Four Edmonton Oilers alumni will be in Yellowknife over Thanksgiving to play in a fundraising game to help raise money for Hockey NWT.
The celebrity hockey game begins at 2pm on Saturday, October 11 at the Ed Jeske Arena.
Former Oilers Charlie Huddy, Andrew Ference, Ben Scrivens and Georges Laraque will play alongside a to-be-determined group of Yellowknifers.
Entry will be by donation, while cash donations to Hockey NWT will be accepted at the same time. A 50/50 winner from the game will be pulled at a fundraising dinner later that night.
There will be bins for people to drop off non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army, which is co-hosting a Thanksgiving food hamper drive at the Co-op on the same day.
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“We suggest people come early,” said Kacee MacLean, who sits on the Hockey NWT board, noting the group is expecting a full house.
First Shift program to outfit 30 youth
The NHL’s First Shift program will also run in Yellowknife on Saturday morning.
The program – which already has a waitlist – will welcome 30 youth between the ages of six to 10 who have never played hockey before.
They will be outfitted with new Bauer equipment and receive six weeks of on-ice training time, starting on November 1, for $299.
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The Yellowknives Dene First Nation is covering the cost of the program for up to 10 of its young members.
The Oilers players will be in attendance to greet youth, sign autographs, take pictures and help fit kids for the new gear.
Kyle Kugler, the executive director of Hockey NWT, said the first-come, first-served program is a great opportunity for kids who are shy.
Kugler said the program also helps families who have been on the fence to gain confidence so their kids can eventually become regular members of minor hockey.
The weekend of hockey will wrap up with a fundraising dinner Hockey NWT is hosting in partnership with KidSport to raise money for the Arctic Winter Games hockey teams and community programming.
Oilers alumni who played in the afternoon game will be at the dinner and host a question-and-answer session.
When Hockey NWT hosted a similar event two years ago, it raised around $40,000 for youth hockey.
