The Perani Arena showcased old-time hockey on Feb. 20 when the alumni of the Flint Generals took on the alumni of the Detroit Red Wings and the NHL.

The Wings won 7-5.

It was the first time in 15 years that the arena has been sold out.

Mark Farner, of Grand Funk Railroad fame who attended Kearsley High School in the ’60s, sang “America the Beautiful,” and perennial Red Wings national anthem singer Karen Newman of Grand Blanc sang the national anthem.

It was obvious that the players wanted to have fun. They all talked among each other and patted each other on the backs.

The crowd was animated, yelling, “oooh,” each time there was an attempt at a goal or when a player ad fell, no matter what team it was. The fans also did the wave all around the arena.

At one point, Darren McCarty switched from playing with the Wings to playing with the Generals. Of course, he did play professionally for both teams.

Some of the players, like Mickey Redmond and McCarty, played old school by not wearing a helmet.

Between periods, some of the alumni players’ jerseys were auctioned, with proceeds benefitting the United Way of Genesee County – an organization focused on helping individuals and families achieve their potential through education, income stability, and healthy lives.

The auction’s proceeds also went to the Old Newsboys of Flint, an organization that has made Christmas wishes come true for more than 700,000 local children over the past 90 years.

The auction was a success, especially considering the Redmond jersey that was sold for $1,000.

Not only did the crowd have fun, but so did the alumni teams.

The players for the Generals were:

Lorne Knauft – A defenseman that played in eight leagues, including eight seasons with the Generals. He posted a career-high 59 points during the 1996-97 season and was part of the 1999-2000 Colonial Cup championship team.

Jim Duhart – A right wing that suited up for 11 teams, including seven seasons with the Generals. He posted 247 goals during his time in Flint.

Stephan Brochu – Drafted by the Rangers, a defenseman, tallied a career-high 72 points during the 1997-98 season with the Generals and closed out his professional career in Flint in 2001.

Larry Bernard – A left wing who played for both the Flint Bulldogs (1992-93) and Flint Generals (1993-95).

Keith Whitmore – This defenseman got his start in the Ontario Hockey League before joining the ECHL and then signed with the Generals in 1993, where he posted a career high 19 goals and 59 assists that season.

Jason Glover – The right wing played three of his 11 professional seasons with the Generals, posting 101 goals and 116 assists.

Dale Greenwood – Played center and started his career in Flint in 1999, helping the Generals win the Colonial Cup in 2000 and playing through the 2002-03 season.

John Heasty – The left wing first took the ice in Flint with the Bulldogs in 1991 and, later, with the Generals, from 1993-98.

Ross Wilson – This right wing suited up for 14 teams in five leagues during his career. He tallied a career-high of 53 goals and 56 assists for the Generals during the 1996-97 season.

The players for the Red Wings were:

Jimmy Carson – Who played center, started his NHL career with the Kings, and had a career high of 55 goals and 52 assists while in Los Angeles during the 1987-88 season.

Brent Fedyk – Drafted by the Red Wings, the right wing suited up for 12 teams in five leagues, including the Flyers and the Rangers.

Joey Kocur – Kocur – one half of the “Bruise Brothers” with Bob Probert – was one of the most penalized players in NHL history, totaling 2,519 penalty minutes in stints with the Red Wings, Rangers, and Canucks.

Eddie Mio – This goalie was drafted by the Blackhawks in 1974 and closed out his pro career with the Red Wings in 1986.

John Ogrodnick – This right wing posted a career-high of 55 goals and 50 assists with the Red Wings during the 1984-85 season and finished his NHL career in 1993 with 402 goals and 425 assists.

Petr Klima – The left wing started and closed out his NHL career with the Red Wings – with stints on five other teams – and posted 313 goals in his 13 NHL seasons.

Kevin Miller – A Michigan State graduate who played on the U.S. National Team before making the jump to the NHL in 1988. He played for 10 NHL teams.

Al Iafrate – A member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1983-84, the defenseman opened his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs and closed it out with the San Jose Sharks.

Wayne Presley – This right wing player first suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1984 where he posted a career-high of 32 goals and 29 assists two years later.

Sergei Samsonov – This left wing began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins and went on to tally 571 NHL points in 14 seasons.

Darren McCarty – The retired right winger scored the Stanley Cup-clincher goal to help the Red Wings break a 42 year absence in the 1996-97 season. He is an OHL veteran of the Generals and the Belleville Bulls and is noted for his charitable work on behalf of Multiple Myeloma.

Mickey Redmond – A former right winger and 10 year NHL veteran. Redmond had back-to-back 50 goal seasons for the Red Wings in 1972-73 and 1973-74 before joining the Red Wings broadcast team. He played his junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes.

Pat Peake – Drafted 14th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and in 134 career NHL games, he scored 28 goals and added 41 assists.

Dino Ciccarelli – Played four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings in the second half of his career. Throughout his career, Ciccarelli totaled 1,200 points in 1,232 games played and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bryan Smolinski – Drafted 21st overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins and tallied 651 points in 1,056 games played during his 14 year career. He ended his professional career with the Flint Generals in the IHL.

Craig Wolanin – Was drafted third overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and played 13 seasons in the NHL, which resulted in a Stanley Cup victory with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Jon Finstrom – Center from New Baltimore, Mich., he played 11 professional seasons and was twice voted the best two-way player in the United Hockey League with the Port Huron Border Cats.

Rolf Nilsen – The left wing from Norway and Cape Coral, Fla., is a former ski jumper in his second season with the Red Wing Alumni. Nilsen is the new owner of the Perani Arena & Event Center and the OHL franchise that will begin play in Flint this fall.