HIGH RIVER, Alta. 鈥� Troy Kowal is one of dozens of young hockey players whose skates, pads, helmet and sticks were destroyed by floodwaters that devastated High River, Alta., in June.
The mass destruction of hockey equipment in basements and garages was one of a myriad of challenges his hometown has faced this summer as it rebuilds.
But for minor hockey players and their parents, it was another part of their lives thrown into disarray.
鈥淧retty sad,鈥� said Kowal, a 14-year-old forward. 鈥淚 love the sport. It was heartbreaking.鈥�
The Foothills Minor Hockey Association got a helping hand from the National Hockey Association Players鈥� Association and RBC with the donation $50,000 for equipment Tuesday.
Kowal estimates the cost of replacing his equipment would have been $2,000, so the assistance was welcome.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely better,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t helps me cope with it. I鈥檓 excited for a new season.
鈥淚鈥檓 still loving it. I鈥檒l play until I can鈥檛 play anymore.鈥�
Calgary Flames forwards Matt Stajan and T.J. Galiardi and defencemen Derek Smith and Mark Giordano helped present a cheque Tuesday.
They then joined minor hockey players for a game of ball hockey in a junior high gymnasium.
Galiardi is from Calgary, which is north of High River.
Parts of that city were also submerged when the Bow and Elbow rivers spilled their banks.
The NHLPA鈥檚 Goals and Dreams program has contributed millions of dollars to grassroots programs, but the High River initiative felt personal to Galiardi.
鈥淓veryone has been affected here so heavily with the floods, 鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we can help out even a small bit we鈥檙e happy to do so.鈥�
Restoration of the Bob Snodgrass Recreational Centre in High River is ongoing.
The Foothills Association hopes to have the arena ready to launch the 2013-14 season.
The prospect of a season seemed dimmer when so many of the 304 players in the Foothills hockey system were without equipment.
鈥淢ost of our kids were affected,鈥� Association president Derek Harper said. 鈥淣inety-four per cent of all of all of our household dwellings were decimated. As far as hockey equipment, I wasn鈥檛 sure we were going to have hockey this year.
鈥淩ight now our numbers are looking very good. Most of our returning players are back.鈥�
The chance to play hockey again injects some normalcy into youngsters鈥� lives which haven鈥檛 felt normal this summer.
鈥淭he bigger issue for us here is these kids need something to do,鈥� said Troy Kowal鈥檚 father Tom. 鈥淲e need these kids to have a feel-good story. Life has been so hard for these kids.
鈥淥ur town is rebuilding. We鈥檒l be fine and we鈥檒l rebuild, but we need things to feel good about.鈥�
