As Ryan Peake - Nickelback's lead guitarist and backup singer - belts out every weekend to launch CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, "Saturday night's alright for fighting."

But a Friday morning twirl on the ice, competing in one of the country's largest oldtimers' hockey tournament, with your big brother and dad is even more thrilling.

"Actually, it's more like Friday morning is good for working off a hangover, so thank you Victoria," said Peake, who managed to join big brother Jason - a Parksville chiropractor who was celebrating his 40th birthday - and retired father, Jimmy, on opening day of the 35th Annual CARHA Pacific Cup.

The trio formed a line for the Farmers hockey club, which had plenty of vocal support in the Pearkes Arena stands from friends and family, a few of which travelled into Victoria from Hanna, Alta., where Nickelback originated.

"I've wanted to play in this tournament for a while, so it was great to make it out here and bring in some guys from Alberta and have a good time," said Jason, who entered the group in the 130team tournament that is being played in numerous Victoria and area arenas.

Jason also opened the scoring in the team's first of a minimum of three games, wasting little time in tapping in a rebound of Jimmy's long wrist shot just 1: 24 into the first half (team's play two 20-minute stop-time periods) of what ended up to be a 3-3 draw against the Manthers.

"It was a lot of fun, for me, with these two guys," said Jimmy, who at 65 is well known among the oldtimer hockey players in the Parksville area, where he retired after owning a car dealership in Hanna. "It doesn't happen very often, so we were really looking forward to this."

"He's the best hockey player out of all of us and the most competitive," Ryan said of his dad. "You have to keep your wits about ya when you're playing with Jimmy."

Ryan managed to collect a goal of his own to make it 3-0 Farmers (after Dan Pelchat collected the second goal). Jason had a goal and an assist, while Jimmy had two helpers, in on both his son's goals.

It's rare that Ryan actually manages to strap on the blades, although he has laced them up with some big-name company as members of Nickelback occasionally skate with National Hockey League clubs, when the band is on tour.

"Yeah, we get a chance every once in a while. We've skated with Phoenix, when [Wayne] Gretzky took over down there and also with the [New York] Islanders.

[Garth] Snow took a few shots in goal from us, which was pretty pathetic on our behalf," chuckled Ryan.

"But it was a good time. Whenever we get a chance to go skating, we do. It's humbling, but I don't want to quit my night job."

The band is said to have a strong relationship with former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood and Nickelback lead man, Chad Kroeger, often hangs out with NHLers. Kroeger also has a rink in the basement of his Vancouver area residence, where the boys take the odd spin.

"No comment," Ryan said when asked if that's where he schools his bandmate.

"I wasn't an athlete," Ryan said. "This is one sport where you can get involved in a team event. This is a sport that sticks with you. If you can't skate, you don't get your passport in Canada."

In fact, Ryan, 38, said the last time he managed to get skates on was a year ago when Jason celebrated his 39th birthday.

"That's our annual skate," said Ryan, who moved to Vancouver with the band in 1996.

Nickelback has also used athletes in the odd music video, including Gretzky and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who appear, lip synching the words, on Rock Star.

But Friday was about being a hockey star as the Peake family managed to team up.

"I got lucky today," Jason said of his goal. "It was an awesome game. We [the brothers] both got a goal, so it was very rare."

And with two assists, Jimmy - competing in the 19-plus age group because of late entrance - might have to keep up the point average.

"I guess so, yeah," he said with a proud grin and his arms around his smiling sons.

mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com