It is a New Year's Eve match to remember, and likely the first "Wedding at Centre Ice" for the KIJHL.
In early December, a couple of fans approached Beaver Valley Nitehawks' event coordinator Ashley Johnson with a unique request for the annual New Year's Eve Nitehawks game against the Nelson Leafs.
"Johnny Strecheniuk he's our player and his parents are best friends with the couple, Rick and Shelagh," explained Johnson. "So they came up to me and said 'We'd really like to get married on the ice,' and I said, 'Absolutely! Let's do it.'"
Johnson received permission from the KIJHL and Nitehawks coach and GM Terry Jones was supportive from the start.
But time was limited. The league told the event coordinator she had six minutes to pull off the ceremony during the first intermission, so Johnson contacted the Marriage Commissioner Christine Marsh, who told her not to worry, "I can do this in six minutes."
The wedding for Richard Stinn and Shelagh Stinn-Lewis was a go!
And they managed to keep it a secret, all the way until the first intermission when the announcer asked that fans stay seated for a very special event.
Johnson says it was very much a team effort, as John Piccolo suggested a hockey stick arch to go along with the trellis made with a hockey net and sticks, fashioned by Johnson and Jonelle Picollo.
At the start of the first intermission, they zambonied the make-shift trellis onto the ice, laid out a red carpet, and fired out a few handfuls of rose petals.
Next came the groom, a groomsmen, and three bridesmaids, followed by Lewis, the guest of honour and bride.
Strecheniuk skated out as the ring bearer, and behind him the whole Nitehawks team.
The Nitehawks players skated out and stood along either side of the carpet. They lifted their sticks to create a hockey stick arch for the happy couple when they came off the ice.
"We didn't tell them that the hockey team was going to skate out, we also didn't tell them that we made an arch or anything, so when they got to the ice, it was a surprise for them," said Johnson.
Shelagh and Richard exchanged their vows. The fans cheered and shouted congratulations to one of the most unique matches in all of hockey.
"I don't know if you could tell but Richard at one point was starting to cry, while doing his vows, he was just like 'I can't believe it,'" added Johnson.
"It couldn't have gone any better, he was just so blown away, both of them were, they were so thankful."
Congratulations Shelagh and Richard!
The Beaver Valley Nitehawks also were winners, skating to a decisive 6-2 win over the Nelson Leafs.
