'The Big Assist:' Hockey Stars Square Off for a Cause

Darien native and Ottawa Senators center Ryan Shannon appears to have many friends in the National Hockey League, as an impressive array of players participated in Wednesday's second annual "The Big Assist," Shannon's fundraiser supporting the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation.

A crowd of about 1,500 filled the Terry Conners Rink in Stamford, with every dollar raised going to the OHHF, a tax exempt public charity that provides financial assistance to Connecticut residents with spinal cord injuries.

Counting Shannon, 10 current or former NHL players took part in Wednesday's event—and they didn't show up just to go through the motions.

The quality of play even impressed NHL Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson, a man who has six Stanley Cup rings. The game consisted of two 15-minute periods and a 10-minute third period.

"Being a fan on the bench and watching the pace of this game, it was absolutely incredible," said Anderson, who runs the North American Hockey School, which is based at the Terry Conners Rink. "It was probably one of the fastest charity games I ever played in."

Valeri Kamensky, who retired in 2005 after a 12-year NHL career, was a late addition. Skating for the "Blue" team were Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders and two members of the Tampa Bay Lightning: five-time All-Star and 2010 Lady Byng Trophy winner Martin St. Louis and Matt Lashoff.

Playing for the "White" club were Anderson, Shannon, Greg Moore (who recently signed with the Philadelphia Flyers), James Van Riemsdyk, also of the Flyers, Anaheim's Nick Bonino, and Stratford native Jaime Sifers, currently in the Atlanta Thrashers' organization.

Detroit Red Wings starting goaltender Jimmy Howard was in net for the White team.

The exhibition game also featured American Hockey League players and current and former college stars, many with local ties.

"(Shannon) did a tremendous job, the way he brought this whole thing together and the turnout he got of players," Howard said. "It's really cool to see Glenn Anderson, Valeri Kamensky, Martin St. Louis. It's a lot of fun, not only for us, but for the fans."

While the score really didn't matter, the White team, with a bit more firepower, scored seven straight goals to defeat the Blue squad, 7-3, after falling behind, 2-0, in the opening period. Moore scored three goals and Shannon had three assists.

More important, however, was supporting a cause that has become near and dear to Shannon's heart. Shannon's first hockey coach, Obie Harrington-Howes, was paralyzed in a swimming accident at New York's Jones Beach on July 4, 1997.

Now 27 and a graduate of the Darien Youth Hockey Association, Shannon was five years old when he met Harrington-Howes. He is giving something back to the man who got him to love the sport.

"He really made the game fun for me," Shannon said. "Now that I've kind of gone through my whole life in the game of hockey and have some time to look back, he was a big part of it."

After the inaugural event raised about $20,000 last year at the Darien Ice Rink, Harrington-Howes said the foundation hoped to raise $40,000 for this year's game at a bigger venue.

"We kind of grew up out of the Darien Ice Rink last year, so we're looking for more growth," Shannon said. "The sponsorship and donations have been there, so it's just another step."

Harrington-Howes credits Shannon for much of the success the fundraiser has enjoyed in its first two years.

"He hasn't forgotten his roots," Harrington-Howes said. "I have so much admiration for him and am just so proud of him. What a great role model for the kids who are going to come here tonight and watch this event.

"We should all be so lucky to have a son like [parents] Pat and Maureen Shannon have. He's a credit to his family, his community and his hockey team," he added.

Running fundraisers is nothing new for Shannon. When he won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2006, he brought hockey's Holy Grail to the Darien Ice Rink to raise money for the OHHF. That was also the night be proposed to his wife.

"It comes as no surprise that he's so involved in stuff like this," said Sifers, another product of the Darien Youth Hockey Association who recently became a newlywed.  "Ryan is a genuine guy."

"We've been best friends since we were five years old. For him to do this kind of stuff for Obie, who was my first hockey coach as well, is just outstanding. Every guy we talk to wants to be in this game. We had to turn guys away."

Anderson sensed that the players on the bench actually wanted to win the game.

"We got up two goals and our team automatically went into a trap," he said. "I couldn't believe it. I was laughing on the bench. They all pulled back and were protecting the two-goal lead."

Anderson suggested to Shannon that perhaps he should consider more than one game for his charity event.

"With this kind of caliber that's coming out, I told him the next time you do it, you can do a best-of-seven," he said. "Have a series, because the guys are so competitive and they're so into it that you can probably have a best-of-seven series and do it at different rinks, where you could raise more money."

"I think the awareness of it right now is just going to get bigger and better and you're going to be able to raise more money for the charity down the road," he added. 

Shannon is hardly afraid of dreaming big, raising the possibility of the game someday taking place in an NHL rink.

"If we end up at MSG [Madison Square Garden], there's no problem," he said. "It's called 'The Big Assist' and we're not going to put a ceiling on the growth."