Steven Oleksy and Vlad Namestnikov are two of the NHL players slated to participate in the inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game this Saturday. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)

Inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game set for this Saturday in Mount Clemens

Steven Oleksy and Vlad Namestnikov are two of the NHL players slated to participate in the inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game this Saturday. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)
Steven Oleksy and Vlad Namestnikov are two of the NHL players slated to participate in the inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game this Saturday. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)

 

By Michael Caples –

Steven Oleksy said he doesn’t know if he’s too excited about the inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game this Saturday.

That’s only because he still wants to have a good game, of course. He knows it would be hard to be event organizer and game MVP.

“It’s a little bit bittersweet,” said the Eastside Elite Hockey League founder, professional hockey player and Chesterfield native. “Obviously it’s great to have the guys and have everybody involved and so much going on, but in the other sense, I want to play well, too. It’s always hard for me to shut off the business side when I’m out there and just play. I’ve got a great staff, I’ve got a lot of people helping me with everything, so that will be good, and hopefully it will allow me to relax and have some fun and play some good hockey.”

The Eastside Elite league has been up and running for nine seasons now, but 2016 will mark the first time the prestigious summer league holds an all-star game. The inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game, with a puck drop scheduled for 5:30 p.m., will feature the top vote-getters from the 10 Eastside clubs, along with some special invitees. Former Orchard Lake St. Mary’s captain and Eastside alum Cooper Anstett, now a musician pursuing a career in Nashville, will be in town for a special concert after the game, as well. Proceeds from ticket sales ($10 per person, children under the age of 5 get in free) will benefit the Mount Clemens Hockey Club. MiHockey is sorry to let people know, however, that ticket sales have been put on hold due to capacity concerns for the Mount Clemens Ice Arena. Four hundred tickets have already been sold.

“Saturday is the first all-star game Eastside Elite has put on,” Oleksy said. “Obviously it’s the top players from the league. A couple Eastside Elite alums, Andrew Hammond being one of them. Dylan Larkin and Zach Werenski are playing in it, as well, along with Derrick Pouliot from Pittsburgh this year. We’re going to come together, put on a game. After each period there will be a four-person shootout – let the guys have some fun with that. After, following the game, there’s going to be an acoustic concert; actually a guy who played in the Eastside Elite for years, moved to Nashville to do full-time music, he’s going to put on an acoustic show in the lobby. Then there will be a meet-and-greet to follow for the players willing to do that. It’s going to be a fun event, and a portion of the proceeds are going to go back to the Mount Clemens Hockey Club, so it’s really cool to get the kids involved with that.”

 


Oleksy, who recently signed a contract extension with the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, has been working hard to organize everything from ticket sales to team rosters. His workload increased substantially when he announced that Larkin, the Red Wings’ hometown star from Waterford, would be in attendance.

“Mount Clemens has some tickets at the desk to purchase, but most of the stuff is directly through me,” the former Lake Superior State defenseman said. “All of it, actually, between Facebook, email, text messages, phone calls, putting together the ticket list and will call – it’s showing me a different side of the sport and obviously something I’m interested in doing after. Not necessarily the tickets, but kind of organizing all of that and putting all that in place, so it’s been a fun experience for me, as well. It was a big event before, but landing Dylan to play, the growth that that had with the event, everything that did for it – I’ve got people driving from Buffalo, somebody just texted me from Pittsburgh, another lady texted me, she wanted to make sure she had tickets because she’s coming from two hours away. It’s crazy how just an idea, having an idea and showcasing the guys from the league along with some others from the area, and it’s grown into this – it’s going to be a really fun event for everybody.”

Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to bid on the game-worn jerseys from the all-star game, as well.

“There’s going to be a jersey auction, so there will be bid sheets out and things like that. Pretty cool for the inaugural Eastside Elite All-Star Game to have that and the guys involved to be able to bid on the jerseys should be pretty cool. There will be a 50/50 raffle, as well, so that will all be pretty cool.”

For more information on the Eastside Elite All-Star Game, visit the league’s official site here.