After playing for a record 12 teams during his 17-year NHL career, hockey journeyman Mike Sillinger will pull on a new Green and White jersey next month.
The native of Regina, Sask. headlines the list of former NHLers set to take part in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ third annual Winter Classic charity hockey game on February 1. Other newcomers to the game include former ‘Bruise Brothers’ enforcer Joe Kocur and current Sportsnet analyst Luke Gazdic.
Kicker Brett Lauther and former receiver Chris Getzlaf, the brother of Anaheim Ducks legend Ryan, will once again captain the two teams. All proceeds from the event go towards the Roughrider Foundation’s Win with Wellness program, which provides mental wellness education and support for youth across Saskatchewan.
Sillinger was originally selected 11th overall in the 1989 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He went on to play a combined 1,049 NHL games with the Red Wings, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and New York Islanders. The five-foot-10, 180-pound centre was traded a record nine times during his career, amassing 240 goals and 308 assists across his many stops.
Kocur, who hails from Kelvington, Sask., played 820 games over 16 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. A famed enforcer alongside Bob Probert, he scored just 80 games and recorded 82 assists while accumulating 2,519 penalty minutes.
Gazdic played in 147 NHL games over four seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils, recording three goals and five assists. He spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League, before retiring in 2020 and later becoming a broadcaster.
Current and former Riders expected to lace up the skates for the game include Mitch Picton, Peter Godber, Noah Zerr, Andy Fantuz, and Jason Clermont.
The third annual Winter Classic will take place at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon, with puck drop scheduled for 1:00 p.m. local on Saturday, February 1. Tickets are $25 but children aged 12 and under are free when with an adult.
