Local hockey players hit the ice with NHL stars and Olympians in annual ‘Hockey Helps the Homeless’ event

Players hit the ice for Hockey Helps the Homeless at RIM Park in Waterloo, Ont. on Oct. 24, 2025. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

Hockey players from across Waterloo Region were given a rare opportunity to do some good for the community while skating with some of the sport’s stars.

Hockey Helps the Homeless returned to RIM Park in Waterloo this week.

The annual initiative, now its 12th year locally, gives hockey players the chance to hit the ice with former NHL stars and Olympians. In exchange, participants fundraise for local charities focused on helping people who do not have a place to call home.

“What we do is we get 290 players to sign up and go out and fundraise,” Rob Way, committee chair for Waterloo Region’s local Hockey Helps the Homeless campaign and chair of the national initiative, said. “They’re going to approach over 2,500 donors in the region, who normally wouldn’t give, to support the homeless programs in the region.”

Way said this year’s local campaign has raised enough money to invest $352,000 back into the community.

“We have six charity partners and they’re responsible for providing the emergency shelter network in the region. We disperse the funds equally each year,” he said.

Teams get to choose a professional player during a draft night ahead of game day. The team who raises the most funds get first pick.

Some of this year’s pros include former Montreal Canadiens left winger Gilbert Dionne, three-time Olympian Sami Jo Small, four-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Krushelnyski and Toronto Maple Leafs alumnus Dan Daoust.

“If you’re a player, you sign up and you get treated like a pro for a day,” Way explained. “Imagine pulling your car in front of RIM, somebody comes out, takes your bag out of your car for you, they take it to the dressing room. You get to the dressing room and your sweater is there, you’ve got food, you’ve got snacks, you’ve got everything you need for the day. You get your breakfast and lunch supplied and then you get to play with a pro. Sometimes they even have their Stanley Cup ring with them, and you can try that on. In order to be able to do that, you have to raise a minimum amount of funds. We have some people that raise $7,000 - $8,000 to play in this.”

Non-players can also take part through the event’s online auction. Some of the items up for grabs include ice time at local rinks, Centre in the Square tickets, a variety of gift cards, and sports packages.

Long after the final whistle blows, the impact can still be felt in the community.

“A number of our charity partners, this is something they count on every year,” Way said. “It’s not something they have to go out and ask people for, this is somebody else going out and fundraising for them.”