Friday, March 16, 2007

Fun night at the rink expected this evening as Eagles take on Titan in St. Patrick's Day Game

The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles take to the ice for their second-to-last home game of the season tonight, and they're hoping that a bit of the "luck o' the Irish" will be on their side as they take to the ice in special green St. Patrick's Day jerseys to face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The sweaters, green with black and white trim and adorned with a ring of shamrocks near the bottom, are a very special set created for tonight's game and tonight's game only. The purpose of the jerseys is three-fold:

(1) A celebration of St. Patrick's Day and to create a bit of fun for the fans by playing on the Irish theme.

(2) A tribute to former majority owner Greg Lynch, who passed away in 2004. Mr. Lynch was very proud of the Screaming Eagles and of his Irish roots, so the jerseys (which also include the "PGL" commemmorative patch that the team wore the entire 2004-2005 season in his memory) will pay a nice tribute in this the team's 10th anniversary, to the man who for many years was the real driving force behind the betterment of Screaming Eagles' hockey.

(3) A fundraiser for a great cause.

As said, these uniforms are a one-night deal only, and they will be raffled off to fans following the game. Tickets will be sold (at $5 each I believe) during the game to be entered into a draw for a chance to win one of the 22 jerseys right off of one of the players' backs at game's end. These sweaters are extremely unique and rare, and I'm sure that if a guy like James Sheppard or Ondrej Pavelec ever goes on to a solid NHL career, that his St. Patrick's Day Screaming Eagles jersey would rank as quite the valuable collector's item! All proceeds from the ticket sales will go towards the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Fund.

If nothing else, it should be really different for fans to watch their favourites wearing green as opposed to the usual black and gold. The unique uniforms should make for a bit of an extra fun and lighthearted atmosphere at the rink, and the team could use a night like that with the playoffs right around the corner. To add to this, games against the Titan are always entertaining regardless; year in and year out, games against them rank up there among the most interesting of the season. So don't miss a fun night at the Nest tonight!

As for the importance of the game itself, it honestly has little to no significance to the Eagles in the final standings, but it is important because the team has lost its past two games, and really needs to get back on a winning note heading into the playoffs. Despite the two recent losses, two solid wins in front of good loud crowds in their final two home games should still send the Eagles into the playoffs with some momentum and some positive energy; it would also mean that the team would be entering the playoffs 8-2 in their final ten games, and there's never anything wrong with that.

The team really needs a successful weekend to finish off what has been an excellent season, and it starts with a great effort tonight against the rival Titan.

Be sure to come out and be part of all the St. Patrick's Day fun, and who knows, you could end up taking home a pretty sweet souvenir at game's end!

See you at the rink.

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