March 23, 1997

Charity real winner in rematch

   It's taken 92 years for the rematch between the honored Ottawa Silver Seven and the feisty Dawson City Nuggets.
   It will no doubt be worth the wait.
   Today at 2 p.m. at the Corel Centre the Ottawa Senators Alumni will play the role of the Ottawa Silver Seven and face off against the gruff but focused Dawson City Nuggets.
   Tickets can still be purchased at the door -- $8 for adults and $2 for children.
   City of Dawson local business association and commercial sponsors kicked in the money to send 180 patients from CHEO and 100 from the Royal Ottawa Hospital to the game.
   Anticipation has been remarkably similar to the first match which was played way back in 1905.
   To make the first game, the Nuggets wanted to ensure they made it to Ottawa on time after challenging the Stanley Cup winning team to a game in the nation's capital.
   Team members used snowshoes, dogsled, boat and train to make their way across the country for the big match. And like their predecessors, members of the modern-day Nuggets team used the same modes of transportation for the same romantic 6,400-km journey.
   They arrived in Ottawa by train late Thursday and will no doubt be geared up for this afternoon's match. Team members are hoping the extra rest will help them fare better than the first team did.
   Because they didn't arrive until the night before the game, they were obviously a little weary when they lost 9-2.
   A second game wasn't any better for the Nuggets -- they fell 23-2, with One-Eyed Frank McGee scoring 14 goals for Ottawa.
   But, regardless of who loses, charity will be the big winner -- $50,000 in gold will be donated to charity on the winner's behalf.

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