SEA DOGS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES ALUMNI CHARITY GAME

Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni game set for August 24th at Harbour Station

Friday, June 21st, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAINT JOHN, NB - The Saint John Sea Dogs Foundation is proud to announce the Inaugural Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend, Friday August 23rd - Sunday August 25th, 2013! 

The weekend will be jammed packed with activities highlighted by the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Game. The game will take place at Harbour Station at 1:30 PM on Saturday, August 24th, 2013 featuring former Saint John Sea Dogs vs. UNB Varsity Reds alumni. The weekend is named in honour of businessman, community leader and philanthropist, G. Wallace F. McCain. He was a former Chairman of Maple Leaf Foods and also co-founder and former Vice Chairman of McCain Foods. Mr. McCain is the father of Scott McCain, CEO of the Saint John Sea Dogs hockey club.

The Sea Dogs Alumni team will be coached by former head coach Gerard Gallant, now assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens while Mike Kelly, current Sea Dogs head coach and GM, will coach the UNB Varsity Reds Alumni. Kelly guided the Varsity Reds to a Canadian Interuniversity Championship in 1998. Gallant and Kelly were the tandem that brought 3 regular season titles, two President Cups and a Memorial Cup to the Port City. The Sea Dogs alumni roster will be filled with former stars and fan favorites, many of whom have progressed to the professional level. Roster will include players such as Mike Thomas, Jason Churchill, Travis Fullerton, Kevin Gagne, Jeff Caron, Pierre Durepos, Charles-Olivier Roussel, Ryan Sparling, Michael Kirkpatrick, Alex Beauregard, Danick Gauthier, Francois Gauthier, Sea Dogs' 2007 1st-overall pick in the QMJHL draft and Pittsburgh Penguins' Rookie of the Year Simon Despres and Nathan Beaulieu who made his NHL debut this past March as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. More players will be announced at a later date. The roster is subject to change, due to player availability.

The Sea Dogs Foundation has been a fabric in the community for the past sevenyears and has raised money to help support various charities and organizations in the community. All funds raised during the weekend activities will be given to the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada (New Brunswick Chapter); a national non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling a favourite wish for children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses, as well as the Top Corner fund in Saint John and The Brendon Oreto Foundation in Fredericton. These two organizations meet the principles to provide financial assistance and hockey equipment to young New Brunswickers in need.

Fans will have a chance to meet and interact with players at various events throughout the weekend and have a chance to bid on sports memorabilia items donated by various NHL/AHL/ECHL teams and players. 

The tentative schedule of the weekend's festivities is as follows:

Friday, August 23 

8:30 - 10:00 pm - Sponsors Reception & Auction (Location to be announced at a later date)

Saturday, August 24      

1:30 pm - Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Game - Harbour Station

3:00 - 6:30 pm - Alumni Family Fun Fair & BBQ  - Harbour Station Parking Lot (Rain or shine)

7:00 pm - Pre-season Game - Saint John Sea Dogs vs. Acadie-Bathurst Titan - Harbour Station

9:30 - 11:00 pm - Post Game Reception and Auction  (Location to be announced at a later date)

Sunday, August 25         

10:30 - 12:00 pm - Alumni Brunch/Q & A (panel to be named at a later date). Tickets to this event are only available in the VIP Package below. Not sold separately.

Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Game (Only 2,500 available) Ticket Prices:

Adult: $10 + HST

Student & Youth: $6 + HST

Tickets on sale: Friday, June 21st. For alumni game tickets, please contact the Harbour Station Box Office at 506-657-1234 or 1-800-657-1234 or can be purchased online at www.harbourstation.ca.

Sea Dogs Pre-season Game Ticket Prices:

Season Ticket Holders: $5 (all inclusive)

Non Season Ticket Holders: $9 (all inclusive)

Tickets on sale early August. For pre-season game tickets, please contact the Harbour Station Box Office at 506-657-1234 or 1-800-657-1234 or can be purchased online at www.harbourstation.ca.

VIP Packages (Only 100 available):

Includes:

- Ticket to each of: the Alumni Brunch, Wallace McCain MemorialAlumni Game, Voucher for BBQ at the Family Fun Fair and Saint John Sea Dogs pre-season game vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan

- Signed photograph of one (1) of the Sea Dogs Alumni who has moved on to the NHL (pictures will be randomly selected)

Adult: $50 + HST

Student & Youth: $35 + HST

Packages on sale: Tuesday, July 2nd. To order, please contact Tonya Pittman at the Sea Dogs Administration Office at 506-632-9260 or tonyapittman@saintjohnseadogs.com.

For more information, please contact:

Event Information:                                   Player Media Availability:

Wendy Corscadden                              Rob Williams                    

(506) 658-9292                                   (506) 632-8154

Sea Dogs Alumni Committee