Rock Out The Lockout

by Rob Benneian

The name might make it sound more like a concert, but one look at the lineup tells you what to expect from Rock Out the Lockout.

Steve Ott. James Neal. Nik Kronwall. Todd Bertuzzi.

Nearly three months since the NHL officially locked its doors and shut the players out, little has been made in the way of progress towards a new collective bargaining agreement.

The latest round of negotiations, held between a small group of players and owners rather than NHL and NHL Players’ Association heads Gary Bettman and Don Fehr, broke down when the NHL rejected the PA’s newest proposal.

The league followed that up by declaring all of their offers off the table and the negotiating process “over.”

Though many of the locked out players have pulled up stakes and laced up their skates overseas in European leagues, more than 30 NHL players will be hitting the ice at the WFCU Centre Dec. 8.

Fittingly, it was a former Spitfire who helped bring the game to Windsor.

“(Dan) Cleary, Shawn Horcoff, myself, Ron Sanko we kinda came up with a good idea to throw a game together for charity,” Ott said.

All proceeds from tickets sold, which are priced at $25, will go to SPARKLES From Above, a non-profit organization that supports children with cancer. Ott said there will also be auctions and raffles. Also, the players will be giving their game-worn jerseys away following the game.

Ott isn’t the only player with local ties who will be taking part. The Detroit Red Wings will be heavily represented with 11 players scheduled to take part, including former Maple Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.

Wings starting goaltender Jimmy Howard was in town with Cleary and Ott to promote Saturday’s game. He said the lockout has provided him with an opportunity to spend more time with his wife and young son James.

Though he was disappointed with the lack of progress in the CBA negotiations, Howard was excited about the opportunity Rock Out The Lockout will provide.

“It’s a terrible situation with the state hockey is in with the lockout, but for us this gives us the chance to go out there and give the fans a taste of hockey again,” Howard said.

Also skating in the game are Windsor natives Matt Martin and Ryan Wilson, former Spitfire Michael Leighton and Amherstburg’s Kevin Westgarth.

“It’s a hockey hotbed, Windsor, with this great venue here,” said Cleary, who was in town to take in the Windsor Spitfires Dec. 6 game against the Soo Greyhounds. “(The WFCU Centre is) awesome. It’s been real good.”