67’s Kelly, Marrelli expand horizons with Ottawa Police ahead of Siren Series
Last week, Frankie Marrelli and Caden Kelly visited with Ottawa Police ahead of the Siren Series Game this weekend.
Ottawa Police and Ottawa Fire will face off on Saturday afternoon in a battle of the first responders, which follows the Ottawa 67’s matchup with the Kingston Frontenacs.
For a few hours, they sat in the passenger seat for a ride along, partnered with officers patrolling the city.
“It was a super cool experience,” Marrelli said. “It wasn’t really what I expected going in, I thought we were just gonna hang around to see what they do, but we were right in the action with them. We had two great cops who taught us a lot about what it means to be a police officer.”
Each unit responded to calls throughout their shift, including a call about a disturbance in the downtown area, which left Kelly impressed with how peacefully and efficiently the situation was handled.
“It probably took two minutes, and the situation was already under control,” Kelly said. “They offered him a place to stay for the night. They were really good people, and I don’t think you get to see that side of them through the news and what you hear online. So it’s good to see just how kind they are.”
In the offices ahead of the ride along, both agreed on similarities with what they experience day-to-day at 67’s team facilities. They saw a team, though it was a significantly bigger one, that made them feel welcome and comfortable for the short time they were around.
“Just seeing the camaraderie, they’re all talking and chatting, and they all had close bonds, everyone at the station,” Marrelli assessed. “So it was really cool to see that, I really liked that.”
For Marrelli in particular, policing is a career he’s been interested in pursuing whenever his playing career draws to a close, whenever that may be. This experience only made him more interested, seeing firsthand what his future could look like.
In Kelly’s case, it brings some more confidence knowing that if he’s ever in the unfortunate position to need to dial 9-1-1, he’s in good hands.
“I think just seeing how they do their job so efficiently, I feel a little bit more comfortable knowing that the people that are coming to help me have that skill set,” Kelly said.
In totality, the experience was more than just a cool thing the two 2006-born players were able to do, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn something about the community.
“The experience opened my eyes to what goes on out there and how hard their job is,” Marrelli said. “It also showed me other people’s situations and what they are going through. You feel for them, people dealing with homelessness in the cold, trying to help them out, and doing stuff like that to help the community. So it was a big impact, I thought.”
The Siren Series will pit Ottawa Police against Ottawa Fire in a winner-take-all one-game series. The game will begin shortly after the conclusion of the 67’s game on Saturday afternoon. Your 67’s ticket gets you free entry to the Siren Series matchup.
You can still get great seats here.
