The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe posted a lengthy article discussing the Toledo Walleye’s Winterfest activities at Fifth Third Field later this month:
Kyle Bonis made the walk from the locker room to the ice thousands of times during his pro hockey career, but none compared to the moment he emerged from the dugouts at Fifth Third Field onto an outdoor rink.
Bonis played for the Walleye in 2014-15 when the organization became the first ECHL team to host an outdoor game.
“I remember the feeling of walking out of the dugout and seeing the rink for the first time and thinking back to the rink in my back yard,” Bonis said. “It was the purest form of the game. Playing outside was a special highlight in my entire hockey playing career.”
Now retired, Bonis will once again play on the outdoor sheet of ice as part of the Toledo legends team that will take on a group of former Detroit Red Wings players in an alumni game on Dec. 30.
The alumni contest is part the second Winterfest, an 18-day outdoor extravaganza that will include youth, high school, college, and adult hockey games as well as a hall of fame ceremony and open skates. Winterfest, which will run through Jan. 2, will be highlighted by two Toledo Walleye games on Dec. 26 and Dec. 31.
“The excitement is as high as can be,” said Neil Neukam, the Walleye’s executive vice president and general manager. “We are so happy to be able to have fans come in from all over the region and country to be a part of Winterfest and help support the economy of our community.”
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