HERSHEY -- This was no ordinary Thursday night pick-up game.
Some former Hershey Bears, who still live locally, joined some out-of-towners at Milton Hershey School for a brief skate before Saturday's alumni outdoor game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The ex-Bears were all hoping to loosen up a little for the big show at Hersheypark Stadium.
"It might tighten us up," joked former goaltender Freddy Cassivi. "You don't want to embarrass yourself on Saturday.
"You want to get back into the swing of things."
Cassivi joins American Hockey League Hall of Famer Mitch Lamoureux, Dave Fenyves, Mike McHugh and Mark Freer at this rink each week for a little pick-up game.
Bruce Richardson, Mike Gaul and Christian Matte -- all early arrivals for Saturday's game, hit the ice, too.
"What do I hope happens?" replied Lamoureux about his upcoming outdoor experience.
"We score one more goal than they do. Nobody gets hurt. We have a lot of fun. We entertain the fans.
"And to make sure the beer's cold after the game," he added with a huge laugh.
The best part of playing in this outdoor alumni game? Renewing old friendships with guys you may not see very often.
The ex-pros know they'll receive a warm welcome, as well. "Hershey fans -- and I probably have 250 games in front of them -- are some of the best fans in the world," said Freer, who lives in Hershey.
