Five, four, three, two, one!
My earliest hockey memory would probably be going out and skating with my dad.
He'd take me once a week and it was awesome.
All I remember is meeting my unfinished basement and shooting pucks at the net.
After that, I was addicted and I wanted to be a pro NHL hockey player.
My first memory is actually playing hockey on a pond.
I don't even know if I was really playing hockey.
I would just skate around out there with my little chair and try to learn how to skate.
When you think Canada, you think hockey.
Dedicated fans, cold winters, the jersey numbers pass down through generations.
Hockey isn't Canada's blood.
Many young children grow up dreaming of becoming the next Gretzky, Crosby or Broder.
But this passion comes at a price, one that some parents are struggling to afford.
For a nation fuelled on hockey, how can the sport continue to grow
when the next generation are becoming financially locked down off participating?
Scarborough, Ontario is a community that's seen significant decline in
enrolment numbers for junior players due to the rising cost of the sport.
Located east of Toronto, this is the hometown of Philadelphia Flyers Ford, Wayne Simmons.
In 2012, Simmons and lifelong friend Brandon Sinclair founded
Wayne's Road Hockey Warriors, an annual ball hockey tournament for local youth.
Brandon Sinclair and I, we started this charity three years ago.
We played hockey together ever since we were six years old.
We played together for probably, you know, ten, eleven years.
And, you know, both of us, you know, we had circumstances when we were younger where
we needed, you know, the community to step in and help us out.
We both come from situations and family backgrounds where we had some hardships
and struggled financially and it was super support of the community
and them providing and giving back to our families when we needed it
that allowed us to stay in the great game of hockey.
When I played with Brandon for those ten, eleven years, we had one coach
and his name was Mike Hutton, you know, he helped me out a lot, you know,
with registration and things like that.
You know, I'm just grateful that I got the opportunity
and if it wasn't for people like that helping me out, I wouldn't be where I was today.
The day takes place at Scarborough Gardens Arena
where Simmons played Sinclair Hockey for the Toronto Aces.
I'm going to give those to you and then there's two more I gave her, okay?
Have fun, guys.
The 2014 tournament enjoyed its highest number of participants to date.
All 80 children received a brand new helmet, gloves and a stick, courtesy of the NHLPA.
While competing in the tournament and making new friends is a highlight,
this day is special for another reason, their hometown heroes
who made it all the way to the echelon of hockey are here for them.
The experience means the world to both the players and the kids alike.
Growing up as a young kid, all I wanted to do was, you know, meet NHL players and whatnot
and I never had that opportunity.
Wayne puts on a great event here.
These kids who had to meet NHL players, guys they look up to
and as the NHL players, we enjoy being here and hanging out with the kids.
Actually, when I was younger, I went to Kevin Weeks' hockey camp.
He had a hockey camp in Scarborough that he ran
and I attended that for three years
and like I said before, I got the chance to meet Kevin Weeks,
Anson Carter, Brad Richards, those were the first three NHL players I met
and not only making my day but I think possibly having outcome on my life.
Just being able to be in the situation where I can do the same for others
is really gratifying.
There wasn't anything like this when I grew up
but definitely I saw guys like Wayne and Chris Stewart and Anthony Stewart.
I saw them make it and that definitely gave me, you know, a little bit of hope
and allowed me to believe that I can make it out.
Unlike some other sports, the amount of gear needed to play hockey
while keeping the game safe soon adds up.
This cost plus increasing registration fees
is making the sport less accessible to families in an already difficult economy.
Many children fight it hard to continue pursuing their hockey dreams
without the support of others.
Not everyone faces these financial barriers
but Simmons and others involved with the charity
like Tyler Sagan can't appreciate the struggle.
They've been there before.
You know, as years went along, it seemed to get more and more expensive
for my family and a lot harder at times
and, you know, some people were helping me out along the way as well
as well as, you know, Wayne when he was growing up
so I know where he's coming from.
The cost of AAA nowadays is $10,000 just to play for the season,
not including equipment.
The cost of getting involved are increasing at a really rapid rate
which is not feasible for a lot of families
and also the cost of equipment being so high-tech nowadays
has gone up tremendously as well.
I mean, the cost of skates you see for the average pair of skates
is probably about $400, $500.
A one-piece stick, maybe $200, $300.
So the cost of equipment and fees are going up
and making it really not feasible for a lot of emerging families.
I remember growing up if it wasn't for my grandparents,
you know, it would have never happened.
Financially, it's tough for parents and it's just getting more expensive.
Someone was saying it's $10,000 to play AAA nowadays.
When I was younger, it was probably about $2,000, $2,000, $3,000
and even that was expensive.
Hockey is part of the Canadian way of life,
bringing pride and joy into homes and arenas right across the country.
To keep producing world-class players,
the charity believes it's important for Canadians to get behind their cause.
We've seen in Scarborough specifically a decrease in enrollment
of kids in hockey because of the cost going up.
So in order to produce, I mean, the next level of superstar
and keep our gold medals coming back to Canada
and really owning this as Canada's game,
it's important that we all get behind the kids
and the future generations to support them both financially
and through inspiration and motivation.
This is Canada's sport.
You see in the Olympics, the entire country stops.
They watch the game and, you know,
there's not a kid that doesn't want to put on some skates
and get on the ice and play some hockey.
Honestly, anybody that's a true Canadian could appreciate hockey
and could appreciate, you know, trying to find the funds for hockey-related things.
This is such a great event because we help fundraise money
for people to be able to participate in hockey.
So it's just really important that we have these types of programs.
There's not a lot out there.
I think they should care because I think everyone should be able to play something if they want to.
If something like that's holding people back from, you know, playing a game that they love,
I don't see why, you know, we wouldn't want to, you know, help them out
and maybe change something.
So, I mean, that's why they should care.
Why would you want to not let someone do something they want to do?
You know, if players like myself or other people who have the power to help out,
they don't continue to help out that, you know, it's going to fall by the wayside.
And I personally think, you know, that we're doing an awesome thing here
and, you know, we're going to help spread the game
and it's going to be awesome for Canada down the road.
As the charity grows, so does the impact it's making.
The Warrior program is a new initiative launched in 2014
where families nominated the children they believed deserved sponsorship.
The New Warrior initiative this year has been awesome.
This is kind of when we started, this was kind of what we wanted to see
and what the New Warrior initiative is, is helping three kids
in house league, select and single A,
where help pay them for their full registration fees for the year,
as well as outfit them in full sets of gear.
All the money that we get donated to us is that's where it's going to go.
And if we can help out more than three kids,
then we're going to help out more than three kids,
but we're going to start with three and, you know, we're going to start small
and then, you know, see how it goes from there.
But we want to be able to help with registration costs
so that, you know, kids are able to play the game and, you know, be happy.
Simmons personally took his warriors to the NHLPA warehouse in Toronto
to outfit them with new hockey gear,
a big help to the hard working families that want the best for their children.
A lot of people have the potential and drive to do something great,
but I think when they have that push or they have that support,
it can really elevate their game and their passion to the next level.
So I think knowing that there's an organization like ourselves behind them
will really inspire them and give them that motivation
they need to take it to their next level.
To be honest with you, I feel like I don't really know
how they're going to feel like when they receive the funds,
but I do know that they're going to appreciate it
and I do know that they're going to love it and they're going to do their best.
I mean, all the energy and like the love behind this project
and everything that we want to do for these kids is so evident
and I feel like when they get it, they're going to do a great job.
In the three years since its inception,
Wains Road hockey warriors has seen consistent growth.
This year, over $10,000 was raised through donations and raffles
for autographed jerseys, with new sponsors bringing increased awareness to the event.
It's been so crazy because I remember looking back three years ago
when we started this, we were just sitting there and we were thinking,
okay, what activities should we have at this event?
And now, you know, you look back three years later
and there's 12 NHL players here, so many kids.
We have 10 teams of eight kids, which has expanded.
Last year, we only had eight teams, so we got 80 kids this year.
We're actually working with Sports Check this year
and they've provided a lot more social media coverage for us
and they've allowed us to get it out there and spread the game
and spread the word and I think we've really benefited from it.
You see more of a turnout here, there's more fans, there's more kids
and it's a great event and I'm just happy to be a part of it.
An idea Simmons and Sinclair developed during the 2012 winter classic
has now expanded to include a committee dedicated to ensuring
the continuing growth and success of the charity.
Every year, there's always something that, you know,
we kind of learn on what didn't work, what does work,
but I think that having a big committee and having sort of those key people
that are really professional and that really have a passion for hockey
and have a passion for the community, that's like,
that's the number one thing I feel like that brings this entire thing together.
This year because we have such a great committee and board members
it's freed up some time for me to be actually able to enjoy the experience
and watching the kids play, which I haven't been able to do in the past.
I'm just blown away at the amount of talent that our next generation of hockey players has
and watching them out here do what they love, that's my favourite part, it makes it worthwhile.
Despite the stereotype of hockey players being tough,
the NHL and its players show their softer side
by giving back to the community through regular charity events.
It's a testament to Simmons' character that many NHL stars
give up their time during the off-season to be involved.
You guys win?
One on one.
You're hanging in there.
There you go, you're welcome.
Yeah, what do you want, the number or the yellow?
I got a good friend Wayne Simmons, we played together in LA.
We live together and we have that relationship where
he's going to come to my things, I'm going to come to his.
It's a great event, it's a lot of fun and I enjoy being here.
This is my first year being a part of this event and this charity.
Wayne works out with me in the summers and he passed along what he does.
I got here pretty early but I couldn't believe it turned out already
and obviously the kids out here already seem to be having a good time
and I've been able to catch up to some other NHL players
so it's going to be a good day.
What brings me back is just the fact that I enjoy giving back to the community
and if we could help a couple of kids out every year
and that makes me feel good personally and obviously hockey
being such an expensive sport, I'm sure there's a lot of kids out here
that would love to play and we're trying to give them a chance.
These young players are the future of the game and the NHL knows it.
Without them, the quality of their on-ice product could diminish in the years to come.
It's really prevalent to help out kids because we want to grow the game
and I think the NHL does a great job with what their hockey is for everyone program
and with all the other players helping out, having their own golf tournaments
or ball hockey tournaments or whatever it may be.
All the players are on board to help spread the game
and I think, like I said, we've been doing a good job.
That's the most fun part of our job when it comes to doing charity things
and comes to doing things off the ice.
It's meeting the kids and knowing they look up to you
and knowing how happy they are just to meet you.
It's why we do it a lot of times.
It's a great feeling.
I've been a part of many events and charities
whether it's hospital visits or things like today.
The smile on those kids' faces is why you love the game.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be recognized for what I did
and to be a professional hockey player and live my dream, I guess you could say.
For kids to see that and get excited, it's an awesome feeling
and they'll come out and have some fun with them
and interact with them, that's what it's all about.
If you don't help the kids, those kids aren't going to make it.
These are the guys that are going to end up playing in 10, 20 years
so if you can change one kid's life and make them realize his dream,
that would be in the world.
With recent successes, Canadian hockey is on a high,
inspiring more kids to take up the sport.
The increasing popularity is good
but the charity recognizes what truly makes this game great.
Hockey is really about the community.
There's a whole dynamic that hockey people and people involved really portray
and so it would be really sad to see the hockey community decrease
because not everybody is going to make the NHL
but like myself, I'm going to make the NHL
but through my support networks, my groups
and the lessons I've learned in hockey growing up
has allowed me to be the best person I can be.
So to see that shrink, I think, would not only impact our game of hockey
but the next generation of kids
and just our overall country altogether.
So where do the players think the future of Canadian hockey lies
if the downward trend of youth hockey registrations continue?
I'm sure there's a lot of players that, you know,
were unable to play hockey that would maybe potentially make it
so you never really know. It's hard to say but, you know,
if costs do go down, you'll definitely see a lot more people playing.
Where we're going, who knows.
It's hard to say what's to be expected of this sport.
It's growing every day, every year.
I'm very happy that I do it for a living
but it's going to get harder and harder, I think.
Canada is such a big place for hockey.
You know, it kind of sucks because, you know,
hockey is a great sport and it's Canada's sport at the same time
and when you see kids who have the potential to be great players
and they're not able to afford playing, it's sad.
But at the same time, that's why we do these kind of events.
We try to help out the kids and try to put them in some skates.
You know, if the prices keep rising in hockey, I think,
you know, you're going to see a lot of people drop out.
I think that's why hockey is not the biggest sport in the world
when it has the potential to be
because, you know, you have other sports like soccer and basketball
where, you know, you just need a pair of shoes and a ball
and you can get along fine whereas hockey, you know, you need equipment,
you've got to pay for registration fees
and it can be difficult, especially when it's, you know,
when you have siblings.
The founders of the charity hope their progress
in helping Scarborough families in need
will inspire others across Canada
to get behind their own hockey communities.
I think Wayne Joachie Warriors, it provides a hub.
It provides kind of an event for people to plug into
and be a part of, you know, giving back
and helping the hockey community.
So I would really like to see this kind of go across Canada
and inspire other people in little communities, big communities
to start their own tournaments
and help support their local community
and get their kids involved in hockey.
I would really personally like to see us give, like,
grants and foundations and stuff, things like that.
Like, it's really important that we find some sort of
sustainable income from the fundraiser
so that we can keep helping the community throughout the year
and not just on the day of.
With Wayne Simmons destined for a long,
successful career on the ice,
there's every chance some of his warriors could one day
be playing alongside him in the NHL.
We're just trying to help grow the game here
and, you know, get as many people involved
and let everybody know that, you know,
there are programs like this around that will help you out
even if, you know, you necessarily don't have the means.
Don't be afraid to, you know, to ask for help
because there's always people in the hockey community
who are definitely willing to help out.
Thank you.
