The Battle of Yonge Street kicked off Friday night for the 16th time since 2006 with the ceremonial puck drop ahead of the U18 AA game at Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.
With a slate of more than 40 games between the Newmarket Renegades and Aurora Tigers taking place between Oct. 27 and 29, Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas and Newmarket Councillor Jane Twinney dropped the pucks signifying the start of the series.
The ceremonial puck drop took place ahead of the U18 AA game this year, because the two hockey organizations wanted to make the series feel even more special for the older age group, said Lynda Carusi, president of Newmarket Minor Hockey Association.
While there’s a rivalry between the two towns, Mrakas said it’s all in good fun and for a good cause with a fundraiser running all weekend long for the local food banks.
“It goes to show that two communities can work together and do very good things,” he said.
Mrakas said that Newmarket and Aurora have always had a very good partnership politically and from a community perspective.
“Doing this and having our kids involved and being so close together while competing in a positive way is very encouraging,” he said. “It’s something all the kids can learn from as they continue to grow and develop through hockey.”
The unity between the two towns was on full display when a technological malfunction got in the way of the national anthem playing ahead of the U18 game. As a result, everyone in attendance, including players on both sides, worked together to sing O Canada.
The home-and-home series will see games between every age group taking place all weekend long in both Newmarket and Aurora. Newmarket leads the series with eight Battle of Yonge Street titles to Aurora’s seven.
