When the National Hockey League香蕉视频直播檚 Anaheim Ducks officially retire Scott Niedermayer香蕉视频直播檚 number 27 jersey this Sunday, the loudest cheers from the Honda Centre seats will be from a bunch of Okanagan kids.
Members of the Penticton Minor Hockey Association atom development team, which Niedermayer香蕉视频直播檚 son Luke plays on and he helps coach, are making the trip to see the ceremony and play in a hockey tournament.
香蕉视频直播淚 mean this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for for these kids so when the opportunity came up for us to go down and support him we couldn香蕉视频直播檛 pass it up,香蕉视频直播� said atom head coach Peter Forbes, who helped the kids with their fundraising efforts over the past months.
香蕉视频直播淔or me it was, well I think of all the years that I had growing up and watching Scott Niedermayer as a hockey player and how many times you got around your TV with your family and friends and you cheered on Team Canada or watched the Stanley Cup.
香蕉视频直播淭hat man has provided so many great moments for hockey fans.香蕉视频直播�
| Scott Niedermayer has some fun with kids and coaches at a practice of the Penticton minor hockey league he helps coaches.Mark Brett/Western News |
In 2011, the year after he retired from the game, the New Jersey Devils, who he helped to three Stanley Cups also hoisted his sweater to the rafters as did the Western Hockey League Kamloops Blazers where he won two Memorial Cups.
香蕉视频直播淚 have a little bit of practice,香蕉视频直播� laughed Niedermayer, 45. 香蕉视频直播淏ut that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 take anything away from the honour, it香蕉视频直播檚 obviously a tremendous honour for an organization to think that much about what you did for them so I香蕉视频直播檓 pretty humbled and honoured that they wanted to it in Anaheim.香蕉视频直播�
A Hockey Hall of Fame and Canada Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Niedermayer is also member of the Triple Gold Club, winning Stanley Cups, World Championship and Olympic gold medals.
The family moved to Penticton in the summer. Niedermayer香蕉视频直播檚 other sons Jackson (injured) signed on with the B.C. Hockey League香蕉视频直播檚 Penticton Vees while Josh enrolled in the Okanagan Hockey Academy where Scott also helps out.
香蕉视频直播淚t seemed like a great place and we香蕉视频直播檙e enjoying it for sure,香蕉视频直播� said Niedermayer.
About having his Penticton minor hockey team join him, he added: 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 going to be really great having them there, great experience for them. I wanted to make sure they wanted to, not just because they felt they had to. I appreciate it.香蕉视频直播�
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Niedermayer particularly enjoys helping coach the young players.
香蕉视频直播淚t brings back a lot of memories,香蕉视频直播� he said thinking back to the time when he was growing up and playing minor hockey in Cranbrook.
香蕉视频直播淵ou remember all the little road trips, the times in a hotel goofing off with your teammates, playing some hockey so it香蕉视频直播檚 neat to see my kids doing the same thing.
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香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 fun to be able to give back. I香蕉视频直播檝e benefited from a lot of good coaches myself over the years so if I can help a little bit I香蕉视频直播檓 happy to do it.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 fun just watching the kids enjoying themselves, make friends, play the fun game of hockey, is reward enough in itself.香蕉视频直播�
Niedermayer香蕉视频直播檚 retired jersey will join those of two other Ducks香蕉视频直播� past stars, (8) Teemu Sel盲nne and (9) Paul Kariya.
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