It is all about the goalies at the upcoming Western Canada Sports Collectors Convention with five of the eight scheduled guests having donned the mask and pads during their respective careers.
Leading the way are a pair of Hockey Hall of Fame netminders as Gerry Cheevers and Mike Vernon are among the all-star line-up of guests. They are joined by former Vancouver Canuck all-star goaltender – and long-time Sportsnet colour commentator – John Garrett, as well as a pair of actors known for their roles in two fabled hockey movies, Slap Shot and The Mighty Ducks, where each played a goalie in their respective roles.
Yvon Barrette was cast as Denis Lemieux in 1977’s Slap Shot while Shaun Weiss played Greg Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks film series in the 1990s. And while the first batch of guests were tasked with keeping the puck out of the net, there will also be a trio of former NHLers – who all played for the Vancouver Canucks during their respective careers – known for their abilities to beat the goaltender as Cliff Ronning, Tony Tanti and Rick Vaive are scheduled to attend.
The event returns to Langley Events Centre April 12 to 14 with Ronning, Cheevers, Vernon and Vaive each scheduled to sign on Saturday, while Barrette and Weiss are slated to sign all day. Barrette will also sign all day on Sunday while Garrett and Tanti are both signing on the final day.
The show begins on Friday, April 12 from 2:00pm to 8:00pm with admission set at $20. Saturday’s hours are from 10:00am to 5:00pm with a cost of $10, while the final days’ hours are 10:00am to 3:00pm with no cost for admission. Ages three and up require a ticket to attend the show with autograph tickets to meet the guests sold separately.
For more information or to purchase admission and autograph tickets, visit www.bossashows.com.
The Western Canada Sports Collectors Convention also features more than 200 vendor tables with collectibles dealers and retail merchandise available from all eras. Both Upper Deck – which will be doing their redemption program – and Heritage Auctions will be on site.
Guest Details
Gerry Cheevers
Undrafted, Gerry Cheevers went onto play 418 games in the NHL, all but two of those with the Boston Bruins, helping the team win a pair of Stanley Cups. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985, Cheevers holds the Bruins franchise record with eight post-season shutouts and sits third all-time in saves with 10,579 over his 12 years with the team.
Mike Vernon
A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Mike Vernon played 19 seasons in the NHL, winning championships with Calgary (1989) and Detroit (1997), winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as part of the second Cup. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame this past November.
John Garrett
John Garrett played more than 500 professional games, first in the World Hockey Association (with Minnesota, Toronto, Birmingham and New England) and then in the NHL (with Hartford, Quebec and Vancouver). Upon his retirement, he embarked on a career behind the microphone, working as a colour analyst, primarily on Vancouver Canucks broadcasts.
Cliff Ronning
An 18-year NHL veteran, Cliff Ronning suited up in 1,137 regular season games, scoring 306 goals and 869 points in that span. A draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, Ronning also played for his hometown Vancouver Canucks, as well as the Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders.
Tony Tanti
For five consecutive seasons, Tony Tanti led the Vancouver Canucks in scoring, finishing with 40+ goals in three of those seasons and never having below 39 during that span. His 45 goals in the 1983-84 campaign stood as a Canucks record until Pavel Bure potted 60 nine years later and Tanti averaged a goal every 0.47 games in a Vancouver uniform, second all-time among Canucks players. Tanti’s NHL career also included stops in Chicago (he was a first round pick at 12th overall by the Blackhawks), as well as Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
Rick Vaive
Drafted in the first round (5th overall) by Vancouver, Rick Vaive was traded to Toronto during his first Canucks season and was the first Maple Leaf to notch 50 goals in a single season in franchise history. Vaive also played for Chicago and Buffalo during his 13-year NHL career, scoring 441 goals and 788 points in 876 games.
Yvon Barrette
Yvon Barrette is a Canadian actor from Quebec best known for his portrayal of goaltender Denis Lemieux in 1977’s Slap Shot.
Shaun Weiss
Shaun Weiss is an American actor and stand-up comedian whose breakout role came in The Mighty Ducks movie franchise in the 1980s where he played goaltender Greg Goldberg.
Photo of November 2023 show courtesy of Langley Events Centre
