Princeton Mayor Spencer Coyne was a VIP guest of the Vancouver Canucks at the team’s ‘Community Heroes’ game Saturday, April 9.

Coyne participated in a ceremonial puck drop, along with other honourees including the mayors of Abbotsford and Merritt, members of the Armed Forces, representatives of first responder groups, health care professionals, educators and other essential workers.

“I really don’t feel like I should have been in the same crowd as the other people,” Coyne said in an interview Sunday. “There were people there that are really heroes.”

A press release issued by the team described the event as a way to “honor the countless heroes who have contributed to their communities throughout the pandemic, floods, wildfires and other challenges facing British Columbia this year.”

Coyne admitted “it was pretty cool.”

The guests were invited to centre ice, and shook hands with the captains before the playing of the national anthems and the puck drop.

Then they watched the game from a suite. Coyne was joined by his sister and helped cheer on the home team to a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

“It was a great honour, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “It was a great honor to be recognized but really it’s the recognition of our community.

“It really is a reflection on how amazing our community did, and how we recovered and how we managed the disaster,” he added, underlining the contributions of public works and other town employees, local volunteers, police, firefighters, Ground Search and Rescue “and really just everybody.”

The Canucks organization donated $250,000 to Princeton’s Community Flood Relief Fund, and those dollars were delivered directly into the hands of flood victims last week.

“It was a great and generous donation to the community and much needed by our residents. I’m very grateful to the Canucks for the recognition of our community and everything the’ve done for us.”

Related: Vancouver Canucks donate $250,000 to Princeton flood victims

Related: Princeton mayor calls out Trudeau for lack of support to flooded town

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