Huskies set to host Ukrainian national hockey team for charity game

Ukrainian hockey team plays Sask. WATCH: The University of Saskatchewan’s men’s hockey team will play an exhibition game with a team from the Ukraine.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey team is set to host the Ukrainian national men's hockey team for a unique exhibition game Friday.

The match is the first part of four games in the Hockey Can't Stop tour as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Calgary will each play a game against the Ukrainians.

"Some of our guys on our team do have Ukrainian heritage so it does make this game a little bit more special, you know, having them here and having the ability to support them and hopefully try and get hockey going over there again," Huskies forward Jared Dmytriw said Thursday following the team's final practice ahead of the game.

The game not only allows the Ukrainian team reprieve and a place to practice, but it's also raising money to keep hockey alive in Ukraine with roughly 40 per cent of all arenas in the country destroyed, damaged, looted or located in occupied territories.

"I think it's one of those things that it would take (some time) to process, but years down the road, I think it's just something that you might look back on and really, I guess, appreciate the fact that we're able to take part," Huskies head coach Brandin Cote said.

All ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which assists humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The foundation will send a majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with the assistance of the IIHF.

The game is also serving as much-needed preparation for the Huskies and the Ukrainians. The Huskies are in a break between its fall term and winter term games, with the second half of the season set to begin against Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C. on Jan. 6.

The Ukrainians are in the midst of a series of games across North America culminating in the Winter University Games in Lake Placid, New York from Jan. 11 to 23.

"There's a lot more meaning to it than just than just hockey. And we're all looking forward to having them here and supporting them," Dmytriw said.

Even though a strong contingent of Ukrainian Canadians are expected to be in the crowd, which could tip the crowd support towards the Ukrainians, Cote is fortunate to start the second half of the season with a good cause taking the spotlight.

"This sort of just fell in our lap, and it made sense for us to do it. A lot of planning and legwork in terms of getting someone to bring in here having to travel somewhere. I think, logistically, it worked out way better for us to host this event here," Cote said.

The puck drop is at 6 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.