Six-time Stanley Cup Champion Heads Celebrity Roster

Vail Resorts Chairman and CEO Adam Aron will once again lead his team, the Americans, in its attempt for a three-peat against last year's opponent, the Intrawest Canucks in the hottest contested hockey match in Summit County. Aron, captain of his intra-mural hockey team at Harvard, will serve as goalie when the two teams face off in the fifth annual Rivalry of the Resorts at the 500-seat capacity Stephen C. West Ice Arena in Breckenridge.

In an annual tradition, the Vail Resorts Americans will grind the Intrawest Canadians into the ice, joked Aron. With two consecutive victories under our belt, the only way they will beat us is if their ringers are better than our ringers! And the best thing of all is that it is all for a very important charitable cause. The Canucks will be captained by David Barry, COO of Copper Mountain Resort, an Intrawest-owned resort.

Both Intrawest and Vail Resorts are presenting sponsors of The Hockey Classic benefiting The Summit Foundation, a public foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents and guests in Summit County and neighboring communities. Ralph Backstrom, a 19-year NHL and WHL veteran and winner of six Stanley Cup Championships, heads the list of celebrities. Backstrom received the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year in 1959. He will be joined by Rick Boh who played for Colorado College, the Minnesota North Stars and the Canadian Olympic Team, and currently owns Players Bench in Denver.

Other hockey personalities include Colorado College standout, Dan Brennan; Denver Post college hockey writer Mike Chambers; and the former assistant coach of Colorado College, Ron Byrne, who now coaches the Summit High School Tigers. A visit from the Howler, the Colorado Avalanches favorite Bigfoot, is also anticipated on Friday night. For the third year in a row, The Hockey Classic will feature The Battle of the Badges, a contest between local law enforcers and firefighters. This year’s game will honor the late Chris Etheridge, one of the founders and inspiring forces behind this game.

In the spirit of the legendary Pumpkin Bowl, the Flames and Enforcers will square off once again on ice as a benefit for The Summit Foundation. We thank Vail Resorts and Intrawest for their continuing commitment to this event, to this community and to The Summit Foundation, said Ron Byrne, Event Chair of the Hockey Classic. This year\'s event is shaping up to be even more exciting as Vail Resorts goes for a three peat. It will be a great time for the players, celebrities, and the audience. Byrne added that the Town of Breckenridge is donating the ice rink facility along with rink staff to insure the success of the event. Local TV and radio personalities Jim Williams and Chris Hart will announce the game live on KYSL - Krystal 93. For Thursday night’s Battle of the Badges game, both KYSL – Krystal 93 FM and KSMT – The Mountain will air live updates throughout the evening.

An awards dinner will follow Friday night\'s game at the Great Divide Lodge and will feature both silent and live auctions dedicated to hockey and sports related items. The dinner is open to the public for $65 per person and tickets must be purchased through The Summit Foundation.

General admission tickets for both hockey match are available at the Breckenridge Ice Rink, the Breckenridge Recreation Center and The Summit Foundation office. The Summit Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents and guests of Summit County and neighboring communities. The Foundation awards grants to nonprofit agencies providing programs and services in art & culture, health & human service, education, environment and sports, and has awarded nearly $4.3 million to 164 organizations since 1986. Funding depends on donations from individuals and businesses, several fundraising events and employee payroll deduction programs.

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About The Author:

Dan Klein is a successful author and publisher of http://www./. Find hockey apparel, bags, gloves, gear, sticks, skates, training aids and much more.

	Hockey Classic
Six-time Stanley Cup Champion Heads Celebrity Roster