When the Legendary Hockey Heroes hit the ice Tuesday, Jan. 25 at the Comox Valley Sports Centre, they will have a Vancouver Island native lacing up the blades.
Doug Bodger of Chemainus was a mobile defenceman with excellent offensive instincts who spent 16 years in the NHL. He was an asset on the power play and transition game and later added veteran composure to his team’s blueline corps.
Bodger is scheduled to be in the Legendary Hockey Heroes lineup when they take on the Vancouver Island Law Enforcement team in a fundraiser in support of Cops for Cancer.
Bodger was a key offensive player on the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers for two seasons. He accumulated 190 points in junior and was named to the league’s second all-star team in 1983. After chosing Mario Lemieux first overall, the Pittsburgh Penguins made Bodger the ninth player taken in the 1984 Entry Draft.
The young blueliner scored 31 points as a rookie and saw plenty of action on the power play. He continued to mature over the next four seasons and represented Canada when it finished fourth at the 1987 World Championships. Early in the 1988-89 season, Bodger was part of the package sent to the Buffalo Sabres for star goalie Tom Barrasso.
Bodger spent parts of eight seasons in Buffalo where he topped the 40-assist mark twice and played on both specialty teams. He became a workhorse at both ends of the ice and was a leader in the dressing room.
When the Sabres retooled in 1995-96, the veteran backliner was sent to the San Jose Sharks where he added mobility and experience to the young defence. When the club missed the playoffs, Bodger joined Team Canada at the World Championships where it won a silver medal.
Part-way through the 1997-98 season, the close-checking New Jersey Devils sought Bodger’s talent for their relatively pedestrian blueline. In the off-season, he returned to California as a member of the improving Los Angeles Kings. Bodger moved up the “left coast” as a free agent to add savvy to the Vancouver Canucks defence in 1999-2000 but retired after dressing for only 13 games.
Other Legendary Hockey Hereos who may appear at the game are Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, Gary Leeman, Jimmy Mann, Bernie Nicholls, Dennis Polonich, Cliff Ronning, Warren Skorodenski and referee Jack Valiquette.
Tickets are available at Happy’s Source for Sports. Game time is 7 p.m. The game is sponsored by the Comox Valley Record and The Eagle 97.3FM.