KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -

Canadian troops in Afghanistan were left keeling over in laughter Tuesday night with the surreal sight of comedian Tom Green making light of everything from Saddam Hussein's capture to his fight with testicular cancer.

"Sometimes I think about my battle with cancer and I think I wouldn't trade it for anything," Green told hundreds of military members at Kandahar Airfield.

"Then I think, 'Ah, actually, I'd trade it for my right testicle. I wouldn't mind getting that back."'

Green's profanity-laced stand-up capped a day of music, autograph sessions and ball hockey games as the so-called Team Canada paid a visit in what is expected to be its last trip to the sprawling airbase before Canada ends its military mission in Afghanistan.

Former NHL stars and mixed martial artists hammed it up with Canadian military members who are preparing to wind down combat operations in July.

Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald, who has travelled to Kandahar twice before, said he returned because he enjoys providing a welcome diversion for battle-hardened soldiers.

"It's great for the troops because it's a little break in their action," McDonald said.

"They can kind of forget about some of the things that they're going through. We can maybe show them some lighter side of the game and have a little bit of fun out here. It works out great all the way around."

Pierre Turgeon, who is on his first trip to Kandahar, said he relished the opportunity to meet a few of the roughly 2,800 Canadian servicemen and women stationed here.

"Everyone's thankful that we're here, but I've got to be honest with you, it's just a privilege for us to be here," Turgeon said.

"It's so much fun to be around these guys and we enjoy it. Big time."

Earlier in the day, the hockey stars duked it out in a pickup ball hockey game with a team comprised of Canadian Forces personnel in what was billed as "Hockey Morning in Kandahar." Cheerleaders for the Montreal Alouettes strutted their stuff during intermissions in a game that saw the old-timers defeat the Forces 11-6, despite former NHL goaltender Mark LaForest's smoke breaks.

Warrant Officer Michael Coyle, who is serving his first tour in Kandahar, said seeing the ex-NHLers was an unexpected thrill.

"This is almost surreal to see these guys in theatre," the North Bay, Ont., native said.

"It means everything to the troops ... they grew up with these names and to see their childhood heroes come out playing hockey, especially with the Canadian soldiers playing ball hockey with them, they love it."

As day gave way to night, Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan took centre stage on the airfield's boardwalk, flanked by the cheerleaders.

"We here are supporting the gang that are out doing all that great work, trying to make Afghanistan a better place," said Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner.

Green later took the mike in a R-rated routine that at one point poked fun at the December 2003 capture of former Iraq president Saddam Hussein.

"One second the guy is the king of his own country," Green said.

"The next second, they're pulling him out of the ground looking like Nick Nolte's mug shot. He looked like Ron Jeremy on a bender."

The Team Canada visits are organized by the military periodically in a bid to boost troop morale.