It was a typical day at the old Terminal 2 in Toronto Pearson Airport, but for Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, it was a special day. They were on their way to Alberta to broadcast a game for Hockey Night In Canada. As they were walking through the terminal, they stumbled upon a group of Air Canada employees. Among them were the Houston Brothers – Ron, Terry, Ray, and Dave. As they struck up a conversation, Ron Houston mentioned to Don Cherry how it would be nice if there was any possible way they could play the Sutter Brothers in a charity pickup hockey game for a good cause. He introduced his brothers to MacLean and Cherry, and Don Cherry was amazed that these brothers all worked together at Air Canada.
Cherry thought it would be a great idea and took Ron’s phone number, saying he would try to talk to the Sutters about the idea. Several months had passed by and the Houston’s had given up hope that Cherry would be able to pull it off. However, about a month later, Ron received a surprise call from none other than Don Cherry. “Hey buddy! You probably didn’t think I would call you, but I didn’t forget about you. You see, I had to pull a lot of strings, and those Sutter boys owed me a big favor over the years, how much I spoke highly of them during our broadcasts. I ran the idea with them, and I told them you guys are all brothers that work together at Air Canada and it was for a good cause. And the only stipulation is that you guys have to come to Viking, Alberta. I didn’t think that would be a problem for you guys, don’t you guys fly for free? Or get a discount or use your passes?”
The Houston brothers were overjoyed with excitement. So, they made their way to Calgary, then rented a mini van and drove north for about four and a half hours to Viking, Alberta. When they arrived, the arena was called the Viking Carena Complex – an NHL size arena which seats 800 and standing room for 400 more. There, they unloaded their bags and equipment and made their way into the arena. That’s when they finally met the Sutter brothers – Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and Ron. They introduced themselves to one another and Brent Sutter said to Ron, “There are six of us and only four of you.” Ron answered back, “Our cousin from Edmonton Ken, he’ll be here any second and my brother who doesn’t work with Air Canada Richard also from Edmonton area, he’s outside, so it’s six vs six.”
They thanked the Sutter brothers for doing this and got changed and made their way into the arena. To their surprise, the arena was almost full to capacity and none other than Don Cherry and Ron MacLean were the referees for the game. It was a dream come true for the Houston Brothers and the best of all, some of the proceeds went to a worthy cause, “The Dreams Take Flight” Charity.
The game was intense and highly competitive, but in the end, the Sutter brothers emerged victorious. After the game, they all shared a laugh and a few beers, reminiscing about the experience and the good cause they had supported. It was a day they would never forget and they were grateful to Don Cherry and Ron MacLean for making it happen. This charity pickup hockey game was a success and they were looking forward to repeating it in the future.
