On a hot summer day in Kingston, members of Queen’s men’s hockey team found a way to give back to their community.
Players Darcy Greenaway, Kevin Bailie, Spencer Abraham, Warren Steele and Eric Chevrier, as well as assistant coach Tony Cimallero all partook in the second annual Brass Pub Charity Ball Hockey Tournament on July 25.
The event, which took place in the Metro parking at Barrie and Brock Streets, raised money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kingston. The event was complete with temporary bleachers, player benches, a DJ booth and many sponsor giveaways to go along with an autograph session.
Bailie and Greenaway’s side, dubbed “Police”, emerged victorious in the final 5-2 over “Stages Nightclub”, which was headlined by Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall. Bailie was awarded tournament MVP for his performance.
“I remember when I was a little kid, if there was something like this, I would’ve loved to be a part of that,” Bailie said. “It’s been a really successful day, it’s grown a lot since last year.”
Greenaway said he asked former teammates to join in, so their local celebrity status would help bring exposure to the event.
“We do our best to get some guys we played with over the past few years to come back,” he said. “It’s been a great turnout this year.”
Along with Hall, Calvin de Haan, John Erskine and Bryan Allen were three other NHL regulars who made appearances at the event, which boasted a list of 37 local celebrities.
But the most popular among the young autograph hounds were the trio of Calgary Flames-prospect Sam Bennett; Florida Panthers-prospect Lawson Crouse; and Los Angeles Kings-prospect Roland McKeown, who all played last season for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs.
Bennett made his NHL debut this past season after sitting out much of the year with an injury. He played in one regular season game and 11 playoff games, managing five points in the process. This was his second time playing at the event.
“We’re having a lot of fun here,” Bennett said midway through the afternoon event. “It’s nice to be back [in Kingston]. I love the city, I love the fans, it’s great to see so many people come out to see us play.”
Crouse, who was drafted eleventh overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, also enjoyed the tournament.
“Any time you can come to an event like this you always want to,” Crouse said.
His older sister Kyla is entering her third year at Queen’s as a member of the women’s hockey team, and he said he appreciated the number of Queen’s hockey players out at the event.
“It’s big to have their support,” he said. “It’s great to have the community come out like that.”
Tags
charity, chevrier, Greenaway, Hockey
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