St. Catharines OHL team plays 1,000th game over holiday weekend
Published February 21, 2023 at 10:00 am
The Niagara IceDogs played the team’s 1,000th game on Sunday (Feb. 19) in front of a sold-out raucous crowd of 5,034 at the Meridian Centre and capped the big game off with a 6-2 victory over the visiting Sudbury Wolves.
It was a big afternoon for the team’s former captain Akil Thomas who got his clothing company, Zale Apparel, to create a Black History Month specialty jersey for the squad – jerseys that were later auctioned off in a fundraiser.
The team, which began as the Mississauga IceDogs in 1996, relocated to St. Catharines during the 2007-2008 season. They were bought last year by new majority owner Darren DeDobbelaer and minority owner Wayne Gretzky.
Despite being outshot 51-23, the IceDogs tamed the Wolves with goalie Owen Flores shutting down Sudbury in a huge performance.
For IceDogs rookie and Swiss import Valdemar William Hull, who potted a pair, it was a special game as his parents Douglas and Karina Hull of Fribourg, Switzerland, flew in to be part of the crowd.
Former IceDogs captain Akil Thomas used his clothing company, Zale Apparel, to create a Black History Month specialty jersey for the squad.
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