TORONTO (Oct. 26, 2017) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) is pleased to announce that the players’ grassroots hockey initiative, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams (G&D) fund, will donate a total of $150,000 worth of brand new hockey equipment to 12 different youth hockey programs throughout the first round of G&D distributions for the 2017-18 hockey season.
These donations will further help children worldwide play the game of hockey. G&D is funded entirely by the members of the NHLPA, and was launched in 1999 as a way for the players to give back. Over the past 17-plus years, more than 70,000 children in 34 countries have benefited from the donations, totaling more than $24 million.
“It means a lot to give back to future generations through our NHLPA Goals & Dreams program,” said Brooks Orpik, NHLPA member, Washington Capitals defenceman and G&D ambassador for the Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization in Fort Washington, Maryland. “The first step to being able to play is having the right equipment and G&D does a great job outfitting children in grassroots programs around the world.”
Many current NHLPA members have teamed up with G&D to support youth programs in their hometown or NHL city, which will enable more children to play hockey. Throughout the season, G&D will continue its regular giving cycle by donating hockey equipment to grassroots programs around the world.
“I am proud that our NHLPA Goals & Dreams program has focused on helping more children play hockey by distributing equipment at the grassroots level, because we know that not everyone is afforded the same opportunity,” said Derek MacKenzie, NHLPA member, Florida Panthers captain and G&D ambassador for the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer in Sudbury, Ontario.
“Since beginning operations in 2000, HEROS has worked with more than 7,500 boys and girls achieve their goals on the ice and assisting in their dreams off the ice. The NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund has been there from the beginning,” said Norm Flynn, founder and executive director of HEROS, a G&D donation recipient program. “For more than 17 years the program has donated over 450 sets of equipment to children across Canada in the HEROS program.”
G&D will hold monthly events across North America, from November through February, to celebrate some of these donations in their local city. Each of the events will feature current NHLPA members who will engage with children from the youth hockey programs in on-ice and off-ice activities. The details of these donations and events, as well as additional G&D hockey equipment distributions from the Players will be announced throughout the season.
G&D 2017-18 EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTIONS – FIRST ROUND
Youth Program
Location
G&D Donation
Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization
Fort Washington, Maryland
23 skater sets, 2 goalie sets
Orebro Hockey Club
Orebro, Sweden
5 skater sets, 5 goalie sets
United Heroes League
Hastings, Minnesota
21 skater sets, 4 goalie sets
Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer
Sudbury, Ontario
15 sets
Deux-Montagnes Police Force Hockey Program
Deux-Montagnes, Quebec
20 skater sets, 4 goalie sets
HEROS
Surrey, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba
46 skater sets, 4 goalie sets
Ice Factor Hockey Program
Thebarton, Australia
25 sets
Herb Brooks Foundation
Blaine, Minnesota
50 sets of skates, 50 helmets, gloves and sticks
RCMP/ Parliamentary Protective Services Hockey Program
Ottawa, Ontario
23 skater sets, 2 goalie sets
Hawthorne Power and Force Hockey Program
Hawthorne, California
25 sets
Pioneer Park School Hockey Program
Kitchener, Ontario
23 skater sets, 2 goalie sets
Yonkers Force Hockey Program
Yonkers, New York
23 skater sets, 2 goalie sets
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About NHLPA Goals & Dreams
Launched in 1999 as a way for the players to give back to the game they love, NHLPA Goals & Dreams (G&D) has donated over $24 million to grassroots hockey programs. Over the past 17 years, more than 70,000 deserving children have benefited from receiving G&D donations of full sets of hockey equipment. The players’ program has also assisted with upgrades and the building of hundreds of arenas worldwide in addition to the hockey equipment donations. G&D donations have spanned a total of 34 countries to date: Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine and the United States of America. For more information, please visit www.NHLPA.com.
