It is a fitting metaphor for this pandemic-affected hockey season that the biggest Cup win for an Island team should come off the ice rather than on it.
The Victoria Admirals Under-13 C-2 team was unveiled as the winner of the Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup before a national television audience Saturday during Hockey Night in sa国际传媒.
鈥淚 was so excited and happy when we were announced as the winners,鈥� said Evan Warhurst, a forward with the Admirals.
The Good Deeds Cup, in its fifth year, goes annually to the Canadian youth hockey team that does the most to give back to their community. In doing so, the Admirals won $100,000 for their chosen charity. The Children鈥檚 Health Foundation of Vancouver Island plans to use the money to purchase mobility and protective equipment for kids who need help learning how to walk or are at risk of head injuries due to seizures.
鈥淭he players know about the importance of protective gear 鈥� they wouldn鈥檛 be able to play the sport they love without it,鈥� said Anna Warhust, parent-manager and treasurer of the Admirals teams.
The parallels weren鈥檛 lost on the players.
鈥淭his will help kids who need equipment in the community,鈥� said Connor Belanger, a defenceman on the Admirals team.
鈥淚t feels good to be able to help with that.鈥�
With their season on hold, the Admirals initially started their efforts by raising $2,000 in chocolate sales and bottle drives. It鈥檚 money that would have gone for trips to tournaments, of which there were none this season. So the team shifted its fund-raising focus as these Admirals refused to let the pandemic tie an anchor to their season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 heartening to know these young players, their coaches and parents are our future,鈥� said Veronica Carroll, CEO of the Children鈥檚 Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, in a statement.
鈥淪pecialized equipment for mobility, safety, and communications will give Island kids the life-changing support they need to develop skills and to join in play with their family and friends.鈥�
In keeping with health protocols, the Admirals could not be in person as a group for the big reveal, but watched it individually via Zoom. The players took congratulatory calls from Olympic-medallist players Sarah Nurse and Caroline Ouellette, Hockey sa国际传媒 CEO Tom Renney, NHL play-by-play announcer Harnarayan Singh and Victoria mayor Lisa Helps. A big proponent of the Good Deeds Cup is Hockey Night in sa国际传媒 host Ron MacLean.
鈥淭hese kids want to play games, but they couldn鈥檛, so they shifted gears and this has been a game- and vibe-changer for their season,鈥� said Anna Warhust.
The Admirals were among 11 regional finalists for the Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup and received the most votes in national online balloting, which ran through Feb. 24. The three finalists were announced Saturday ahead of the Admirals being declared the winners.
鈥淭he players put so much work into this,鈥� said Matt Belanger, who coaches the Admirals with Joe Hadley and Danny Loder.
鈥淵oung people wonder what impact can they have in this world? This shows they can help others and have a meaningful impact in the world.鈥�
What made it all the more impressive is that the Admirals are a house team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not often you see that,鈥� said Anna Warhurst.
鈥淵ou see a lot of A, AA and AAA [rep] teams nominated for this but we made a decision to go for it.鈥�
As a result many Island youth, who don鈥檛 play hockey, will be able to take part in other physical activities because of it.
