Fort Macleod Charity Hockey Tournament giving back to the community

By Lethbridge Herald on February 14, 2024.

SUBMITTED PHOTO All eight captains of the teams are pictured here after the completion of the draft for the Charity Hockey Tournament.

A Fort Macleod hockey tournament is set to drop the puck for charity this weekend.

Scott Norlin, one of the eight team captains in the tournament , credits founder Rob Luther for the idea of the tournament in the first place a few years back.

The idea stemmed after Norlin and Luther’s friend passed away of cancer in the Fort Macleod palliative care unit.

“When he passed way, he kind of had the idea we should have a tournament and get everybody together and maybe we can raise a little bit of money to do some improvements in the palliative care,” said Norlin.

“When he came up with the idea and he hand-picked seven other captains, we got together and thought maybe we could raise a little bit of money but had no idea to the extent that we would  get to.”

The fourth annual Fort Macleod Charity Hockey Tournament  will donate proceeds to the proposed outdoor recreation facility in the town.

“We’re just in negotiations with the Town of Fort Macleod to find an appropriate location,” said Norlin.

“We’ve been very successful in the past with our tournament but we can’t assume that it’s  going to be every time. So we don’t know exactly what will come of this. But once we figure out what our funds are, then we’ll just go to the town and say OK, well let’s sit down (and) let’s figure something out.”

The volunteers try to make the playing field as even keel as possible.

“There’s some really good hockey players and then there’s some slower, older ones,” said Norlin.

Donations from the first tournament went to the  Fort Macleod palliative care unit for an amount of $48,000, in 2018 there were 12 different recipients that were given small amounts from the  $52,000 raised and in 2022 $77,000 was raised and went the palliative care and emergency room at the  local hospital, the library and the Foothills Treatment Centre.

Organizers decide where the money goes.

There are 112 players signed up that will be split into 13 skaters per team that are determined through a draft by the eight captains.

There will be a total of 16 games that will begin Friday night and run through Sunday at the Fort Macleod arena.

Funds from the player registration and silent and live auction and people overpaying for items will go towards the recreation facility.