NHLPA GOALS & DREAMS DONATES 25 SETS OF HOCKEY EQUIPMENT TO THE STONEY EDUCATION AUTHORITY
…25th anniversary celebrations bring G&D and Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada together for a hockey clinic with former NHL player Mason Raymond and local youth from the Mînî Thnî community school and community hockey programs in Alberta
TORONTO/MÎNÎ THNÎ, ALBERTA (Jan. 16, 2025) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association is pleased to announce that NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated 25 complete sets of new hockey equipment to the Stoney Education Authority. While G&D continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the equipment donation was fittingly announced in Mînî Thnî as a part of Sportsnet’s Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada – also in its 25th year. Former NHL player Mason Raymond represented G&D in an on-ice hockey clinic today at Mînî Thnî Rec Centre.
“Hockey Day in Canada is a wonderful celebration of the game of hockey, and NHLPA Goals & Dreams is proud to be a part of it with a hockey equipment donation to the Stoney Education Authority in Mînî Thnî,” said Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director. “This equipment will help remove one hurdle so that more local youth who may face socio-economic challenges have additional access to playing the game. We thank longtime former NHLPA member Mason Raymond for spending time on the ice today with 40 Stoney Nakoda local youth, and we congratulate Hockey Day in Canada on reaching its own 25th anniversary.”
The new equipment from the players’ charitable program, NHLPA Goals & Dreams, will be distributed across three key programs in the Stoney Nakoda community: the Mînî Thnî Community School Hockey Canada Skills Academy; the Nakoda Elementary School Hockey Club; and the Mînî Thnî Minor Hockey program. The three programs aim to provide opportunities for youth to engage in hockey, fostering skill development, teamwork, and a love for the game. The First Nations youth at Stoney Education Authority range in age from 5 to 18 years old.
With the support of NHLPA Goals & Dreams, the community programs will be able to reach more youth in the Stoney Nakoda community with the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of hockey.
These three programs are helping to foster family engagement and build capacity for the sport within the community. The Mînî Thnî Community School Hockey Canada Skills Academy focuses on skill development and character building through hockey, allowing students to grow both on and off the ice. The Nakoda Elementary School Hockey Club provides young players with an introduction to the sport in a supportive and fun environment, encouraging physical activity and teamwork. Mînî Thnî Minor Hockey supports grassroots hockey development, ensuring young players have the resources to pursue their passion.
The NHLPA Goals & Dreams donation to the Stoney Education Authority will be featured in the broadcast, during Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada’s day-long hockey celebration, live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ beginning at 1pm ET on January 18.
