NHL players visit area schools

MARQUETTE — Buffalo Sabres forward Ryan O’Reilly and Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner visited students Tuesday afternoon at Bothwell Middle School.

The players took questions from the students. They asked the NHL stars about the best advice they’ve ever received and if they’ve ever lost any teeth while playing hockey.

Before they were dismissed for the day, several students and staff members had the chance to play a little floor hockey with the NHL players.

“Obviously it’s a great town. You can tell that they love hockey and for us to be able to do this and be a part of Hockeyville, it’s a great thing for us. It was fun out there. The kids had a great time from what it looked like,” said Ryan O’Reilly, a forward for the Buffalo Sabres.

“Coming here we knew it was going to be a big event for the town and I think it’s proved to be just that. The energy, even here, has been top notch,” said Jeff Skinner, a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes.

“It was pretty awesome,” said Matt Lambert, a math teacher at Bothwell. “I’m new in town, so for me to be able to get out and play hockey with some of my kids is really fun and helps me bond with them, so I really appreciated the opportunity.”

Before they left, O’Reilly and Skinner each received a gift- an autographed shirt by every student at Superior Hills, as a thank you to the players for stopping by and having some fun with them at school.