Former NHL stars to compete in Every Child Matters Hockey Game in Kamloops

Jeremy Boston is a firm believer in dreaming big.

Boston, a director with the Orange Jersey Project, helped organize the inaugural Every Child Matters Hockey Game in Williams Lake, B.C. last year.

About 500 people attended that contest, which featured a couple of former National Hockey League (NHL) players. The fundraiser was aimed at promoting awareness and action for truth and reconciliation through sport.

As for this year’s game, scheduled for Sept. 21, Boston decided to stage the game in the British Columbia city of Kamloops. The match will be held at the city’s largest rink, the Sandman Centre.

“I’m hoping to sell out the Sandman,” Boston said. “Capacity is 5,600 so we’re hoping for that.”

Boston is hoping there will be plenty of interest in the contest in the coming weeks.

“I think we’ve sold a couple thousand tickets right now,” Boston said. “So, I’m just trying to increase some sales and get some promotion going here.”

Boston’s job promoting the outing has gotten easier in the last few weeks. That’s because several Indigenous players, who had suited up for NHL clubs during their careers, have agreed to participate in the Kamloops contest.

This list includes John Chabot, brothers Dwight and D.J. King, Reggie Leach and his son Jamie Leach, Blair Atcheynum and Scott Daniels.

Two of the women’s players taking part are Brigette Lacquette and Sydney Daniels. Lacquette is the first First Nations woman to crack the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team. Daniels is a former pro who also starred at Harvard University.

“It’s insane,” Boston said of the list of former pros players that will compete in the Kamloops match. “I couldn’t fathom before that we’d have this many because before we only had a few players and I thought what are we going to do.”

Several other Indigenous players who toiled in minor pro circuits will also be taking part. Boston had also lined up several junior-aged players to take part in the game on an emergency basis. But now he might have to tell some of them that their services are not required.

“I didn’t expect to have all these ex-NHL superstars coming,” he said.

Last year’s Every Child Matters Hockey Game raised about $3,000. Boston said he donated that money to the Chilcotin Grizzlies, an Indigenous junior team based in Williams Lake that competes in various tournaments.

Boston is hoping this year’s game raises considerably more.

“Hopefully at least $20,000 would be good,” he said. “The thing we’re most hoping for though is to raise more awareness and education across Turtle Island.”

The Orange Jersey Project provides free jerseys to minor hockey teams across Canada.

“And with those free jerseys what we provide is an educational platform on Indian residential schools and their true history for non-Indigenous and Indigenous people to learn about,” Boston said.

Boston is the son of Phyllis Webstad, the creator of Orange Shirt Day, which is celebrated each year on Sept. 30 and now officially called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Boston is hoping the Every Child Matters Hockey Game will continue to be an annual affair. And he’s hoping it starts moving around to different provinces.

“That’s still kind of in our brains,” he said. “But next year we’re talking about possibly having it somewhere in Alberta.”

Boston admits he is shocked at how much the game has grown in just one year.

“I didn’t think it would grow this big,” he said. “I was kind of shooting for the stars and thought let’s see how much the Sandman Centre is in Kamloops. And it just turned out the date was available.”

The facility is the home rink for the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers will play their 2024-25 regular season opener one night before, on Sept. 20.

This Every Child Matters Hockey Game will have plenty of related festivities.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Boston said.

The day will start off with a community pancake breakfast. There will also be a public powwow, which will include food trucks and bouncy castles for children.

The afternoon will include a public skate as well as an autograph session featuring some of those taking part later in the game.

The only ticketed portion for the day is the hockey game. Tickets cost $15 each.