Belleville and Saginaw to host OHL All-Star Games

The Ontario Hockey League announced this week that the Belleville Bulls will host the 2006 Bell OHL All-Star Classic on Wednesday February 1, 2006 and the Saginaw Spirit will host the 2007 Bell OHL All-Star Classic in February 2007.

“The Ontario Hockey League is delighted to have the opportunity to bring these special event games to Belleville and Saginaw,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “The Belleville community has passionately supported the Bulls and the Ontario Hockey League for 25 years and the entire mid-Michigan area has welcomed the OHL and the Spirit since their arrival three years ago. We look forward to shining the spotlight of the entire league on Belleville and Saginaw during these special events.”

Forty of the league’s brightest stars will face-off in an Eastern Conference versus Western Conference showdown format.

“We are ecstatic that the OHL Board of Governors selected Belleville to host the Bell OHL All-Star Classic,” said Bulls’ Governor Gord Simmonds. “This will be a fantastic way to help fans throughout the region celebrate the team’s quarter-century in the Friendly City. We look forward to welcoming the entire league to Belleville for the All-Star game as well as the other special events that we will plan around this occasion.”

“We are thrilled that the OHL Board of Governors awarded the Bell OHL All-Star Classic to the City of Saginaw,” said Spirit Owner and OHL Governor Richard Garber. “This is a great opportunity to thank the fans in our community for their support of the franchise and to bring the entire Ontario Hockey League to Saginaw in 2007 for this special event.”

The OHL All-Star Game was first played in 1977 in Sudbury when the Emms Division defeated the Leyden Division 6-5 in overtime. The Emms vs. Leyden format continued for nine seasons through 1985 following which the game was replaced by the OHL/QMJHL All-Star Challenge Series. The East-West format was re-introduced for the 2004 OHL All-Star Classic in Peterborough in 2004 and the Owen Sound Attack hosted the most recent game this past February.

The OHL All-Star Game has featured many of the league’s most famous graduates, including current NHL’ers Scott Stevens, Al MacInnins, Mike Ricci, Keith Primeau, Eric Lindros, and Joe Thornton.