HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM
Launched in 1999 as a way for NHLPA members to give something back to the game they love, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund continues its commitment to aiding in the development of grassroots hockey programs around the world. Through the donation of hockey equipment, NHLPA Goals & Dreams gives deserving children the opportunity to play hockey-- a sport that educates players in teamwork, commitment, discipline and physical fitness, but also includes a substantial financial obligation.
NHLPA Goals & Dreams is quite simply the largest grassroots hockey assistance program in the world, having donated more than $20 million to grassroots hockey programs and other miscellaneous causes in the past 12 years. In fact, more than 60,000 economically disadvantaged children in 25 countries worldwide have benefited from equipment donations the players have made since 1999.
All NHLPA Goals & Dreams donations are governed by an Advisory Board comprised of a selection of hockey’s best, including; 1972 Summit Series hero and former NHL player Paul Henderson; St. Louis Blues President and former NHL goaltender John Davidson; the host of CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada Ron MacLean; former NHL players Adam Graves, Kris King, Kirk McLean, Jyrki Lumme, Shjon Podein, Pavel Bure, Markus Naslund, Ville Nieminen and Mats Sundin; along with current NHLPA Members Adrian Aucoin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Mike Komisarek, Pavel Kubina, Mark Parrish and Jon Sim. NHLPA Staff members and former NHL players Mathieu Schneider and Rob Zamuner also sit on the Advisory Board and help with the overall direction of the program on a day-today basis.
The players' program is intended to provide equipment grants for grassroots hockey programs, although it does not to serve as a substitute for existing funding or fundraising activities. During its first five years, NHLPA Goals & Dreams provided funding to arenas, providing 75 ice re-surfacers and more than 110 sets of boards and glass to community arenas in small towns in Europe and North America. The NHLPA Goals & Dreams Advisory Board then elected to focus the program's efforts solely on providing equipment for deserving children and families that needed financial assistance to get involved with the sport.
Despite this transition, NHLPA Goals & Dreams still receives requests for emergency arena repairs and requests from individual families who find themselves in unique financial situations due to economic or social reasons, such as job loss, divorce, or death of a family member. As a result, and in order to help serve even more people and communities worldwide that face challenges helping children play hockey, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund launched the NHLPA Goals & Dreams Game-Changer Award in November 2010.
In its 13th year now, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund will take the best from its first twelve years of accomplishments and continue to build on them - with the aim of bringing the sport of hockey to more deserving children worldwide. The players take great pride in this program and their reward is seeing the smiling faces of the children that have benefitted from their efforts.
To apply to the Goals & Dreams fund or to nominate a family or community for the Game-Changer Award, click here.