Former NHL pros hit the ice for charity in Kelowna

The pros were out in full force on the ice as the inaugural Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH) tournament took place Friday at MNP Place, surpassing all expectations.

The charity event placed seven former NHL players with six locally sponsored teams, as net proceeds from the one-day tournament went towards BGC Okanagan (formerly known as the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club).

In total, a little more than $77,000 was raised before the event, with the final amount yet to be determined.

“It surpassed our goal. We had no idea that we would expect that kind of money for our first-year event and we're looking forward to what that's gonna look like next year and the following year," said Richelle Leckey, BGC Okanagan manager of fund development and donor relations.

The list of former NHL players participating in the event included Jordin Tootoo, Ron Sutter, Cory Cross, Todd Simpson, Rene Bourque, Neil Eisenhut and Tyler Bouck.

“I've got a fun team (and) this is a great cause to get out with local people that want to support charities and help the community,” said Simpson.

HHTH has been around since 1996 and currently has 17 tournaments across the country, including the addition of the Okanagan region this year.

“We chose it (the Okanagan) because of the strong hockey presence and also the issues with homelessness, which have become more and more visible over the last few years,” said Emma Langlois, HHTH's senior business development manager.

“So we thought it was a great time to enter this market and a great place to come. With the love of hockey already here – we knew it would catch on.”

BGC Okanagan will use the net proceeds from the event to fund various programs to prevent youth homelessness in the area.

“We try to divert them (youth) to get them into a safe place whether that's back into the home that they were in through helping support the family or whether it's working with other family members,” explained Leckey.

“Or others in the community that they're connected to, that actually could provide a safe place in the interim, while we try and work with them to get them back into a place where they're connected in a healthy way with their family.”

With Friday’s event deemed a success, organizers are excited about what the future holds and growing the tournament.

“It looks like we’ll grant about $50,000 back to BGC Okanagan, which is incredible," added Langlois.

"And then we'll continue to keep trying to grow it for years to come.”