With this puck I thee wed …

Chances are Clayton Carson and his bride-to-be Jolene Scott will get cold feet on their wedding day.

Don’t worry – neither will be left standing alone at the altar.

Carson, 33, and Scott, 24, will tie the knot at centre ice of Frank Crane Arena just moments before the puck is dropped between the Nanaimo Clippers and the Victoria Grizzlies Friday (Jan. 19).

Scott will be vibrant, no doubt, in white (the Clippers’ away jersey), while Carson will be in the traditional black (Clippers home jersey).

It will be an intimate wedding; just the happy couple, two witnesses, Justice of the Peace Russ Hamilton, the Nanaimo Clippers – and 2,500 B.C. Hockey League fans.

“I get knots in my stomach just thinking about it,” said Scott. “But it was my idea. We spend so much time at Clippers games that we thought it would be the best place to get married.”

Scott has been going to Clippers games since she was 13 years old. The couple’s daughter, Anevay, 4, is already a fan and newborn son, Cache, has a team autographed jumper.

For Carson’s part, he could very well be the team’s No. 1 fan.

In 13 years, he has missed just three games, including exhibition, regular season and playoffs. He has an ancient Clippers jersey that has seen its fair share of beer, cheese sauce, french fry gravy and lord knows what else spilled on it.

“It’s pretty gross,” he said. “But it’s my original jersey. I’ve never washed it because it has years worth of players’ signatures on it.”

The jersey didn’t get an invite to the wedding, but starting Clippers goaltender Marc Cheverie did.

He’ll have the honours of delivering the rings to centre ice during the wedding vows while both teams look on from the benches. It could be his best assist of the season.

David Sales, executive director of the BCHL, said he doesn’t recall a wedding taking place before a game in the BCHL, but Chilliwack Chiefs trainer Cam Janzen was married between periods last season at a Chiefs game.

“We certainly don’t mind anything that is fun and unique like a wedding,” said Sales.

“Anybody who wants to get married at one of our games because they are a big fan is fine with us.”

Hamilton, who has performed more than 500 weddings, said he has never been part of anything like it. He presided over a wedding with a hockey theme once – everybody wore an NHL jersey – but never one that incorporated players who were just minutes away from playing a league game.

“We wrote a letter to (Clippers coach and GM) Bill Bestwick asking for permission to get married before the game,” said Scott. “Kristin (Chamut), the public relations officer, got back to us within four hours saying no problem.”

The ceremony, which will include a rendition of The Wedding March as Scott makes her way from the penalty box to centre ice, will take six minutes, nestled nicely between warm-up and game time.

There’s no word yet if the Clippers souvenir shop has a wedding registry.

reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com

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