Yesterday, NHL stars came to Bracebridge, Ontario, to take part in a Muskoka Hockey event at the recently built Muskoka Lumber Community Centre. Muskoka Hockey was founded by former NHLer Sam Gagner as he set it up to provide a program for NHLers to train during the summer. The program also has camps for U8-10 and U11-14, as well as an Elite Academy Program designed for players ages 14–20, who are competing at the AA, AAA, Junior, or NCAA levels.
Gagner is the founder, but doesn’t run it all himself. He hired Brady Leavold who is the Head Development Coach. Leavold, who was in the WHL from 2003-08 and played for the Swift Current Broncos and Kelowna Rockets, would go on to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately, after a long battle with mental illness and substance abuse, it ended his hockey playing career. However, it didn’t end his hockey career entirely, as he became known as a public speaker, an advocate for those struggling mentally or with substance abuse, as well as a skill development coach.
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Together, they have one of the best hockey programs in Ontario and it was fully on display yesterday when the NHL stars took the ice at the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre.
The Players Involved in the Event
Upon arrival, I was given a sheet with names of the players that were involved in the Muskoka Hockey program. But that didn’t mean that they were going to be in Bracebridge when they hit the ice. Some of the names that the list included were John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders and Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, none of them were in attendance, but here were the players that were:
- Brandon Montour – Seattle Kraken
- Adam Henrique – Edmonton Oilers
- Dylan Cozens – Ottawa Senators
- Connor Brown – New Jersey Devils
- Taylor Hall – Carolina Hurricanes
- Erik Gudbranson – Columbus Blue Jackets
- Kevin Bahl – Calgary Flames
- Sam Gagner – Owner & Ottawa Senators Director of Player Development
- Isaak Phillips – Winnipeg Jets
- Mitchell Russell – Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL)
- Philippe Daoust – Ottawa Senators Prospect
- Stephen Halliday – Ottawa Senators Prospect
- Nathan Bastian – Dallas Stars
- Artur Cholach – Vegas Golden Knights Prospect
- Brady Leavold – Muskoka Hockey’s Head Development Coach
When the Stars Hit the Ice
They did drills, showing off skills including three-on-two drills below the slot and four-on-three drills within the blue line. These drills allowed the players to show just how good they are in tight spaces, as well as how well they see the ice, finding their teammates across the zone with four or five bodies in front of them.
These types of events also show the fans of the game how good they are, regardless of their role. One player that stood out was Gudbranson of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although he is known as a defensive defenseman, who plays the shutdown role with the Blue Jackets, he was snapping passes that were going through other players’ feet. At one point, he nearly snuck a shot through the goalie’s five hole, but at the last second the goalie was able to squeeze his legs and keep the puck out of the net.
After the drills, they transitioned into a three-on-three scrimmage that saw white shirts vs. blue shirts. Some notable players from either team were:
Team Blue:
- Gagner
- Cozens
- Bahl
- Brown
- Phillips
- Russell
- Cholach
Team White:
- Montour
- Hall
- Gudbranson
- Henrique
- Bastian
- Halliday
- Daoust
The scrimmage was five, five-minute periods, where both sides got a chance to have fun and show off some of their skills and give the fans a fast-paced, entertaining way to see some of the NHL’s best in action in their small town of Bracebridge. The Blue Team came out on top in the scrimmage, winning 7-5. They ended the event with a friendly shootout, which further displayed their skills but also some moves that they likely wouldn’t try in an NHL shootout.
At the end of the practice, Gagner spoke about the work that goes into the event and the training. He mentioned that it wouldn’t be possible without the players electing to spend their summers in Muskoka. He also wished all the young fans good luck in their respective seasons before saying “I’d be remiss if I didn’t say go Leafs go.”
Autographs & Interviewing the Players
After the scrimmage came to an end, the kids headed upstairs to meet the players in an autograph session. During that time, only four players were made available, Cozens, Gudbranson, Hall and Gagner. The fans lined up out of the room, with well over 175 people waiting for their chance to meet the players and get their items signed. Muskoka Hockey was also giving out one of their hats which most of the people were getting signed. After all was said and done, I was given the chance to meet the players and ask them a few questions, which as always is an honour.
My first question went to Cozens, where I joked about the Maple Leafs beating the Senators (I’m a die-hard Maple Leafs fan). I asked him how the series was, and he replied “It was fun, it was a great series.”
I had the chance to talk with Gudbranson and asked him about what events like this mean and why they are so special. Here is what he said: “My family is local, this is what it’s all about. This is home for me now, I spend my summers here and hopefully many, many years in the future. My kids will skate here and will play here.”
The last person I spoke with was the founder, Gagner, to which I asked the same question that I asked Gudbranson, what events like this mean and why they are so special, and he said: “This community is great. Growing up with my dad playing in the NHL (Dave Gagner) fuelled my passion to play the game. I hope that the kids who come and watch here today have the same thing happen to them.”
Overall, the event was fantastic. For those who get the chance to experience it, cherish it because it’s not every day that some of the best players in the world come to your city and put on events like this. If you are in and around the Southern Ontario/Northern Ontario area, I’d encourage you to check it out at least one time, especially if you have kids. Muskoka Hockey has now completed its second year, but plans to return on an annual basis in the summer before the start of the next NHL pre-season.
