Crunch Go Green

As the Syracuse Crunch press to turn around a thus-far disappointing season, they’ll hope to capitalize on their hometown’s famous Irish luck when they skate against the Hamilton Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 26, designated as Crunch Irish Night. Fans will be admitted at the discounted ticket price of $15 as a benefit for the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade.

With the arena dressed up and glowing emerald, the Crunch will treat fans to a little bit o’ Blarney with contests and entertainment. “We’ll have the rink decked out with green shamrocks and decorations to make it fun for everyone that night,” said Crunch director of community and fan development Amanda Susko. “We’re going to use Memorial Hall. That’s where the dancers will be performing. And we’re planning an on-ice game of musical chairs with Irish music.”

Knowing they can’t rely entirely on the luck of the Irish to secure a victory, the Crunch has added battle-tested National Hockey League veteran goalie Ray Emery to guard the net. Emery, who started in goal for the Ottawa Senators in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, is working his way back into bigleague shape as he rehabs from hip surgery last spring. “Obviously we’re excited to have him here and hopefully he can have a lengthy stay,” raved Crunch public relations manager John Neenan. “But that’s kind of up to {parent club} Anaheim at this point.”

Meanwhile, Emery’s teammates search for an offensive spark, having been shut out a league-high nine times. “The team has been struggling a bit lately,” Neenan concedes. “But we’ve got a five-game home stand coming up {starting Feb. 18} and 16 of our final 27 games are at the Onondaga County War Memorial. Once we get going, the home crowd can help us. If we string a few wins together, hopefully we can start to turn things around.”

Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items on Saturday to support the St. Patrick’s Hunger Project, which last year donated $2,967 and more than 25,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central New York. Fans can save up to $5 per ticket by attending the hooley on ice. “As long as they mention Irish Night, they can get the $15 ticket rate,” Susko explained. “It’s valid for any section as long as they mention the discounted Irish Night promotion.”

Ticket sales will provide a pot o’ gold for the St. Patrick’s Parade, this year marching down Salina Street on Saturday, March 12, possibly joined by a certain ice-dwelling celebrity. “There’s definitely a chance we’ll take the mascot down for the parade,” Susko said, noting that a Crunch home game that evening means that the team itself won’t be able to join the march.

For tickets, call 435-2121 or visit www.syracusecrunch.com.

—Kevin Corbett