Guns and Hoses Hockey

Roanoke, VA — It was another record-setting year for the Guns vs. Hoses charity ice hockey game! The 9th annual game between area law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel set a new attendance record with 6,100 fans, topping last year’s crowd of 5,700. More importantly, the event raised a record $27,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, breaking last year’s total of $20,500.

The Guns won the game 5-1. It is their sixth straight win in the series. In fact, the Guns have won eight of the nine games played. Their lone loss came in 2009 when the Hoses won 6-2. As always, it was a scrappy game with some scuffles and even a “fight.” We’re happy to say that no arrests were made and no one needed any medical help from EMTs!

While the Guns may have won the game, the Hoses did come away with a victory of sorts. During an intermission, there was a “sexy” contest between the two teams during which, players skated to center ice and “danced” to the song “I’m sexy and I know it” by LMFAO. Some players shed their jerseys and pads and in the end, the crowd roared its approval for the Hoses thus crowning them the Sexiest Team on the Ice!

Everyone was a winner Saturday night! A record-setting crowd saw a great hockey game and in the process raised a record amount of money for a wonderful cause, MDA.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank all of the fans for coming out and making Saturday such a special night! We want to thank the players who put on another great game and played their hearts out (and for the sexy dancing)! And we also want to give a big THANK YOU to all of our sponsors to helped make the 9th Annual Guns vs. Hoses hockey game such a rousing success – we couldn’t do it without you! Please take some time to look at our list of sponsors (on the left) and send them a note thanking them for their support of such a great local event.

We’ll have pictures of the game coming soon, but if you have some you’d like to share, we encourage you to visit our Facebook page and post them there.

Guns vs. Hoses IX – Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012

Hello ice hockey fans of Southwest Virginia! The date for the ninth annual Guns vs. Hoses charity hockey game is set for Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. The game will be played, as always, at the Roanoke Civic Center. The Guns (law enforcement) have won seven of the eight contests so far, including the last two. The first five games of the series went to shootouts and the Guns won each of them. The Hoses (fire and rescue) notched their first and only win in the series in 2009 with a 6-2 victory. The last two games, however, have been lopsided in favor of the Guns, which one 6-0 in 2010 and 7-4 in 2011.

No matter what the score ends up being on Jan. 21, 2012, everyone wins because this event raises both awareness and money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. We’ll have more information posted on this site in the weeks and months ahead, so stay tuned!

For those interested in the funeral arrangements for the late Roanoke City Battalion Chief Bobbie Slayton, the family will receive friends on Tuesday, Jan. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m., and 6 to 8 p.m., at the downtown Oakey’s Roanoke Chapel.

The family suggests that memorials be made to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at www.firehero.org or P.O. Box 498, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. The funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church Roanoke (515 3rd Street SW) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, and will be officiated by the Rev. John Fox. Interment will follow at Cedar Lawn cemetery with formal Fire Department honors.

Read Chief Slayton’s obituary.

Make it seven out of eight for the Guns! For the second straight year, and for the seventh time in eight games, the Guns (area law enforcement professionals) beat the Hoses (area firefighers and rescue personnel), 7-4.

More importantly, it was a record-setting year for the fundraiser on ice. More than 5,700 fans attended the hard-hitting game, which raised $20,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Both the attendance and money raised were records! Thanks to everyone who helped make the game such a huge success! We especially want to thank our sponsors (see a the list on the left) for supporting such a great community event that raises money for an important cause.

As for the game, it was an instant classic — a hard hitting and incredibly exciting game. The Guns jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, despite being outshot 9-3. The Hoses finally got on the scoreboard with 4:32 left in the first period. Just seconds after the Hoses tallied their first of the game, a fight broke out, but no arrests were made.

A flurry of goals in the final three minutes got the raucous crowd at the Roanoke Civic Center on their feet for an exciting end to the first period. The Guns reclaimed a two-goal lead with 2:41 in the opening period, but 17 seconds later, the Hoses answered to make it 3-2 going into the first intermission.

The second period picked up where the first ended with the Guns scoring a pair of goals in the first three and a half minutes to take a 5-2 lead. But back came the Hoses with a pair of goals four minutes apart (13:30, 8:34) to cut the Guns’ lead to a goal, 5-4. Neither team mustered another score in the final eight minutes of the second period, so the teams went into the second intermission with the Guns leading 5-4.

The Guns needed just 29 seconds in the third period to reclaim a two-goal lead and with 8:37 left in the game, the Guns added the final score of the game to make it 7-4. The Hoses’ tankers were empty as they were shut out in the final stanza.

It was a one of the most exciting, hard-fought, exciting games in the eight-year history of the contest. And while the action on the ice was heated and competitive, once the final horn sounded, the teams came together in good sportsmanship and in remembrance of the real reason they were there. They thanks the fans and said, “We’ll see you next year!”

Thanks again to all those who helped support this vital fundraising event. We’d especially like to thank RSP Entertainment for providing the emcee and DJ services for last night’s game.

**Note: This recap relied heavily on the fabulous play-by-play from Annie Lorraine Bailey via the Guns and Hoses Facebook page. Thanks, Annie!

The 8th annual Guns vs. Hoses MDA charity ice hockey game at the Roanoke Civic Center. The Guns won 7-4. (Photo by Tim Coble, via Facebook)

Just hours before the 8th annual Guns vs. Hoses ice hockey game to benefit the MDA, firefighters received news that one of their own had died. Recently retired Roanoke City Battalion Chief Bobbie Slayton, the city’s longest serving firefighter, suffered a stroke the day after Christmas and had been hospitalized since. He passed away Saturday afternoon with family, friends and firefighters at his side. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chief Slayton’s family and all the firefighters whose lives he touched.

Read more about Chief Slayton in the Roanoke Times.

Former Roanoke City Battalion Chief Bobbie Slayton suffered a stroke on Dec. 26, 2010 and later died as a result.

Photos from the 2010 Guns and Hoses Hockey game in Roanoke, Virginia

See pictures from the 2010 Guns and Hoses Hockey game.

For the first time in the history of the Guns-N-Hoses Charity Hockey Game to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the game was a shutout. The Guns won 6-0, avenging their only loss of the series – a 6-2 loss in 2009.

Even though there was a winner and a loser on the ice, everyone was a winner as the event raised $18,500! More than 4,000 fans showed up to support the teams and the cause last night at the Roanoke Civic Center.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s event such a big success! And while this year’s game is over, remember to check back here regularly for updates on next year’s game as well as how the money you helped raise is being put to use to help those suffering from muscular dystrophy.