VIDEO: Major surprises for minor hockey team
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This article was published 26/02/2014 (4408 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
With cautious steps, the 9A1 Fort Garry hockey team came through the door of a regular change room to an extraordinary sight.
Lord Stanley’s Mug, in all its glory, was presented (for viewing only, of course) to the members of the young team on Feb. 25 by Scotiabank for their volunteer work throughout the season.
Before the team’s 7 p.m. practice at the MTS Iceplex, players gathered around the cup touching it, pointing out past winning teams, even giving it a few risky rocks. After practice, Scotiabank organized a party for the players and their families, with the cup on display.
Cynthia Audet, manager of the Fort Garry Scotiabank (1220 Pembina Hwy), said her branch originally sponsored the team for $1,000 as part of its community sponsorship program.
Scotiabank’s head sponsorship team then contacted her asking whether or not her branch’s sponsored team had done any volunteer work.
“They sponsored a family through the Christmas Cheer Board,” Audet said, adding the parents of the family were very ill. “The mother was diagnosed with cancer, and the father, just a few days before Christmas found out that he had a brain tumour.”
Team coach Kyle Lizotte said coaches can’t take credit for the fundraising. He said the Gompef family, whose son is on the team, organized the events.
“The Gompef family, for a number of years, has supported a number of charity drives throughout the city. This year they chose Winnipeg Harvest and suggested our team sponsor a family (with the Christmas Cheer Board),” Lizotte said. “They organized a skate at our local community club and we came out and brought donations as a team.
“As a whole we raised $1,100 and 500 pounds of food in support of the one family,” Lizotte said. “Like I said to the boys who didn’t know about this surprise, good things happen to good people.”
Once Audet had explained to the main sponsorship team how much the 9A1 Fort Garry team had done, they were chosen for the surprise.
Lizotte was one of three who knew about the surprise for three weeks in advance.
“It was a tough (secret) to keep,” Lizotte said. “It was tough to convince families to come to practice early, and then to make sure siblings were here for the after-practice party too.”
‘Like I said to the boys who didn’t know about this surprise, good things happen to good people.’
— Kyle Lizotte, coach of the 9A1 Fort Garry hockey team
Nine-year-old Elliott Lewis was speechless heading onto the ice after his time with the cup. His mom Krista, however, had no idea and was really surprised that something like this would happen.
“It was a surprise for all of us, none of the parents actually knew,” Krista said. “It was incredible that they managed to do this, and for these little guys who look up to all these NHL hockey players, it’s pretty exciting for them to actually touch it and feel it.”
This spring, Elliott hopes to see the Boston Bruins name engraved on the Stanley Cup.