TOMÁŠ TATAR AND NHLPA GOALS & DREAMS DONATE 25 SETS OF HOCKEY EQUIPMENT TO PAVOL DEMITRA PRIMARY AND KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL IN SLOVAKIA
TORONTO, Canada/Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia (July 23, 2025) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association announced today that Tomáš Tatar and NHLPA Goals & Dreams have donated 25 complete sets of new hockey equipment through the players’ charitable program to the Pavol Demitra Primary and Kindergarten School.
In a moment that brought full-circle a childhood memory of first meeting NHL player Pavol Demitra, Tomáš Tatar returned to his hometown this week to present new hockey equipment to the students of the Pavol Demitra Primary and Kindergarten School in Dubnica nad Váhom. Tatar was joined by Mayor of Dubnica nad Váhom Peter Wolf, school officials and local youth hockey players and residents for the presentation of the equipment. Together, they celebrated the school’s athletic legacy and its mission to foster opportunity, no matter a child’s background.
“Everybody loves hockey here,” said Tomas Tatar, longtime NHLPA member. “I look back at some of the great players – Chára, Hossa, Stastny, Bondra, Gáborík. I wanted to be like them and hope this donation will set a path for many others to get the chance to play the game. I still remember the day when Pavol Demitra came to my school when I was a little kid. I wanted to come and make these children happy the way Pavol did for us.”
“What Tomáš Tatar is doing here is about more than hockey,” said Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director. “It’s about creating access, dignity, and dreams for the next generation. This embodies what our players stand for.”
A Legacy That Lives On
Pavol Demitra, who played 16 seasons in the NHL before tragically passing away in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash, is a name etched into the heart of Slovak hockey. The school, renamed in his honour, remains a beacon of excellence in sports and education.
“He was a good person,” Tatar once told NHLPA.com. “Everybody loved him. They still do. I would want everyone to know he had a big heart. He wanted to help every hockey player in Slovakia.”
Today, Tatar continues that legacy.
Creating Access for All
The donated equipment will serve children ages 5–15, many of whom come from families that cannot afford the high costs of hockey gear. Starter kits will help beginners take their first steps on the ice and support more experienced players in the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation (SZLH) system. The program consists of up to 250 children in the U18 category annually.
The initiative is designed to be inclusive – supporting kids regardless of skill, background, or socioeconomic status. The school also provides tailored support for children with learning or health challenges, including those with autism and ADD.
“We don’t separate children by status or condition,” said Oto Bača, Pavol Demitra Primary and Kindergarten School principal. “We simply ask if they want to play? If the answer is yes, we find a way.”
An NHL Star, and a Hometown Hero
Tatar’s journey from the local rinks of Dubnica nad Váhom to the international stage is one of perseverance and pride. He played a key role in helping Slovakia qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games and won silver medals with Team Slovakia at the 2012 World Championships and as a member of Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup. Over the course of a 14-year NHL career, Tatar has collected 496 points (227-269-496) in 927 games.
