DARTMOUTH, N.S. - Several hundred hockey players of all ages and skill levels took to the ice in large numbers for Hockey Helps the Homeless, a one-day tournament raising money to combat a growing homelessness problem in Nova Scotia and across Canada. “We’ve got 330 players, and 22 teams this year, which means this is now the largest and the fastest-growing tournament in Canada,” said tournament chair Don Murray, who helped organize the event at the RBC Centre arena complex in Dartmouth. “The homeless issue is a big deal for us in Nova Scotia, and I think it is necessary that people rally behind it and support it and try to help this cause.” The single-day tournament featured 36 games with each of the 22 teams rostered alongside a former NHL player. “I think hockey in Canada brings everyone together,” said Brandon Prust, who played 486 games in the NHL over nine seasons. “This is my fourth straight year playing in this event and I love coming to it.” The charity tournament raised more than $350,000. Proceeds will directly support Vets Canada, Adsum for Women & Children, a Halifax-based emergency shelter and Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, which operates 14 locations providing meals and housing across Nova Scotia. “It will feed thousands and it will shelter hundreds in overnight shelters for women, for children and men in our recovery program,” said Cherry Laxton, CEO of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission. “The lives it will touch in the end, are countless.” According to Murray, there are 23 Hockey Helps the Homeless tournaments held across Canada each year. The Nova Scotia event began in 2018 and has since generated more than a $1 million. Organizers hope to expand the local tournament to 40 teams in the future to more than double their fundraising capacity. “We as a committee want to compete and match other efforts across the country and raise the bar for everyone,” Murray said. “We think we can grow this and raise more than a million dollars in one day.” Prust said the ex-professional players enjoy the opportunity to play, meet fans and leverage their talents for a good cause. “I think hockey in Canada brings everyone together,” Prust said. “We are raising money for a great cause and hockey is our sport,” “It’s a great way to get everyone together, have fun and raise money.”
