People were lined up out the arena door for a chance to meet hockey star Chris Pronger after the Dryden Centennial Parade on Saturday, July 31.
The 2010 Olympic gold medallist and Stanley Cup finalist was awarded the title of Grand Marshal for the Centennial event, dressed in his Canadian jersey and sporting a gold medal and a few championship rings.
Pronger says it’s an honour to be part of such an event and congratulates Dryden on 100 years.
“It’s something that’s pretty special for the town. It’s something that only comes around once so it’s pretty special.”
Pronger adds that he has some fond memories of playing minor hockey in Dryden, whether it was at the arena or street hockey in front of his home.
“There’s always a lot of special moments and memories you remember for your lifetime and you always think back on how you got started, how your career got started and it obviously started here. It becomes a big part of how you get back to your roots and if you’re struggling with how you play, you always think back about what you did in minor hockey.”
Although adding a Stanley Cup to the front seat of the shining red Corvette  during the parade would have been nice, he said it was a great season, especially having the opportunity to play alongside other players from Northwestern Ontario.
“I haven’t had the chance to play with too many guys from Northwestern Ontario. This year, I got to play with Mike (Richards) from Kenora and Ryan (Parent) from Sioux Lookout, a little bit of a northern connection. Both guys played extremely well for us and immediately having that connection knowing what you’re talking about like coming up fishing for the summer or mutual friends or acquaintances, you can bond over stuff like that.”
Pronger adds he’ll be in town throughout the week for the centennial events.