Former NHL stars headed to Wasilla

March 25, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman Sports Editor

Even though fans can't catch the action of the National Hockey League this season on television, local hockey faithful can catch a little glimpse of the NHL right in Wasilla.

In a benefit to support the Mat-Su Crime Stoppers, former NHL players Bernie Nichols and Doug Smail will skate in a charity game at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The event features Nichols and Smail captaining a pair of teams made up of Mat-Su police and firemen and members of the local hockey community.

Tickets are $20 and will admit either one adult or two children under the age of 12. Tickets are only available at the gate.

The Mat-Su Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization established in 1982 to support the citizens and communities of the Mat-Su Borough. The organization allows callers to remain anonymous when providing information on a crime committed and to be paid rewards up to $1,000 for the information that leads to an arrest and conviction. The program is funded through private donations from concerned citizens and businesses as well as fund rasing.

This will be the first event of this caliber hosted locally by the Crime Stoppers. Nichols, a standout for several NHL teams, ammased more than 1,200 points during his 20-year professional career.

Nichols hit the 100-point total twice during his career, totaling 100 during the 1984-85 season with the Los Angeles Kings and 150 points with the Kings during the 1988-89 campaign.

Smail, a former University of North Dakota standout, skated for Winnipeg, Minnesota, Quebec and Ottawa.

Gary Greene, a coordinator for the event, said even though the event is held on Easter Sunday, he is confident hockey fans will turn out for the

event.

"We tried to schedule it between people's lunch and dinner plans," Greene said.