Armstrong, Wallin, the Hart brothers, and others will play in the “Former Pro Showdown.”
BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners
PORTLAND, ME – March 2nd, 2021 – The fourth annual “Checking For Charity” will occur on Sunday, March 14th, at Troubh Ice Arena. The Maine Mariners will be strongly represented. Riley Armstrong, Terrence Wallin, and Ted, and Brian Hart, will all playing in the tournament. Michael Keeley will broadcast the event online.
The first of three games is the Red Riot Challenge at 11:30 AM, featuring South Portland High School hockey alumni players and coaches. Next up at 1:00 PM is the South Portland Firefighter Classic with firefighters from South Portland and the surrounding communities. Finally, the Former Pro Showdown at 2:30 will feature former professional and high-level college players. All four Mariners participants, Armstrong, and former Assistant Coach Anthony Bohn participated in the 2019 event. Players Louie Rowe, Dwyer Tschantz, and Derek Pratt will serve as “celebrity coaches.” The 2020 event was canceled because of COVID-19.
“It always feels great for myself to get back in a locker room setting where you’re just telling stories, being with the firefighters; they’re pretty much a hockey team,” said Armstrong. “They’re all tight-knit, and they have some good stories of their own.”
WHO ELSE IS PLAYING
In addition to the four current Mariners representatives, Ben Freeman and Trevor Fleurent will also be playing in the Former Pro Showdown. Freeman, a 6’5 forward and native of Falmouth, signed with the Mariners out of the University of Connecticut this past summer. After the Mariners season was canceled, he joined the Wheeling Nailers and played in seven games before being released. Fleurent is from Biddeford and made local headlines by trying out for the Mariners in their inaugural season of 2018-19. While he never played a regular season game for Maine, he has played professional hockey in the Southern Professional Hockey League and Norway.
This year’s “Checking For Charity” will run a little bit differently from past events due to the pandemic. Without spectators permitted, this year’s charity hockey event will be streamed online. Mariners play-by-play announcer Michael Keeley will broadcast all three games, with University of Maine hockey voice Jeff Mannix serving as the color analyst.
“With nearly a year between hockey broadcasts, I’m really looking forward to calling these games,” said Keeley. “I’m also excited to work alongside Jeff Mannix, who has as much knowledge as anyone about hockey in Maine.”
WATCHING THE GAME
The game will be streamed on SeasonCast, with a link available on the Checking For Charity website and social media, and the Mariners pages.
This year’s Checking For Charity is dedicated to Travis Roy, with a “generous” portion of proceeds raised going to his foundation. Travis, who tragically suffered a life-changing in his first college hockey shift in 1995 while playing for Boston University, passed away on October 29th, 2020. He was born in Yarmouth, Maine, and became an inspirational speaker after he was left paralyzed from the neck down. He started the Travis Roy Foundation in 1996 with the goal of funding research for spinal cord injuries.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to what this event is about, and that’s raising money for those in need,” said Mike Norton, South Portland Firefighter and Checking For Charity committee member. “This year’s event is going to be a special one aimed at celebrating the life and work of Travis Roy, and we have some great tributes planned to honor him.”
The primary way that the public can support this year’s event is through their online raffle, merchandise store, or monetary donations, and two Mariners jerseys are included in the raffle. There is more information on the Checking for Charity website.
ABOUT CHECKING FOR CHARITY
Checking For Charity was born out of a love for hockey and a desire to give back to the community. In 2017, two South Portland firefighters hatched up an idea: A charity hockey event with a couple of games and a South Portland focus. Through the support and hard work of many firefighters and community members, the event has grown and raised over $40,000 in its first three years. The event is the largest fundraiser the South Portland Professional Firefighters conduct each year. All of the money raised is donated to a variety of non-profit organizations and charities. Although some money is donated to larger organizations, the vast majority of the money is donated to local groups.
Mariners season ticket packages (full, half, and 12-game mini-plans), along with 10-ticket flex plans for the 2021-22 season, are now on sale, starting at $170. Fans can call 833-GO-MAINE or email mariners-sales@comcastspectacor.com to contact a sales representative. The Mariners hockey operations staff are raising money for local businesses affected by COVID-19 through “Pro Shop Saturdays” and the “Armstrong Skills Competition.” Click here to read more. As always, shop the latest in Mariners merchandise at MarinersOfMaine.com/shop. In-office pickup is now available.
