At 1:30 p.m. today (Wednesday), I will be chatting with representatives from the Prince George RCMP and the Prince George Fire Rescue Service.
We won’t be talking about the normal things you talk about when you get the police and fire department on the radio. No, we’re going to be talking hockey.
Specifically, we’ll be chatting about the inaugural Sirens Cup Charity Challenge. It’s a game set for February 25 with proceeds going to RCMP Victim Services and the Firefighters Charity Fund, so it’s all for a good cause.
I have seen games like this before, and they’re almost always a lot of fun. Most of the players have played hockey at some point, and some of them might still be playing at some level locally, so it won’t be like having a media hockey game, where some of the players won’t know which end of the stick goes on the ice (or is that just me?).
I also like the idea of having the game start at 4:30 on the Saturday afternoon, and allowing people who buy tickets to the Sirens Cup to attend the BCHL game between the Spruce Kings and Penticton Vees that same night for free.
So while I’m looking forward to the prospect of some good hockey in the Sirens Cup, my experience with similar events in other locations makes me suspect it won’t be a full-on, 100-per-cent, pedal-to-the-metal HOCKEY game.
There will almost certainly be a few hijinks thrown in by the teams. One of the most common ones is for the firefighters to ‘conveniently’ have a few fire buckets of water at their bench which might be used to douse an opposing player who comes too close.
I have also seen an RCMP officer, on skates, appear at the entrance to the ice surface with a warrant for the arrest of one of the firefighters, usually for some offence like pouring water on an RCMP officer.
I anticipate a good game, and one thing I know already. Having been to the media conference announcing the Sirens Cup on Monday, both teams have very sharp-looking uniforms.
(Please note I am not advocating either of the local teams make use of the underhanded tactics employed by other teams at similar events I have witnessed.)