It only took two hours for fans in Vancouver to snap up 5,000 tickets for a charity hockey game being put on by Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa.
Just in case you were wondering if the NHL lockout had killed hockey’s popularity in Canada.
The “Bieksa’s Buddies” game on Oct. 17 at the University of British Columbia will feature current members of the Canucks like Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Dan Hamhuis, Manny Malhotra, Max Lapierre, Cory Schneider, as well as former Vancouver defenseman Willie Mitchell.
And as you might imagine, there’s not expected to be much defense played out there.
“It’s not playoff hockey,” Bieksa told the Vancouver Sun. “It’s a charity game and, more than anything, it’s entertainment. I’m encouraging guys to be creative out there, have some fun and don’t backcheck too hard. So for the Sedins, just play your normal game ... be creative but don’t backcheck.”
Zing.