On a day dedicated to remembering those who served, two Windsor hockey teams paid their respects in true Canadian fashion. The Windsor Wildcats and Lakeshore Lightning U18 B teams faced off at Forest Glade Arena in a special Remembrance Day match. Though Wednesdays are typically reserved for practices, coaches felt there was an opportunity to teach a lesson with their ice time booked for Nov. 11. “So, we had a practice on Monday, and we talked about what we were going to be doing today, and you know what? You’re going to go, you’re going to play hard, play hard for your team. We’re going to have fun, but we’re also going to play for those who did fight in wars and give us this freedom,” said Kristin Barone, the Wildcats coach. Coaches invited members of the hockey community to watch the thrilling match between two rivals and make donations to the local poppy fund. Barone said it’s part of an ongoing effort to develop players as more than athletes. “It’s about building the person and the character and the care and thinking of others. That’s what you do,” she said. On the other side of the timekeeper’s box, Craig McDonald, an assistant coach for the Lightning, there was a lot of excitement leading up to the match. “To be able to come together with, like, a local rival, per se, but to join for anything like this to help fundraise and just bring awareness to the day definitely helps,” said McDonald. In the dressing rooms in the days leading up to the game, coaches talked to players about the sacrifices military members made that paved the way for their freedom. “It’s coming together to play and honour those who fought in the wars and like respect the soldiers for Remembrance Day,” said Vivian Reaume, the captain of the Wildcats. Off the ice, teams celebrated another teen who took a different approach to honouring the day. In the halls of the arena, Aiden Winterburn stood with a box of poppies, as he has in various spots in the community for the past few weeks. A scout in 35th Tecumseh, Winterburn has been volunteering to help support the annual Poppy Campaign. “I like, like meeting all the faces in my community and just helping out the community,” Winterburn said. Proceeds he raises will support Royal Canadian Legion Branch 261 in Tecumseh. For Winterburn, Remembrance Day has always carried a special meaning due to family ties. “I’m a part of it because my grandfather was a veteran, and I just want to help out the veterans,” he said. In the years to come, Winterburn plans to continue to show his support through volunteering with the campaign. On the ice, Barone said they will continue to look at holidays and community events they can lean into to help their players grow.
