A few local charities are benefitting from hockey legends.
The Campbell River Oldtimers Hockey Club hosted the Legends of Hockey fundraiser last weekend. The fundraiser featured NHL alumni and Ray Bourque and Al Lafrate from the Boston Bruins Alumni Association helped out with the event.
Troy Roblee is part of the Oldtimers Hockey Club and he says the fundraiser was a huge success.
“The event was awesome. I’m so proud of my community. We were able to raise $36, 000,” Roblee said.
Roblee adds Cameryn’s Cause and the Campbell River Minor Hockey received their share of the $36, 000 on Friday morning.
“They’re over the moon. We raised more money than we both – what they thought and what I thought.”
The rest of the money will go to the Oldtimers Hockey Club. Roblee says the club will then distribute their share to other groups in town.
He says he’s been asked again and again already if the fundraiser event will come back.
“There will be games. When, I’m not sure yet. I’m not sure if we’ll make it an annual (event) or a two-year thing or a three-year thing. It probably won’t be the Boston Bruins next time, it’ll possibly be the Leafs, possibly an NHL All-Star game.”
Roblee says it was also a great experience to be on the ice with former NHL players.
“I’ve done it a few times now, and it’s just a high. You’re not out there trying to score goals, you’re there to have fun and you’re just in awe of the heroes that you had when you were a kid. And watching them joke around with you and your buddies, it’s not different than being in a dressing room with those guys.”
“It’s just an awesome, phenomenal experience,” he added.
He also says the alumni don’t take these events lightly.
“They love doing this. They don’t have to do this (but) they do this to help communities raise money. They were pumped when I was in the dressing room with them and they saw how the rink was full.”
“They loved coming into our city.”
Roblee says the Legends of Hockey event is a precursor to another event in March: Hometown Hockey. He says he can’t wait for another amazing experience.
