The spandex-clad Green Men are saying goodbye to hockey fans across B.C. with a 10-city farewell tour for charity. They will be at the Comox Valley Sports Centre on Saturday, Feb. 7 when the Comox Valley Glacier Kings host the Nanaimo Buccaneers in a 7:30 p.m. start.
Renowned for tormenting opposing players at Vancouver Canucks’ home games, Sully (Ryan Sullivan) and Force (Adam Forsythe) will be donning green for appearances at WHL, BCHL and VIJHL hockey games as far afield as Trail and Prince George. They started Jan. 10 in Victoria and will end March 13 in Vancouver.
“We’re taking our shtick to hockey arenas around the province and it’s going to be a blast!” says Forsythe, the taller of the two men in green. “We’ll be raising roofs and raising funds for kidney cancer research at the Canadian Cancer Society.”
The duo will be seeking donations to the charity during photo and autograph sessions being held throughout the tour. It’s a deeply personal matter for Sullivan.
“The reason that we’re doing kidney cancer is because that’s what I lost my grandfather to almost a decade ago,” he says.
The two friends started wearing the now iconic green spandex suits during the 2009-2010 season, establishing a loyal fan base through regular appearances on TV sports highlight reels and on social media channels. They were inducted into the ESPN Hall of Fans in 2012.
“After five years of pulling outrageous stunts in those stretchy outfits, we decided it was finally time to send ’em to the cleaners,” says Sullivan. “B.C. hockey fans built this. It’s only fitting we get to end it together!”
The Green Men Farewell Tour is being presented by Pacific Coastal Airlines, a Richmond-based company that provides regular scheduled service to more than 65 destinations in B.C.
