Hamilton Bulldogs will attempt to raise $50,000 for Cpl. Nathan Cirillo's son

As NHL teams show their appreciation for veterans and current members of the military in both the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday, the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs will do their part on Dec. 5 during Military Appreciation Night.

But it won’t just be a regular night of honoring veterans and current military members. The Bulldogs will also be paying tribute fallen soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was killed last month in a shooting at the Canadian War Memorial in Ottawa.

When the Bulldogs host the Toronto Marlies next month, they’ll do so wearing special uniforms designed in conjunction with the Cirillo family that will have features of the solidier’s Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment ceremonial attire.

The chest patch just above the Bulldogs logo will read “In Memory of Cpl. Cirillo.”

Along with Cirillo’s father and sister, his five-year old son, Marcus, will be in attendance for a pre-game ceremonial puck drop. The Bulldogs will take $2 from every ticket sold and put it toward the Marcus Cirillo Trust. That, along with an auction of the team’s specialty uniforms, will help in an attempt to reach a goal of $50,000.

“(Marcus) has got a life ahead of him where he’s not going to know his dad,” Bulldogs president Stephen Ostaszewicz told Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. “So if we can rally together to put him in the best economic situation possible so he can live life to the fullest without being disadvantaged … for us it really hits home.”

Hamilton has been averaging just under 4,400 fans a game this season, but given the specialness of the night, Ostaszewicz should see a full building of over 17,000 fans, giving the team a great start toward their goal of $50,000 for Marcus.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

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