Stastnys, they can still dance the puck.
"The competition level is up there. For as battered as we are, the guys push as hard as they can, and when (the score) is tight, all of a sudden there's more backchecking going on.
"It's a good product for the fan. We have a lot of fun and add some humour to the game, but the people really do get to see what made these players great NHLers, and we raise some money for charity. Everybody goes home happy at the end of the game. How can you ask for more than that?"
The legends game will be part of a busy weekend.
The present-day Montreal Canadiens sign autographs at the Front St. hockey shrine beginning at 4 p.m. ET on the Friday afternoon.
There'll be an autograph session with Jean Beliveau and Dave Keon at noon Saturday, and a Montreal-Toronto NHL game two blocks away at Air Canada Centre the same night.
Preceding the Sunday legends game, there'll be a fan forum with 2006 inductees Patrick Roy, Dick Duff and Harley Hotchkiss.
TSN will broadcast live coverage of the induction ceremonies at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13.
A share of the proceeds from the legends game will go to the Canadian Spinal Research Organization's Shoot For A Cure fundraising initiative to combat sport injuries.
Hawerchuk, a prolific scorer in his prime, loves the style of NHL play now that obstruction is being stripped from games.
"I think the product is way more exciting than it's been for 10 years," he said.
The intimidation factor is waning "and it's only going to benefit the game," he added.
Ron Ellis, the HHOF's director of public relations, agrees. What he sees now reminds him of being in the NHL in the 1960s and 1970s when it was up-and-down hockey without defensive trap systems.
"That's what I'm excited to see again, goals being scored on the rush - three-on-ones, two-on-ones," Ellis said. "Towards the end of my career, the clutch and grab sort of was coming in."
"They were able to put the stick on you and hold you back. My game was skating and that was pretty frustrating. You think you've got a step on a guy and he just puts the stick out."
"I think it's terrific that they're allowing the skilled players to show their skills again. There's been some real positive things happening. The players have had a year now to adapt and, hopefully, they realize it's not going to go back to the old way."