As members of indie rock band Born Ruffians, Luke Lalonde and Mitch DeRosier are part of an exclusive group of people fortunate enough to make their living in Canada as musicians.



And yet the two of them, both massive fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, still yearned to be part of another exclusive club: the group of musicians who play in the Juno Cup, an annual fundraiser hockey game for MusiCounts, contested between Canadian musicians and former NHL players during the week of the Juno Awards celebrating the best in Canadian music.



The Juno Cup began in 2004. The game is an opportunity for musicians to meet their NHL heroes as the Born Ruffians did in 2019 when they took part in the event for the first time. They were even part of the winning team.



“I got passed the trophy and I kissed it in front of Doug Gilmour and Gary Roberts. I was just like, ‘How is this happening to me right now?’” says DeRosier.



“I don’t...