100 Mile House RCMP and 100 Mile Fire Rescue clashed in the Guns vs Hoses Charity Hockey game on Saturday, Dec. 14.
Members of the local RCMP and B.C. Highway Patrol faced off against members of 100 Mile Fire Rescue, the Thornhill Fire Department and the Canim Lake Volunteer Fire Department for three rounds of friendly and competitive hockey. Watching them play at the South Cariboo Rec Centre were hundreds of fans who each got in by donating non-perishable food items to the 100 Mile House Foodbank Society. The game raised hundreds of food items and close to $3,000 for the food bank.
"It was something that was an idea that was thrown out there. We both are hockey players, and we enjoy the sport. We're involved in minor hockey, and we figured we'd get some people together to try to revive this friendly rivalry that we have in the town," said RCMP Sgt. Jason Nash, who helped organize the event.
After a ceremonial puck drop by District of 100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinkney with Nash and fellow event organizer 100 Mile Fire Rescue chief David Bissat making the ceremonial face-off, the game began. The RCMP went up 2-0 in the first period thanks to goals by Kevin Wiebe, as well as a goal by Lyle Hinds (assisted by Lance De Leeuw and Matt Giroday), followed by the firefighters with two unanswered goals: one scored by firefighter Landen Janz, who also is a member of the 100 Mile House Wranglers, with the assistance of Jon Lavigne and one scored by Chase Myers, with Ranulph Cameron assisting.
The second period saw 100 Mile Fire Rescue take a 3-2 lead thanks to a goal by Brandon Balbirnie, assisted by deputy fire chief Cole Sparreboom - and throughout the period, penalties were given out for crimes, such as impersonating a police officer, assaulting a cop, as well as hitting a firefighter. 100 Mile RCMP went 0 for 2 on the penalty shot, while 100 Mile Fire Rescue went 0 for 1 on the penalty shot.
The third period saw the RCMP tie the game thanks to an unassisted goal by Kirk Meaver. They would then gain on a penalty shot by Kevin Pieotti, giving them a 4-3 lead. A stoppage in play was then held to thank the people for their support, as well as salute12 former firefighters.
After the game resumed, another cop got penalized for assault on a firefighter, but the penalty was not converted as it hit the post. This led to an empty net situation where the RCMP failed to put the puck in the empty net - and then, in a miraculous play with only four seconds left, Janz scored again, tying the game 4-4.
There was no overtime so the game ended in a tie - something which Bissat joked about.
"We're gonna have to have a tiebreaker now," he stated.
"I think we were pretty good. It was a pretty good game - I think the teams were even, and it made for a good game, good competition," Nash said.
Additional hockey was played by the 100 Mile Minor Hockey Association during intermissions.
Bissat remarked after the game that he had to get friends out of Vancouver, as well as Thornhill and Terrace to make the game work out.
"So hopefully next year, we get just as many people," Bissat said.
This sentiment was echoed by Nash, who said that "it was a benefit for them to get a good crowd together, especially to see some guys come back to the town that as youth they had connections to in the past."
"Some of our neighbouring police forces helped us out too, so we had a good team for the game," Nash said.
At this time Nash and Bissat said there are no concrete plans to host the game again next year, but both expressed an interest in doing so. Nash noted the building blocks for the event have now been laid but it will require work to keep it going.
"Well, what happens for next year? Because always things change. People leave and all - it's all a matter of having personnel here to play," Bissat said, speculating.
