As the Detroit Red Wings celebrated their last game at Joe Louis Arena in April and team legends like Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan returned to join in the festivities, Chris Limback got an idea.

What if the Alpena High School hockey program did that?

Limback’s idea will become a reality next month when Alpena hosts a reunion. The reunion will be held on August 26 and consist of two different events. The first is a golf outing at Alpena Golf Club in the morning and a reunion at Northern Lights Arena at night.

With a 43-year history that includes three state championships, two-runner-up finishes and more than 600 wins, the idea for a reunion seemed like a no-brainer to Limback.

“We have a rich story and it’s something we should do,” Limback said. “It’s the first time people might have seen each other in many years, so it’ll be neat to hear the stories and see the history of the program.”

Limback, Alpena’s current coach, will be on hand for the reunion as will former coaches and presumably dozens of former players. The key piece for the reunion however was getting legendary coach Tony Byers to make an appearance.

Byers coached the Wildcats for 16 seasons and led them to three state titles, so Limback said having him at the reunion was paramount. Byers is also in his 70s, so Limback wanted to hold an event like this while Byers was still able to attend.

Alpena’s first coach, Mike Steel, was also contacted, but will not be able to attend.

“I asked the Blue Line Club about it and they thought it would be a good idea,” Limback said. “Tony was available, so it was a no-brainer. We can’t have the celebration without him.”

The golf outing will be a four-man, 18-hole scramble with teams made up of participants close to their graduating year.

The arena event is open to current and former players plus anyone associated with the program. It will be open to the public for a donation.

There will also be advertisements sold for anyone interested for $44–one dollar per year of existence.

Anyone with any questions can contact Limback at limbackc@alpenaschools.com or 657-4023.