To help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association, a special charity hockey challenge has been set for Jan. 19 featuring the Vancouver Canucks alumni squad.

The challenge game, set for a 6:05 p.m. face off at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre, will be a regulation game featuring the Canucks alumni versus a team of SCMHA coaches past and present. Tickets are $15 for adults and teens and $10 for seniors and children, available for purchase at the community centre and the Aquatic Centre in Sechelt. So far, more than 400 tickets have already been sold.

Details of the alumni roster and event are still be finalized, but prior to the game at 4:15 p.m., there will be an autograph session at the community centre.

The Sunshine Coast skate club is handling the concession and will be doing an intermission skating demo along with a tyke division mini-game.

Brenda Rowe, one of the SCMHA volunteers coordinating the event, said the community has been very supportive with sponsorships and early ticket sales.

“All of the funds raised will go towards the One Goal program and for association player and coaching development,” said Rowe, adding those planning to attend are asked to bring donations to the food bank.

An added fundraiser will be a silent auction that will be running throughout the day at the community centre.

Coast TV plans to be on hand to film the game for broadcast at a later date. Once all the rosters from both teams and final details are worked out, Coast Reporter will publish more information on the game in early January.

The Vancouver Canucks alumni is made up of former hockey players, coaches and administrators and has more than 100 members and associates in the greater Vancouver area. The mandate of the alumni association is “to work for the improvement of personal relationships among all members of the hockey fraternity, to provide financial and other forms of assistance to members of the hockey community and their families, when in need, to support charitable causes, primarily youth orientated, and to generally promote the game of ice hockey at all levels.”

The alumni interacts with the Canucks in most of the team’s charitable and community fundraisers and operates a schedule of its own benefit hockey games and golf tournaments throughout the Lower Mainland and beyond.