Celebs hit the ice for benefit game

PARK CITY — If Andie MacDowell ever decides to pursue a new career, she'd make an excellent NHL coach.

"Blast the heck out of it!" "Get the puck, get the puck!" "Go whack the heck out of somebody!" "Where's your respect?? What's up?! I don't like losing," were just some of the instructions yelled out from the bench Sunday by Coach MacDowell, who has starred in such films such as "Groundhog Day" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

MacDowell, along with Stacia Robitaille, were the animated co-coaches of "Team Hope" who took on Tom Arnold's "Team Echoes" at the Park City Ice Arena as part of the second annual Luc Robitaille Celebrity Shoot Out to raise money for "Echoes of Hope," a nonprofit organization that Luc and his wife, Stacia, founded to help at-risk foster and emancipated foster kids.

Many National Hockey League greats, actors and a strong showing of musicians participated in this year's charity game on the frozen pond.

Along with Robitaille, NHL greats Marcel Dionne, Larry Murphy and Tony Amonte, who looked like he could still play competitively, were among the ex-pros who laced up the skates Sunday.

Former NHL tough man Brad Norton set the tone for the light hearted game by wearing a large "Semi-Pro"-like afro during warm-ups.

Hollywood was represented by some strong skaters of its own including High School Musical's Ryne Sanborn, Jason Reitman, director of such films as "Juno" and "Thank You For Smoking," and Cuba Gooding Jr., who provided some of the most fun on the ice, in addition to being a good skater.

"Lucky Luc, he's going to get unlucky tonight," Gooding said in a little trash talking before the game.

On the ice, Gooding made good on his promise to score a Gordie Howe hat trick by scoring on a breakaway, adding an assist and then getting into a fight (fake of course) with former NHL player Reid Simpson. At one point, Gooding was riding Simpson piggy-back before the two fell to the ice. After the brawl, Gooding recreated a scene out of "Slap Shot" and took off his shirt and pads, spreading them around the frozen pond, before going to the penalty box bare chested.

Former NFL quarterback Bob Gagliano was good natured as he took the ice for what appeared to be the first time. At one point Gagliano was awarded a penalty shot and needed about all his power just to skate the length of the penalty shot without falling down.