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Former Blues and current New Jersey Devils enforcer Cam Janssen was struck by the devastation that he and his wife saw on television following Hurricane Sandy. His current team and their fans were in the eye of the storm, so Janssen decided to rely on his former team and their fans to lend a hand. The Belleville News-Democrat's Norm Sanders got a chance to interview Janssen about the game, and this is what the bruiser had to say.
"I was sitting on my couch watching the Weather Channel and Fox News and brainstorming," Janssen said. "I was watching this devastating hurricane that trampled this region of the United State, this highly populated region, and just couldn't believe it.
"We looked at each other like 'We've got to do something,''' he said. "I made a couple phone calls and called the right people, then all of a sudden we got some structure down for the event."
Janssen was not surprised in the least when so many of his hockey friends and non-hockey friends were quick to lend a hand for the charity event.
"You really find out who's your true friends," Janssen said. "There are so many people who are helping me and really getting nothing out of it...they're going out of their way to help me put this thing on."
The list of players participating is impressive: David Backes, Barret Jackman, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, Brian Elliott, Kevin Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo, Scott Nichol, former Blues players Jamal Mayers and Ty Conklin, St. Louis native Chris Butler, and former Blues Jamie Rivers and Jim Campbell.Tickets are $20 each, or special VIP seats are $200 -- they're all inclusive with special seating and an after-party with the players. You can purchase tickets for the event happening this Saturday night at the Hardees Ice Plex at www.respondrescue.org, or by calling 314-627-0700.