When Steve Haines first stepped onto the ice, it was a surreal moment. He had never been on an NHL sheet before. Now, not only was he on the Carolina Hurricanes’ playing surface at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., Haines was about to play a game.

Haines, 43, was one of 32 adult hockey players who got the opportunity to play at the arena following the Hurricanes-New Jersey Devils game on March 28. The Captains’ Appreciate Night brought together select team captains from throughout the Carolina Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to attend the NHL contest and then play a game of their own.

Haines, who is the captain of the Yuengling Warriors team out of Greensboro, N.C., was excited for his shot to play at an NHL rink.

“I think at the beginning when we first stepped on the ice, we were stretching out and we were all sort of in awe,” Haines said. “It was hard to start taking shots on the goalies to start to warm up, because everybody was just sort of looking around at the expansiveness of it all. Then the refs came onto the ice and started skating around, and we thought, ‘Oh, gosh, this is getting serious.’ Instead of like 28,000 fans, there were like 40.”

CAHA adult committee chair Kevin Universal was pleased to get great participation from all over North and South Carolina. Captains from as far as Charleston, S.C., traveled 4 ½ hours to take part in the event.

“Everybody loved it and was really happy about the event,” Universal said. “The Canes won that night, so it was a fun game. Then the players had fun getting out there playing on the ice. Most of them had never been in a pro arena and getting a chance to skate like that, so that was special for a lot of them.”

The two teams were divided up equally according to skill level, and Universal wanted to mix up players so they were on the ice with people they didn’t know. Haines said the game, which was a full three 20-minute periods, was well played and there weren’t any penalties called.

“Everybody took it so seriously because it was such a special occasion,” Haines said. “After the game got started, everybody sort of forgot where we were.”

The players received the full NHL experience from the Hurricanes.

“The first goal someone scored, the horn went off and everyone just about had a heart attack it was so loud,” said Haines, who was able to score during the game on a “lucky shot.”

Following the adult-league game, Haines had an idea. He asked the referees if it was possible for the players who didn’t score in the game to have a shootout so they would have the opportunity to tally a goal in an NHL arena. Six or seven guys on each side competed in a shootout.

After the impromptu shootout, all the players gathered at center ice for a group photo.

“I think they enjoyed it,” Universal said. “It’s nice to give back to the adult hockey community and share some fun with them.”

Is this something Haines can now cross off his bucket list?

“That’s exactly what it is, except it was never on my bucket list because I never imagined it would be possible,” Haines said.

Universal would like to make Captains’ Appreciation Night an annual event. However, instead of holding it every year in Raleigh, he’d like to have it in other regions where CAHA players compete so some captains don’t have to travel as far. Universal is thinking he has some viable options in Charleston, Greensboro and Charlotte.

“It would be really special if they continue that just so that other folks have a crack at it,” Haines said. “It’s kind of a dream come true. When you’re a little kid you grow up thinking that you might be good enough to play in the NHL, and then we’re you’re 9 you realize you don’t have quite the skills. When you’re a little kid, you want to play in a big arena like that, and it just feels special.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.