Marc Long skates during a Legends game for his former Pro team the Slough Jets. PHOTO COURTESY MARC LONG & SLOUGH JETS.
It was a weekend to remember for Marc Long.
The former pro hockey player, and current minor hockey coach, got a glimpse back at his past on the weekend as he traveled overseas to England to play in the Slough Jets Legends game in Slough, England; a suburb of London located near Heathrow Airport.
Long played the pro ranks in England from 2000 to 2005, with his best season being in 2002-03 when he scored 47 times along with 36 assists totalling 83 points in only 40 games.
That was the finest season for Long during his pro hockey days in England. The 34-year-old letter carrier was invited to come back for one more game in the Slough Jets uniform to support the community which saw its franchise fold at the end of the 2014 season.
“It was organized as a Legends game to show the support the community has for hockey and show the former owner that the team should still be able to play here,” said Long noting the controversial move by the Jets owner to pull the plug on the franchise this off-season.
Long made the journey across the pond with his wife Khouri who acted as the team trainer for the exhibition match.
On the ice, Long impressed the Slough faithful netting a pair of goals in a 11-10 win for Team Stef over Team Craig.
For Long, the game, the arena, and the fans brought back a flurry of memories.
“It was awesome,” said Long, who also played in the Ontario Hockey League for Oshawa and Sudbury from 1996 to 1999.
“The fans in Britain are amazing. One couple drove 2 hours to come watch me play. They are like soccer fans, they yell, scream, so it was nice to get back and see some fans who are like family to me,” he added.
The charity game overflowed into a team BBQ and auction at a nearby hotel.
The passionate Jets fans still remembered Long, as his number 71 jersey sold for 75 pounds in the local auction. His jersey was auctioned off by former teammate David Heath who Long says randomly broke into song in the middle of the auction.
Long was also asked by some current British professional players at the event if he still had his British passport noting they felt he still had some pro hockey left in him.
While it was a weekend of fun and laughs, Long says it was tough to leave the Slough arena knowing that pro hockey won’t hit the ice for the 2014-15 season.
“They were one of the longest standing pro teams in Britain,” said Long.
“The fans who have been here for 28 years won’t be able to watch a game again, it’s just terrible.”
Long's career statistics courtesy www.hockeydb.com:
