The charity hockey game, The Guns and Hoses, joined Fredericton’s Police Force and Fire Department for a friendly hockey match on Feb. 8.
For the past 11 years, the departments have come together to help end food insecurity in Fredericton.
When spectators enter the rink, volunteers collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations. The proceeds from the game go to the Greener Village food bank on Fredericton’s Northside.
The game is part of Fredericton’s Frostival celebration.
During the game, both teams played exceptionally hard. There were lots of hits, friendly banter and goals.
No matter if the game was tied at one a piece or a team took a late lead, fans showed their support through signs, cheers and occasional back-and-forth taunting.
In the end, the Fire Department defeated the Police Force 5-4 at the Grant-Harvey Centre.
The team scored two goals with less than a minute left in the game, one by forward Craig Buck at the 40-second mark of the third period and the other by forward Craig Hughson with 32.4 seconds left.
Fredericton firefighter Alex Matthews has been one of the driving forces behind the Guns and Hoses game for the last three years, teaming up with Constable Brady Atwater at the Fredericton Police Force to help plan the yearly event.
Matthews played in the recent charity game.
“With a lot of support from businesses and people in the community, Constable Atwater and I had a good time planning it,” said Matthews. “It was a gigantic success, we raised a lot of money for Greener Village and food scarcity.”
Leading up to the game, Matthews and Atwater were in constant contact. The two began organizing the game late in the summer.
“It’s the people of Fredericton. They care. They know it’s an important thing in the city. They know that food scarcity is a real thing,” said Matthews. “There are lots of people that are struggling and there are lots of people that need help. We wanted a way to give back, in a way to help those people.”
“We can only plan the event and make the event what it is, but it’s the businesses and the fans and the people of the city and outside the city that come to this game and support it and donate food, donate money, donate time to us and really make it what it is.”
Matthews said that after a few years in the police department’s trophy cabinet, the championship trophy has finally returned to the fire department.
“They had held onto it for a while after their previous wins, but now it’s back where it belongs,” he said.
Sonya Gilks is the public information officer for the Fredericton Police Force. She worked alongside Matthews and Atwater for the past six months, helping them plan and organize the event by securing community sponsors and designing a new logo for the game.
Although the team is looking to bring the trophy back next year to the police station on Queen Street, Gilks called the match a “truly remarkable event” in the community.
“The 11th Annual Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey Game continued to showcase the spirited rivalry between the teams. Despite the competitive nature of the game, the primary focus remained on supporting a good cause,” said Gilks.
The game raised over $12,500 for Greener Village.
According to Gilks, those numbers “surpassed” all expectations, highlighting the community’s commitment to help those in need.
“The enthusiasm and spirit displayed by both the players and the spectators made the event memorable. It’s heartwarming to see how the community can come together to support such a worthy cause.”
Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers echoed many of the same sentiments as Gilks, especially around the game’s community-minded nature.
She was impressed by the talent on the ice, saying the play of the Police Force and Fire Department was a “good and fast game,” creating a healthy competitive spirit. However, she was also impressed by the community spirit shown by the spectators.
“Not every municipality has its own police and fire departments, but Fredericton does. So, the fact that we had all those players on the ice who are affiliated with our city [is great],” said Rogers. “I was very invested in the game. I wanted both groups to win and I was cheering everyone on. But it did feel special.”
For next year, Rogers wants the same positive camaraderie on the ice between the two teams to remain. However, she also hopes people will continue to support Greener Village and the work the non-profit undertakes.
“We always want great success for them, because they do important work in the community,” she said.
“I’m really delighted to talk about it. It’s a great event and it’s [a pleasure] to be able to showcase it.”
