The Moncton Wildcats announced plans yesterday for the Wildcats Alumni Charity Classic.
It’s an annual golf tournament that will feature the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club’s former players. Each year the proceeds will go toward a different charity or community cause. Former Wildcats forwards Christian Gaudet and Adam Pineault are co-chairs of the first tournament which will take place on June 26 at the Memramcook Golf Club. Proceeds from this year’s event will go to the Luc Bourdon Foundation. Bourdon, a former Wildcats defenceman, died in a motorcycle accident last May near his hometown of Shippagan. He was coming off his first season in the pros, splitting time between the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and their farm club. “I remember being at the funeral and we were trying to think of ways to help out a little bit,” said Gaudet. “Adam Pineault and I started exchanging some ideas later on. It’s obviously a big honour for us to do a charity golf event in Luc’s name. “There’s definitely going to be lots of emotions in the air at this golf tournament. That was a special season for all of us (in 2005-06). Winning the league championship and losing in the Memorial Cup final, we went through a lot together as a team. We were a tight group. “It will be fun to get the guys from that team back together for a reunion. We’ll talk about the good old days, relive some memories and talk about Luc. It’s going to be mainly guys who were Luc’s teammates with the Wildcats, but we’re also going to try to get some guys like Steve Bernier, Corey Crawford and Bruce Graham.”
The Wildcats charity golf tournament has openings for 36 teams of four players. There will be a Wildcats alumni member on each team. Registration fee is $100 per person or $400 per team and this includes a round of golf, prizes and dinner. A live auction that’s open to the public will take place following the dinner.