NHLPA GOALS & DREAMS CUP HELD TO CELEBRATE PLAYERS' PARTNERSHIP WITH KIDSPORT BC

Vancouver Canucks players Burrows, Hamhuis and Raymond served as honourary coaches…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Monday, October 17

The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) Goals & Dreams fund hosted the Goals & Dreams Cup at Hillcrest Arena in Vancouver today to launch their annual equipment donation (50 complete sets) to KidSport BC.  The Goals & Dreams Cup featured children from KidSport BC and Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS), who are all past recipients of NHLPA Goals & Dreams donations. The kids hit the ice for a fun hockey game that was coached by Alex Burrows, Dan Hamhuis and Mason Raymond of the Vancouver Canucks.

""It was great to be out there with the kids. It is so rewarding to be part of the NHLPA Goals & Dreams initiatives. There is nothing better than seeing the kids with huge smiles on their faces because they are finally getting the chance to play hockey,"" said Alex Burrows, Vancouver Canucks forward and Team KidSport member. “KidSport™ BC does a great job of helping kids play all sports and I’m glad I can lend my support.""

The NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund has partnered with KidSport™ programs in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and the Maritime provinces. In total, NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $400,000 worth of hockey equipment to KidSport™ nationally since 2003. Across the country, many NHL players have participated in Goals & Dreams Cup celebrations and KidSport events.

“The ongoing support from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund is a tremendous assistance to KidSport™ in removing some of the barriers that otherwise would prevent Canadian children from playing hockey. Through the donation of brand-new hockey equipment, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund has demonstrated their commitment to helping us give more kids a chance to participate in sports,” said Pete Quevillon, KidSport BC Director.

KidSport™ was founded in 1993, as the charitable arm of Sport BC, to provide financial aid to children who could not afford sport registration fees. In 2010, KidSport BC helped more than 5400 kids play a season of sport through grants totaling over $900,000.

In 1999, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) launched the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 11 years, more than 60,000 deserving children in 25 countries have benefited from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams donations of full sets of hockey equipment. To date, NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $20-million to grassroots hockey programs around the world making it the largest program of its kind.