Hartford, CT … Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today the entertainment-world celebrities who will be skating alongside Hartford Whalers and Boston Bruins alumni in the legends game February 19, 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.
The legends game is part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl,” the featured event of the two-week outdoor Whalers Hockey Fest spectacular at Rentschler Field that will include numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games. The legends game will face off at 4:00 PM on February 19 and will be followed by the outdoor AHL game between the Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM.
The group of skating celebrities is highlighted by Michael Keaton, whose hit roles have included the portrayal of the title character in Tim Burton’s “Batman” and “Batman Returns”, as well as such comedic smashes as “Night Shift”, “Mr. Mom”, “Johnny Dangerously” and “Beetlejuice”, and Canadian actor, singer, songwriter, and talk and game-show host, Alan Thicke, best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC series “Growing Pains”.
Also strapping on the blades and hitting the ice with the Whaler and Bruin alumni February 19 will be David E. Kelley, writer of the 1999 film hit “Mystery, Alaska”, which was produced by Howard and Karen Baldwin. In addition to his “Mystery, Alaska” credit, Kelley, son of legendary New England and Hartford Whalers coach and general manager Jack Kelley, is a celebrated television producer and creator of such hits as “Picket Fences”, “Chicago Hope”, “The Practice”, “Ally McBeal”, “Boston Public” and “Boston Legal”.
Several cast members will also play in the legends game from “Mystery, Alaska”, which tells the story of an Alaskan amateur hockey team whose hometown of Mystery becomes the focus of a national-television extravaganza when the team is challenged to a game by the New York Rangers.
Michael Buie, who starred as player Connor Banks in the film, will be in the mix for the legends game, along with fellow Mystery Alaskan player Scott Richard Grimes, who portrayed character “Burdie” Burns. Grimes is also well known for playing Dr. Archie Morris in “ER”, Will McCorkle in “Party of Five”, Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey in “Band of Brothers”, and as the voice of Steve Smith in the popular animated sitcom “American Dad”.
Jason Gray-Stanford, Bobby Michan in “Mystery Alaska” and Lieutenant Randy Disher in the TV show “Monk”, is also on the celebrity roster, as is Kevin Durand, who played “Tree” Lane in “Mystery Alaska” and was also Joshua in “Dark Angel”, Martin Keamy in “Lost”, Fred J. Dukes in “X-men Origins: Wolverine”, the Archangel Gabriel in “Legion” and Little John in “Robin Hood”. Cameron Bancroft, who followed his stint as Joe Bradley on the TV series “Beverly Hills 90210” with a turn as “Tinker” Connolly in “Mystery Alaska”, also is slated to play in the legends game.
Other well-known celebrities who will be on the ice with the Whaler and Bruin alumni include:
The Hanson Brothers – played by ex-pro hockey players Steve and Jeff Carlson and Dave Hanson, the brawling Hanson brothers were the comedic linchpins of the 1977 cult classic movie “Slap Shot”.
Neal McDonough – veteran character actor who played Lt. Hawk in “Star Trek: First Contact”, and whose numerous television credits include roles on “Desperate Housewives”, “Tin Man”, “Traveler”, “Medical Investigation”, “Boomtown” and “Band of Brothers”, among others.
Kevin Zegers – Canadian actor and model, who played leading roles as Josh Framm in the “Air Bud” series.
Tickets for the February 19 Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, which include admission to both the AHL game and the legends game, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com., as well as at the Bushnell box office from Monday through Friday, 12 noon-5:00 PM. Ticket prices range from $20 to $85 and can also be purchased by calling the Connecticut Whale at 860-728-3366. Tickets purchased online can be printed immediately (via Ticketmaster).
