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Three Island hockey pros, two in mid-career and one at the end of his career, came together this week to aid young players.
Ryan O鈥橞yrne, who announced his retirement, headed up the event for the fifth year as 25 Island children from five minor hockey associations were each given a set of equipment from the NHLPA and had their 2016-17 registration fees paid for through KidSport Victoria.
O鈥橞yrne has been the driving force behind the program with Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche and Jordie Benn of the Dallas Stars also on hand for the presentations at Kirby鈥檚, which included a road hockey game with the kids and pros.
O鈥橞yrne鈥檚 program has raised $125,000 for KidSport over five years, not including the equipment donated by the NHLPA.
鈥淗ockey is an expensive sport,鈥� O鈥橞yrne said. 鈥淪ome families have had to deal with job layoffs or sickness of a parent and just need a little help.鈥�
After a pro career through the NHL, AHL, ECHL, KHL, Switzerland and Sweden, O鈥橞yrne is going to finish his business degree at Cornell University, where he played NCAA hockey before turning pro.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time to head out into the world for my second career,鈥� said O鈥橞yrne, a defenceman who played 333 NHL regular-season and playoff games.
鈥淚 am definitely going to miss it and it hasn鈥檛 sunk in yet. I鈥檝e played 10 years as a pro. But the body said: 鈥楨nough.鈥� There were signs of long-term injury down the road if I kept playing.鈥�
That got Barrie and the Benn brothers, Jordie and Stars captain and NHL MVP Hart Trophy finalist Jamie, talking about continuing O鈥橞yrne鈥檚 hockey charity legacy on the Island.
鈥淲e started talking about starting something up for the kids to give back to this community that was so good to us,鈥� said rearguard Jordie Benn.
Barrie concurred.
鈥淲hat Ryan has done is fantastic,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat got me, Jordie and Jamie talking. But we鈥檒l have to see what the right thing is.鈥�
The mobile blueliner Barrie is a restricted free agent.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working on it. We鈥檙e trying to get something done that makes sense,鈥� he said about his contract situation.
