Kelowna Chiefs honour veterans in special way

• Kelowna Chiefs make highly visual Remembrance Day gesture
• Puck drop done by special guests
• Jerseys up for auction later

It’s a special game tonight for the Kelowna Chiefs at Rutland Arena when they take on the North Okanagan Nights at 7 p.m.

While they'll be focused on getting a win, their hearts may well be somewhere else. They'll be wearing special jerseys highlighting the sacrifices of so many. It will be a one-off occasion.

“We decided, out of respect to our veterans, we brought in a commemorative jersey that’s going to be worn just tonight,” Alex Draper, marketing and game day operations manager, told Kelowna10.

The special jerseys are adorned with poppies, the maple leaf, images of soldiers, and the words ‘gone but never forgotten’ stitched across the back of the collar.

“It’s really important the younger generation still carries on this legacy,” Draper added.

Tonight will also feature special appearances by war veterans and a high-ranking RCMP police officer from West Kelowna who will be dropping the puck to start the match.

Remembering values

When Kelowna10 caught up with the Chiefs Wednesday afternoon, the players were teaching junior high students how to skate and played games on the ice with them.

“It’s important for us to make sure the boys and these students remember the values and that it doesn’t just go by the wayside,” team president Jason Tamsen said.

This has been a challenging year for the Royal Canadian Legion. Once again there won’t be a public ceremony at the cenotaph on the 100th anniversary of the poppy and they struggled to find volunteers.

The team supported the Legion by collecting poppy donations at stores across town, raising money for veteran associations.

“It’s obviously great to respect the vets that fought in the world wars,” James Hooten, left wing with the Chiefs said.

“It’s an honour to be wearing a jersey like this. It’s a very special day and I’m very proud to be part of it and remember what our earlier generations have done for this country,” Hunter Johnson, defense on the Chiefs added.

Both Hooten and Johnson anticipate a win tonight. Following the game, the special commemorative jerseys will be up for auction on the Chief’s website.

Because of capacity limits, 500 people can be in attendance for the game. Last year they played without a crowd at all, so the players and staff are grateful to have an audience - not just for them, but to honour veterans as well.