Months before the game, Renzo Berra starts fielding questions about it. Puck-chasers at Prince George secondary school want to know about the Spirit of Hockey and Community Cup, the annual high school game between the PGSS Polars and College Heights Cougars.
"It's about school spirit and it's a competitive game that Grade 12s and a lot of students look forward to," said Berra, a PGSS teacher and coach of the Polars. "They start asking me about it in September. It becomes a real focal point for a lot of the kids that are graduating."
This year's Spirit Game, the eighth annual, will be held Friday at CN Centre. The opening face-off is slated for 1 p.m.
The game isn't just highly-anticipated among players, it's also a big deal for PGSS and College Heights students, who use the afternoon away from classes to launch themselves into the Christmas break. Most years, close to 2,000 teenaged fans are in attendance, many of them decked out in their school colours and waving signs for their favourite team or players.
Over the years, supporters of the Polars and Cougars have been treated to some great hockey. Four of the seven previous games were decided by one goal. Last December, PGSS edged College Heights 4-3 and took that same lead in the series itself.
"It's always interesting," Berra said. "There have been years where I've thought, 'We have a pretty solid lineup and this is our year,' and then (the Cougars) stick it to us. Every year, I think it will be a coin toss."
Players from the Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League have sometimes participated in the Spirit Game, and sometimes not. This year, all of the Cariboo team members are PGSS students and will not be on the Polars' roster.
"Basically the rule is, if College Heights has major midget players, then we put in major midget players," Berra said. "This year all the major midgets are at our school so it's not really a fair equation to have them (in the game)."
As always, the Spirit Game will serve as a lightning rod of good will. PGSS students are collecting tins of food for the St. Vincent De Paul Society and the College Heights crowd will be making donations to the Salvation Army. Students from both schools -- and kids from their feeder schools -- are also gathering gloves, hats and socks for those in need.
Berra said the food, money and items of clothing collected in the past have been gratefully accepted by the various community organizations.
"It's very appreciated, whether it's one tin or 1,700 tins," he said. "We have so much food that we collect that we can't bring it to the rink. They pick it up from our school in the morning and we tally a number and announce that at the game. The students are very giving. It's a great cause, and there are so many people not only from the school but in the community that help people that aren't very fortunate at this point in time. It has been very well-received and hopefully we can continue."
Previous results
2009: PGSS 4 College Heights 3
2008: College Heights 6 PGSS 3
2007: College Heights 8 PGSS 6
2006: PGSS 3 College Heights 1
2005: PGSS 5 College Heights 4
2004: PGSS 6 College Heights 5 (OT)
2003: College Heights 3 PGSS 2 (2 OT)
