Kelowna B.C. – What do Paul Coffee, Joe Nieuwendyk, Brad May, Wade Redden and Al Iafrate have in common?
They will all be in Kelowna June 10-12 for the first Okanagan Hockey Heroes Weekend.
Hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation the sixteen team tournament will welcome NHL Alumni as well as hockey players of all levels to the Capital News Centre in Kelowna. Players will be coming from throughout British Columbia, Alberta and Washington State in order to fundraise and get their chance to play with an NHL great all weekend long.
This three-day event consists of fun on and off the ice; kicking off with the Alumni Draft Night and followed up with two full days of tournament play. The weekend wraps ups with a Heroes game on Sunday afternoon featuring the 16 top fundraisers playing with the 16 alumni in a game that will be open to the public.
Registration for Okanagan Hockey Heroes Weekend is now open, individuals and teams can register at www.hockeyheroesweekend.com or contact Christina Ferreira, Hockey Heroes Weekend coordinator at cferreira@hsf.bc.ca or 778.313.8090.
“This weekend is about raising money for Heart and Stroke, and creating a fun memorable experience for our teams,” comments Jessica Samuels Okanagan and Kootenay Area Manager for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “We are working with area golf courses for teams to hit the links between hockey games, there will be plenty of great prizes to be won throughout the tournament, and of course the opportunity to spend all weekend with our NHL Alumni.”
Confirmed NHL Alumni:
Paul Coffey: second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points. Coffey played for nine teams in his NHL career including the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Redwings, Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins
Joe Nieuwendyk: Two time Olympian, three Stanley Cups, Hockey Hall of Famer and twenty NHL season including playing with the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers.
Michael Krushelnyski: four time Stanley Cup Champion who played with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Redwings.
Wade Redden: two time NHL All-Star and former player of the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins.
Brad May: Stanley Cup champion and former player of the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Redwings.
Albert Iafrate: Known for his hard slapshot he is a former player of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks.
Dean McAmmond: Played in the NHL from 1991-2010 and played for nine teams including the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
Cory Cross: twelve NHL seasons including the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
Todd Simpson: former Calgary Flames Captain as well as played for the Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks.
Tyler Bouck: spent five seasons in the NHL playing for three teams including the Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes.
About Hockey Heroes Weekend:
In April 2011, the puck dropped for the first time at the Halifax Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Hockey Heroes Weekend. Since then, the event has hosted 58 alumni, more than 800 participants, over 150 volunteers, and raised in excess of $1,500,000.00 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Funds raised from Hockey Heroes Weekend support life-saving research and programs to address heart disease and stroke.
The event offers participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play hockey with NHL alumni. Some of the NHL alumni who are confirmed for the Kelowna weekend include: Paul Coffey, Joe Nieuwendyk, Brad May, Mike Krushelnyski, Al Iafrate and Wade Redden
The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s mission is to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery. A volunteer-based health charity, we strive to tangibly improve the health of every Canadian family, every day. Healthy lives free of heart disease and stroke. Together we will make it happen. heartandstroke.ca