Local Sports Journal

Area hockey fans were able to soak in old time Red Wing and Muskegon memories of Joe Kocur, Petr Klima, Erle Switzer, Robin Bouchard, and Sylvain Daigle at the Red Wings Alumni game on Saturday.

Nick Howard stands with former NHL'er Sergei Samsonov just after the two discussed the Samsonov's days playing hockey. Photo/Jason Goorman

Nick Howard stands with former NHL’er Sergei Samsonov just after the two discussed Samsonov’s days playing hockey. Photo/Jason Goorman

The Local Sports Journal’s Nick Howard was on hand with Ron Rop at the L.C. Walker Arena to interview some of the players who attended the event.

Howard has made his passage to hockey guru through years of hockey fanaticism while serving Muskegon as a media assistant under Terry Ficorelli and as the head off-ice officials.

One player who wowed the crowed Saturday was Sergei Samsonov. The NHL veteran never played for the Red Wings but started in Detroit when he won a Turner Cup with the Detroit Vipers under former Muskegon Fury coach Steve Ludzik.

Samsonov posted the game’s best goal when he beat Muskegon goaltender Sylvain Daigle on a top corner backhand. The goal came after Samsonov left a Muskegon defender on a spin-a-round to set up the shot.

Check out the LSJ’s video of the goal and a Nick Howard interview with Samsonov.