Saturday night will be one of nostalgia for the Canberra ice hockey community, as 2021 marks the 40th Anniversary of the Canberra Knights.
To celebrate the occasion, the CBR Brave and the Canberra Knights will face off in an exhibition game that’ll feature players old and new from the existing Brave squad and former Canberra Knights alumni.
The game provides an opportunity to put on one final show for the ice hockey community in 2021, with former Knights and current Brave veteran, Mark Rummukainen, acknowledging the importance to celebrate the rich history of ice hockey in Canberra.
“I think this will be a fun game celebrating the history of top flight hockey in Canberra.” Rummukainen said.
“I grew up watching the Knights play, then made the team at 16 joining the likes of the Harrow brothers, Dave Batho, Trevor Banks, Brad Hunt, Andy Brunt, Al McLean just to name a few.
“This should be a fun time celebrating where the Brave have come from, and special for myself as I’ve been a part of both clubs for a long time.”
Despite the exhibition nature of the game, fans can expect to see a competitive affair between the two sides.
“There are plenty of guys that could all still move around the ice pretty well, despite their aging bodies!” Rummukainen said.
“Brunty & Jorma are still regulars in local hockey as far as I know, Brad and Banksy are extremely competitive, so it’s going to be great to see them on the ice again”.
Another key connection between the two clubs is via head coach, Stu Philps, who has experience with both clubs in both a playing and coaching capacity.
“The Knights is where my passion for the sport was born.” Philps said.
“For me to see the those Knights mighty teal uniforms playing against the intimidating Brave uniforms, will combine my passion for playing and my passion of coaching.”
The game will also showcase a number of familiar names in Canberra ice hockey, with Philps emphasising the importance of the current playing group to build off the foundation set by those who came before them.
“It’s important for everyone to know the heritage of the sport and the players that played their part in laying the strong foundation the Brave have built off.” Philps said.
“One really cool and unique fact about this game is that we will have a couple of guys that played for the Knights, and now their sons play for the Brave.”
The night will be the final game the CBR Brave play in 2021, with the remainder of this season’s games to be rescheduled and played in the New Year.
In a season marred with Covid-19 interruptions, CBR Brave CEO Sunny Singh, acknowledged the importance in being able to get one more game to the Canberra community before the year was out.
“The game not only gives us an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of ice hockey in Canberra, but also one final opportunity to put on one final show in 2021 for our incredible community.” Singh said.
“The sponsors, the members, the fans, they’ve all stuck by us in what’s been one of the toughest periods in the club’s history. Without them, we wouldn’t be here and with their support, 2022 is already shaping up as one of our biggest as a club.”
The night will be the final game the CBR Brave play in 2021, with the remainder of this season’s games to be rescheduled and played in the New Year.
Match details
Saturday, 4 December @ The Brave Cave (Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre)
Puck Drop @ 5:30pm
Tickets available via shop.cbrbrave.com.au. Fans 12 and over must provide proof of COVID vaccination to attend per the Phillip & Ice Skating Centre rules.
Get all the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
