Jared Keeso skates out of the tunnel at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and fans wearing light blue No. 69 Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs jerseys leap to their feet. Keeso is not a professional hockey player — well, not in the traditional sense — but a packed house on this Sunday afternoon in December chants his character’s name from his hit TV show.
«Shore-sy! Shore-sy!»
The Bulldogs’ cast, filled with former NHL and AHL pros, are playing an L.A. Kings alumni squad that features two-time Stanley Cup champions Jarret Stoll, Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis. For a while, the Bulldogs hold their own, eventually losing to the Kings’ squad 10-9 after a two-period game that features staged fights, shirtless laps and a halftime shootout.
Boston Bruins Alumni association, who began to assemble a team to play the cast and opened doors to other clubs around the league. What resulted was the Shoresy Classic, an eight-game series that sold, unbelievably, 69,900 tickets, raised more than $100,000 for NHL alumni charities and saw the Bulldogs take on alumni teams from Toronto to Vancouver in December 2025 and January 2026.
Keeso kept a tour diary during the Classic. He shared that with us, and we’re one-timing it to you.
–Alyssa Roenigk
THE SUDBURY BLUEBERRY BULLDOGS have just finished the Shoresy Classic tour across eight North American cities. Here is a list of highlights compiled by the boys.
Note: We largely refer to each other as our character names from the show, so here is a glossary of nicknames to help you follow along:
Tune in to «Nightline» Friday as Alyssa Roenigk goes in-depth with the cast of «Shoresy.» Watch
TR: Terry Ryan («Hitch»)
Dolo: Jonathan Diaby
Goody: Andrew Antsanen
Fish: Jacob Smith
McD: Ryan McDonell («Michaels»)
Nasty: Jon Mirasty («Jim 1»)
B: Brandon Nolan («Jim 2»)
Jord: Jordan Nolan («Jim 3»)
Frankie: Max Bouffard
Longer: Keegan Long («Liam»)
Berky: Bourke Cazabon («Corey»)
Wahzy: Frederick Roy («Delaney»)
Fergy: Cam Fergus («MacPherson»)
Bones: Brad Bonello («Sly Sylvestri»)
Clarky: Neil Clark («Schnurr»)
Penner: Alex Penner («Palmer»)
Patrick Kane comes by after, calls Frankie by name, and brings the boys in for a tour of the Red Wings’ dressing room.
It’s game day now, and Darren McCarty and Joey Kocur are in our room to say hello straight away. We hit the ice and are reminded that Justin Abdelkader, who could still play in the NHL, only has one gear. The Nolan brothers’ dad, legendary NHL coach Ted Nolan, is on the bench with us, and Red Wings alumni players skate over one by one to shake his hand. Fish goes through Darien Hatcher’s legs and the boys warn him not to try that again.
Mickey Redmond pots one and gets the second biggest cheer of the night (first goes to a fight at center ice between Nasty and McCarty, who has dyed his hair and beard electric red for the event). I’m given a quick etiquette lesson from Dino Ciccarelli, who barks at me midplay to stop backchecking him. I obey (imagine I didn’t?), he scores and the crowd goes wild. I get a smile from one of the meanest men to ever play hockey and make a conscious decision to stop contributing on defense for the rest of the tour. Note: My lack of contribution on offense was not a conscious decision.
The alumni take us for postgame beers at Harry’s, we don’t get cut off, and I decide on my way out the door that Detroit is my favourite American city.
Toronto Maple Leafs play and they spend the rest of the game with their shirts off in the stands. Fergy chips in a handful of assists for his newborn who has made the trip to the Big Smoke with his glowing and patient mother, Aubrey. Nasty and Mark Fraser give the crowd a fight at center ice that, once again, gets the biggest pop of the night.
Some alumni join us for beers after at The Bottom Line, right beside the Hockey Hall of Fame. Many of our friends and family have gathered there and we stay ‘til close. It’s almost Christmas and the vibe is righteous. The boys are happy and feeling grateful and we tip our beers to each other from across the room like it’s the final scene of «American Pie 2.»
New York Islanders alumni the following night. I live vicariously through the boys, who take advantage of the day off in the Big Apple.
Wahzy’s dad is Hall of Fame goaltender and New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy. He treats the boys to a game that night at UBS Arena and no one can believe how skilled super rookie Matthew Schaefer is. Some of the boys take a midnight subway to Times Square after and check that tourist box together. I lay in bed hoping the steroid shot might also aid my slap shot.
Half the Islanders alumni could still be playing in the NHL, so the boys are prepared to get thumped. I’d heard Cal Clutterbuck say nice things about our show in the press, so I seek him out pregame to say thank you. Clutterbuck is clearly inspired by my visit as he goes on to score approximately half of the Islander’s 14 goals that night.
No one who has ever passed a microphone to Terry Ryan Jr. has gotten it back in reasonable time, but my voice isn’t game ready so I ask him to do my usual crowd address and, astonishingly, he keeps it to a tight two minutes. Wahzy digs deep for this one because his dad is in the stands but, the truth is, we are all trying to put on a show for Patrick Roy. Despite our best efforts, the Islanders alumni smoke us. The greatest goalie of all time visits the room after, regardless.
The boys usually stay on the ice signing jerseys and taking photos for about an hour after each game. Long Island was special because when I got off the ice, a dozen of the Islanders alumni were in our room having beers. We usually entertain a handful of players postgame, but Long Island was the first time we had double digits.
Zach Whitecloud has lunch with the boys after, and Ryan Huska gives us a tour of the Flames dressing room. The remaining Bulldogs arrive and now half our room smells like a brewery and the other half smells like a dispensary. What better time for Lanny McDonald to arrive with a mixer pack of beer from his Tamarack Brewing Company and the boys enjoy a hair of the dog with an NHL icon.
I’m a lifelong fan of the Calgary Flames so I’ve brought my Johnny Gaudreau jersey to wear out onto the ice and pay my respects. I put it on moments before hitting the ice and realize I’ve mistakenly brought the women’s-cut jersey I got my wife for Christmas a while back. I opt to hold the sweater out in front of me instead, and Johnny Hockey gets the biggest pop of the night.
TR’s dad, Terry Ryan Sr., is behind the bench with us for this one and provides a flavour of East Coast flair only outdone by Terry Ryan Jr. The Flames go up three in the first three minutes. Lanny McDonald appears on our bench to settle the boys down with more beers and we start to claw our way back. Brian McGrattan has unreal hands for an all-time heavyweight. Goody accidentally opens up Marty Gelinas under eye, and Theo Fleury is +10 on the night. I don’t score often but the hockey gods are watching and I pot one in the iconic barn where my favourite team plays.
McGrattan and Mike Commodore join the boys for Round 2 at Cowboys postgame and the night gets spicy. We’re true pros at this point, though, and no one is late for our 9 a.m. bus call.
EDMONTON, Jan. 23
Oilers Alumni 11, Bulldogs 9
There are a number of things working against the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs in Edmonton, Alberta, on January 23:
1. The Oilers alumni are stacked.
2. This is our first time playing games in back-to-back nights.
3. We’ve just done back-to-back nights at Cowboys.
Only two of us take the ice for pregame skate and we both agree this is the nicest barn in the NHL. A banner at the end of the rink reads «This Is Oil Country» and that says it all. I meet my parents for a coffee in the lobby and Darcy Hordichuk introduces himself. I tell my parents after that the man they just met has the best hockey fight of all time (vs. Mel Angelstad on Oct. 6, 2000).
This is our biggest crowd of the tour at 12,600, and the boys get tattoos of that number when we get to Vancouver. Hall of Famer Chris Pronger stops by the room beforehand and the boys are inspired. We go up three early and prove that playing guilty is a performance enhancer.
There are a handful of killers on the Oilers alumni, including Georges Laraque, Kelly Buchberger and Hordichuk, but we are most preoccupied with Raffi Torres who, given the score, does not appear to be having a good time. His mood changes after he scores three and the boys give him plenty of room to do so. Nasty and Laraque go at center ice and the video has gone viral by the time we crack a postgame beer. Fish steals the show with an electrifying shootout goal and adds two more pretty ones, so we label the evening «Fishy Night In Canada.» Ales Hemsky plays on one leg and is still the silkiest player out there.
The boys make it three nights in a row and hit the town hard postgame. First stop is Bar Trove owned by Connor McDavid’s wife, Lauren, and then the boys take a limo to Beercade. Wayne Gretzky calls me the next morning to ask how the game went and TR mentions that McDavid was at the game. We’re still not sure if that last part is true.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 26
Canucks Alumni 10, Bulldogs 9
We love all our children equally, but the boys largely agree that Vancouver is the nicest city in Canada. A handful of the boys chuck their bags and dash to Grouse Mountain for night skiing. Despite it being Goody’s first time on skis, he goes full tuck down a hill not for beginners and wipes out in what B Nolan calls a top-three funniest thing he’s ever seen in his life. I’ve gotta scratch the coastal city seafood itch so I take a handful of the boys to Joe Fortes where we eat our weight in crab and butter.
I lived in Vancouver for 10 years, so I go zigzagging through my old neighbourhood the next day (the West End) and reconnect with the city I came to to become an actor. McD and I have dinner with some pals at a place on Cambie called June and I have a ravioli dish that I still can’t shut up about.
We finish the tour with a crowd of 9,000 on a Monday night at Rogers Arena. On the bench with us are the brass of the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs, played by Tasya Teles («Nat»), Blair Lamora («Ziig») and Keilani Rose («Miig»). I won’t be told there is a more watchable trio on television and the team feels complete with them standing behind us.
We’re told to keep an eye for Cliff Ronning, who can play a bit grumpy, but all eyes are on Hall of Famers Daniel and Henrick Sedin, who graciously joined the Canucks’ alumni roster weeks before the game. The respect that players and fans have for these two is palpable.
The boys are skating around smiling all night as we stick the landing on the tour. My line combines for half a dozen as a cherry topper. The Jims line score the rest, as usual. Clarky played years of pro hockey but never got to skate his kids around the ice. We watch our guy check that box postgame. You have never met a group of dudes who are this happy after giving up 30 goals in three games.
We are immeasurably thankful to the NHL alumni players who hosted us along this tour. Every single night, it felt like we were on the same team as these legends of the game. To the gentlemen we shared the ice with, we are humbled by your presence and grateful for your partnership.
The boys want to give a heartfelt thanks to all the fans that came out, enjoyed the game of hockey and contributed to our charitable efforts in each city we visited. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to live out our hockey dreams. It has been a pleasure and an honour. See you next time.
