Hockey Canada’s largest fundraiser is coming to Saskatoon.
The city will host the 14th annual Gala and Golf event on June 19-20, 2017.
“The enthusiasm of this province is representative of what hockey and Canada is all about,” said Hockey Canada Foundation chair Barry Lorenzetti.
The two-day event features a gala attended by many past and present hockey stars and honours Canada’s national teams. Also honoured are that year’s recipient of the Order of Hockey in Canada award. Past winners include Saskatoon’s own Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Cassie Campbell-Pascall.
“The list of past honourees speak for itself,” said Tom Renney, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. ” It also means Canada’s World Cup winning team may be on hand.
“We would like to recognize that group for what they did and were wearing the leaf,” said Renney. “We have to make sure the NHL is good with that.”
A celebrity golf tournament will take place June 20 at The Willows Golf and Country Club. Funds raised from the weekend go towards supporting the game in Canada.
“Fifty percent of our fundraising goes back into the community,” said Barry Lorenzetti, “It varies year-by-year on exactly what it goes to, either straight to the community, building rinks, or donating ice time.”
Exact plans for the events in Saskatoon will be released at a later date. Nominees to the Order of Hockey in Canada will be named in 2017.
– With files from 650 CKOM’s Wray Morrison and Ryan Brandt