Aging hockey stars plan to plug AWG arena

There’s a new plan to fix the swampy foundations of Iqaluit’s Arctic Winter Games Arena, involving one large construction company and a crew of aging hockey stars.

SNC-Lavalin, a multinational construction firm that’s currently working on Iqaluit’s new hospital, is proposing to team up with local construction companies to hold a “Hockey Night in Nunavut” fundraising event on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, inside the old arena.

The present lineup will pit a local team, composed of Iqaluit’s business leaders and media personalities, against former NHL players such as Gary Leeman of the Toronto Maples Leafs, Tony McKegney of the Buffalo Sabres and Jim Thomson of the Los Angeles Kings.

Other events planned for the weekend include meet-and-greet opportunities for fans, a “hot stove dinner” with player appearances, a kids clinic and family skate, and a silent auction organized by a group dedicated to collecting Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia.

The cost and availability of tickets is not yet known.

Consultants say a permanent fix for the arena floor, which would involve building a new foundation with metal posts drilled into bedrock, could cost $750,000.