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Volume 40 Issue 10 • July 8-14, 2010
now in our 40th season

Celebrities on Ice

by Chris O'Day

Time to call out the Zamboni, the 8th annual Celebrity Hockey game is happening this Friday, July 9.  The stars will crash the boards, as they join island native and Olympic Gold Medalist AJ Mleczko for her Charity on Ice event. The event is chock full of stars, sure to excite, and will be one heck of a hockey night!

Something about Mary co-writer/director Bobby Farrelly will try and top-shelf a shot on NHL legend Goalie Mike Richter, as NHL Hall of Famer Brian Leetch cleans up on defense.  Many other stars such as 1980s Miracle on Ice Olympic gold medalist goalie, Jim Craig, and Bruins enforcer Lyndon Byers will also join the fray.

The event is to support Nantucket Ice and the Christopher Nugent Bovers (CNB) Community Rink.  Nantucket Ice Executive Director Lynne Fielder said, “Every year a good part of the proceeds of this event goes towards paying off the rink’s building debt.  We’ve been slowly chipping away it and this is a big help with our cash flow since we can’t sell as much ice time as off island rinks.  AJ and her family have been very inspirational in raising money to get the rink built and for continued support year after year with her event. Every year there is a new crop of kids and adults that are excited to see AJ and friends play in the celebrity game.”

AJ Mleczko was born in Nantucket, but started her hockey career when her family moved to Connecticut.  Mleczko said, “My father was running a fishing business on Nantucket, living on the island, but he was also a teacher so when we moved to Connecticut for a teaching position we ended up living next to a rink.  I started off on figure skates at age 5, and it took a year to convince my Dad, who was a hockey coach, I wanted to switch over to the black skates and play hockey.”
Switch over she did, with brilliance, as she became a star hockey player in her prep years at the Taft School, and a NCAA National Champion and All-American at Harvard.  She eventually made the USA Olympic squad and earned an Olympic Gold medal at Nagano in 1998 and a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Throughout all of her accomplishments, she shared a dream with fellow islanders of building a rink on her native Nantucket.  Mleczko said, “Nantucket is such a great community, but in the winter it gets really cold without much snow, so people really can’t go sledding or cross country skiing, or that many winter activities.  Also, being an island with much of the businesses closing down during the winter there isn’t many places for the youth to gather. So building a rink was a great idea, especially right next to the school where it’s easy to get to.  I really thought it was going to be a great place for kids to go to, to skate, play hockey, and hang out at the snack bar, but adults have really embraced it, too.  There have been the adult leagues, my mother played on the women’s team, and I feel like the rink has really added to the community.”

The game this year comes after a one-year hiatus.  Mleczko said, “We decided to not hold the event last year because of the economy and many people were disappointed.  So we were excited to bring it back this year. Over the years we‘ve had a strong showing and it’s always been a fun atmosphere that people enjoy.”

The event took a one-year hiatus, but the Nantucket Youth Hockey program has not stopped growing since the rink has been built.  Executive Director Lynne Fielder said, “Our kids can really hold their own now against other programs. They get a lot of ice time because of being on an island, its great to see how far they have come.”

Mleczko has also been impressed with the program’s growth. She said, “It’s a testament to the families that have really embraced hockey and brought the sport into their families. I remember holding camps when the rink first started and kids had never even skated before and now they have their own High School program. Traveling off island for any sport is a challenge and its great to see how the kids have embraced hockey and made it a competitive sport on the island.”

The youth that have embraced hockey and the general public will get the chance to see pros and stars play on their home rink.   Before the game there will be a Family Barbecue with the players mingling and chances for autographs.  There will also be an auction at the rink with island packages and sports memorabilia as prizes.  Then, at 6:30 p.m. the puck drops and the fun begins.  Mleczko stated, “The game is really fun to watch.  It’s a festive atmosphere with former pros, current pros, celebrities, and other pro athletes like the Patriot’s Max Lane who, I think, only plays hockey once a year at this game.  The game is fun and not taken really serious at first, but all the athletes are so competitive that eventually the game switches into high gear and the fans get to see top-notch hockey.”

 Dorothy Hamilll, a family friend of Mleczko and also an Olympic Gold Medalist is joining the event this year.  Hammill won gold at the 1976 winter Olympics in singles figure skating and became America’s sweetheart.  She will grace the ice before the game for a special appearance.  Fans of Hammill should take note that she is sponsoring a fantasy camp this summer on island where participants can live out their Olympic fantasies and train with her for an entire week.

Saturday, July 10, a dinner and auction will be held at the Whaling Museum.  At 6:30 p.m. there will be a raw bar and a Lobster-Steak Dinner with the celebrities from the game.  Following the dinner silent and live auctions will be held.  Fans can to bid on rare sports memorabilia and island business packages. 

With packed schedules, it is a fun weekend for the stars who spend much of their life traveling.  Mleczko said, “Players have busy lives and spend most of the year on the road.  This is their down-time in the summer, so we’re very grateful they come out and support the cause.  Current players like Hal Gill have training camp coming up so its great they still come out.  Luckily we have great sponsors like Captain Tom’s Charter and The Nantucket Golf Course that make it a really enjoyable weekend for the players.”

The AJ Mleczko Charity on Ice event is happening Friday, July 9th at 5 p.m. with the Celebrity Hockey Game and Saturday, July 10th  with the dinner and auction.  Tickets to the AJ Mleczko Charity on Ice event on Friday, July 9 and to the Celebrity Steak-Lobster Dinner on Saturday, July 10 are available at CNB Rink on 1 Backus Lane.  Stop by or call 508-228-2516.  For details visit www.nantucketice.org.

 

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