ROCHESTER, N.Y - Many of the faces and names were the same at the Sports Centre at MCC this year - only one was missing. Sharky's. Craig Charron, or "Sharky" to his friends passed away after a fight with stomach cancer this past October, and his friends returned to Rochester on Sunday to raise money for his family at the second annual Craig Charron Celebrity Hockey Game.
Many of his former teammates, including current St. Louis Blues player Scott Nichol and Rangers goalie Marty Biron made the trip to remember their friend.
"My first year with the Amerks was 1997-98 and Craig was on the team, and I've played with a lot of guys in the AHL and NHL. But there are certain guys that you remember vividly and he was one of them," Biron said. "He left a lasting impression on me, the way he practiced, played, his skating, the brand of sticks that he used, it was one of those things where I have always remembered him."
Nichol agreed with Biron's sentiments and noted that even though Charron is no longer living, the feelings in the locker room were the same as his friends played in his honor.
"Everyone is here for the same reason - they all respected Craig and his family and wanted to celebrate his life," Nichol said. "It's almost more of a reunion, everyone gets together for such a great cause and plays hockey, we'll golf tomorrow, and some of these guys never met Craig, but he left a lasting impression on us all and people feel obligated to come and help and do what they can."
It is not surprising at all that many of the Rochester natives who've found success in the NHL and AHL were in attendance. Brian Gionta, Ryan Callahan, and Rory Fitzpatrick were all happy to lend their time and support.
"We've had more guys than last year," Callahan said. "It's still important for all of us to come together and support his family during such a hard time."
Perhaps the greatest praise for Charron, an Amerks Hall of Fame Member, came from his old coach, current Rangers bench boss John Tortorella.
"It was a privilege to coach him. He wasn't big, highly skilled, and understood what it meant to be a pro. And really that's minor compared to what he was as a person," Tortorella said with a smile. "That's what I respected about him. As we were involved in a coach-player relationship, I saw that he was a great player but an even better person."
