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| The Detroit Red Wings Alumni celebrated the 9-4 victory! |
On Friday night, the Detroit Red Wings Alumni visited the Mike Modano Ice Arena to play a charity game against a team of officials from the city of Westland. William R. Wild is the Mayor of Westland, and he lead the Westland Wild Wings into battle. The event was named "Hockey Night in Westland", and all proceeds from the game were donated to benefit the Mike Modano Ice Arena locker room expansion project. The Red Wings Alumni defeated the Westland Wild Wings 9-4. Ray Markham got the scoring started for the Red Wings Alumni, and Jimmy Carson added the final goal. It appeared as if the Red Wings Alumni toyed with the Westland Wild Wings, allowing them to stay close until the final six minutes of the contest. The game was divided into two thirty minute halves, and the score was tied at two at half time. The Wild Wings lead 4-2 midway through the second half, but the Red Wings Alumni rallied to score five goals in three minutes. The Red Wings Alumni controlled the puck for about 90% of the contest. There were no penalties, checks, or fights during the game, and offsides, along with unorthodox line changes were overlooked. It was a thrill to see former Red Wings greats like Dino Ciccarelli, and Jimmy Carson.
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| The Red Wings Alumni controlled the tempo! |
The Mike Modano Ice Arena in Westland is in poor shape and in need of major upgrades. Mike Modano does not own the arena, but it was instead named after him in a dedication ceremony back in 2003. Each team uses two closet like rooms to change in, and it's done in open view of the fans. It seems odd that an ice rink with a luxurious press box located above the arena would have inadequate locker rooms for it's players. Most of the glass panes surrounding the ice are scuffed, and scratched beyond the point of visibility. Other than snacks and, beverages, the food at the Break Away Cafe is inedible, and should be avoided at all costs. I made the mistake of ordering a chili cheese dog that consisted of cold chili, cold cheese, and an ice cold hot dog on a hard stale bun. They should let the players change in the press box, and funnel some dollars towards the culinary department.
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| Paul Weber played several shifts for the Red Wings Alumni! |
The attendance of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni made the experience memorable, but there were some issues that should have been addressed. Some inconsiderate fans took it upon themselves to stand at the glass to get closer to the action. This made it impossible for entire sections of the crowd to witness anything happening on the ice. It seemed as if the entire Westland Police force was in attendance, along with several rink security officials, but nobody did anything to deter the growing number of people that crowded the glass. Watching the game, and escorting the Buffalo Wild Wings girl around became the priority of officials that were supposed to be there to maintain some level of order.
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| Dino Ciccarelli was a fan favorite! |
Another issue that I had was that the teams did not switch sides after the intermission. No offense to the Mayor, or to the officials of Westland, but the fans wanted to see the Red Wings Alumni players, and that's why they came. The Red Wings Alumni possessed the puck for much of the game which meant half of the crowd only saw rare glances of their favorite former Red Wings. I noticed the non switch as soon as the second half began, and by listening to the disgruntled fans behind me, it didn't take long for everyone else to notice it as well. Leave it up to the Red Wings Alumni however to save the day for "Hockey Night in Westland". Without their participation the event may have gone down as the "Dumpster Fire in Westland".
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| #35 George Bowman was solid in net for the Red Wings Alumni! |
For more info about the Detroit Red Wings Alumni click on redwings.nhl.com/alumni
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