COEUR d'ALENE - Hockey fans will have the opportunity to watch a game to remember between former National Hockey League players like Hockey Hall of Fame members Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull, and local hockey players on July 11 at Frontier Ice Arena.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson, a former Coeur d'Alene Laker and Spokane Chief who recently wrapped up his rookie season in the NHL, paid a visit to the arena to talk about the game, which will begin at 6 p.m.

In a press conference right outside the hockey rink Tuesday, Johnson joined Adam Deadmarsh, a former NHL forward who played 10 seasons with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings, and will coach the team of local players, and current NHL referee Dennis LaRue, who will officiate the game, to talk about Hockey Fest, to be held July 11 at Frontier Ice Arena. The proceeds will benefit the nonprofit ice arena and local youth hockey.

Before the game, there will be a public skate from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by a hockey skills clinic for kids 10 and under with Johnson from 2:45-3:45 p.m., then a 'stick and puck' clinic for youth ages 18 and under leading up to the game. All of the pregame events are free and open to the public.

There are a handful of former NHL players who own homes at Gozzer Ranch in Harrison.

"We're excited to have this Hockey Fest," Johnson said. "People from the Gozzer Ranch community have been so generous for putting this on to really help out with the community. It's going to be a fun day for everybody. We're really looking forward to it and the entire day will be loaded with lots of things to do. This will be for people to kind of experience hockey and whether you play hockey or not, you can go out there and skate, so I think that'll be a lot of fun."

Johnson was born in Spokane, played for the Coeur d'Alene Lakers for two seasons in 2005-07, then he played for the Spokane Chiefs from 2007-2011. This past season with Tampa Bay, he scored 24 goals and had 26 assists in helping the Lightning finish 46-27-9 and reach the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they lost in a four-game sweep to the Montreal Canadiens. Johnson was a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year and he played for Team USA at the World Championships in Belarus. On May 18, he signed a three-year extension worth $10 million. The 23-year-old talked about giving back to the local community.

"It's my home," Johnson said. "I absolutely love it here. I think it's the most beautiful place on Earth. Out in Coeur d'Alene in the summer, I don't know if it gets much better than that. I love the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area, I've been here my whole life. I never see myself leaving, if I ever have the opportunity to help out in any way possible, I feel like I should be doing that, just because I love it so much. They (the arena) do an extremely job of giving kids the opportunity to play hockey and hopefully we can raise a lot of money and help out a lot of families."

Deadmarsh was part of the Avalanche team that in 1996 won the Stanley Cup. He also won a gold medal at the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and a silver medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, competing for the United States.

"I've been in this area close to 10 years now and it sure is nice to see hockey growing the way it is," Deadmarsh said. "All the money raised for these events is going to help out local families that may need some assistance in playing hockey. At times, it can be an expensive sport, but it's truly a great sport. It's a lifelong sport and I think every kid should have an opportunity to play it."

The arena will sell 600 tickets that will go on sale on Monday. Tickets range between $20 and $35. Tickets can be purchased by calling 765-4423 emailing info@kyro.org

Some of the other former NHL players who are scheduled to play include Russ Courtnall, who played for seven different teams from 1983-1999.

"He's been instrumental with the Gozzer (Ranch) people as far as lining this up," Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization president Vince Hughes said. "He's made all the contacts with the players who come out for the summer out there and he's worked with Tyler and Denny to shore up the Coeur d'Alene side," "Without Russ getting it started, we wouldn't have this."

Other former players will include former Montreal Canadiens player and head coach Guy Carbonneau, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and 20-year veteran, Brad May, who won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks as part of a 20-year NHL career, and Keith Carney, a defenseman who played for six teams from 1991-2008. Also slated to play is Brenden Morrow, 35, who played this past season with the St. Louis Blues. He also played with Dallas and Pittsburgh after starting his NHL career in 1999.

Johnson will play on the local team. Some other players on the local team will include Tanner Mort, who played for the Coeur d'Alene Lakers from 2007-09 and the Spokane Chiefs from 2009-2013. Mort is retired from hockey and is attending the University of Idaho to study engineering. Tyler Mort from Eastern Washington University, who played the past season for York University, will also be one of the local players. Both were born in Post Falls.

LaRue has been an NHL official for 26 seasons.

"People are really a part of the community that they're involved in," LaRue said. "They really do, throughout North America, give back in different rinks like this and whether it's small towns in the Northwest, this is another great example of their dedication to the sport and to the community around here and giving back to the people who helped them. This is a testament to who they are. I hope guys are going to be genuinely entertained by the quality cast of characters that are going to be assembled in July."

During intermission of the game, a live auction for a game-worn Lightning jersey worn by Johnson, plus a raffle for a round of golf with Johnson and Courtnall at Gozzer Ranch.