Simon Despres joins Milan Lucic at NHL Alumni games at Murrayfield
Fife Flyers defenceman Simon Despres has been added to the line-up for the biggest ever gathering of former NHL players in Scotland.
He joins team-mates Milan Lucic and Garet Hunt for the three game Scotland Cup series between Canada and USA at Murrayfield Ice Rink between April 20 and 27.
It is the first time players from the world’s greatest league, including several Stanley Cup winners, have laced up in Scotland, and the matches between the USA and Canada alumni are expected to draw big crowds to the Riverside rink in Edinburgh. Ticket info and face off times are here
The series is the largest NHL Alumni event ever hosted in the UK, and it features a special meet and greet event in the city on Friday, April 24, with games taking place on Wednesday 22nd, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th.
Despres iced in 193 NHL games with Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks between 2011 and 2017. Since then the 2009 first round draft pick has iced in Europe,and in the EIHL with Nottingham Panthers and Glasgow Clan before joining Flyers this season.
Despres was announced after Fife’s team captain, Garet Hunt, was added to the Canadian squad where he will join his team-mate and friend, Lucic. They were team mates at Vancouver Giants in the WHL 20 years ago, and both played this season with the Kirkcaldy club.
The line ups feature a host of players from the NHL teams including Detroit Redwings, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Flyers.
Lucic is by far the biggest name set to lace up. A Stanley Cup winner, he iced in 1177 NHL games with the Bruins, LA Kings, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.
The Canadian roster also includes Mike Green who logged 880 games with Detroit Redwings and Washington Capitals, and Matthieu Perrault, who played in over 700 matches with Montreal Canadiens, the Caps and Winnipeg Jets. They are joined by Karl Alzner, 686 games with Washington and Montreal; Riley Sheanan, 637 with teams including Detroit, Pittsburgh Penguiins and Buffalo Sabres; and Nate Beaulieu, 471 games with Montreal, Buffalo,Winnipeg and Anaheim Ducks.
The USA line up is topped by two Stanley Cup winners - Mike Knuble, who played over 1000 games with Detroit, Boston, Philly and Washington, and netminder Scott Darling who laced up with Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers.
The roster also includes Bobby Ryan, 806 games with Anaheim and Ottowa Senators, and Peter Mueller 297 outings with Colorado, Phoenix and Florida.
Billed as a “family-friendly celebration of international ice hockey” the schedule also includes a free youth hockey clinic before the Sunday game which will be led by some of the NHLers. Fans can join the players at a special meet and greet at the Cold Town House in the Grassmarket on Friday 24th from 7:00pm. Ticket info here.
For more details, go to https://www.facebook.com/scotlandicehockeycup