500 youth hockey players stick it to kids cancer in weekend tournament
About 500 young hockey players are playing their hearts out this weekend, while showing that their hearts are in the right place as well.
The opening ceremony for the eighth annual Simons Valley Hockey Association "Stick It to Kids Cancer" tournament was held Friday night at Max Bell Centre.
The tournament was started to show support for a Simons Valley player named Alec, who lost his battle with cancer in 2016.
Another Storm player, Luca, passed away from cancer in 2021.
This year, a player named James is the superhero for the tournament. At age six, his leg was amputated because of bone cancer.
He's still dealing with cancer in his lungs and he got a big cheer Friday night.
Puck drop at the Stick It to Kid's Cancer tournament, Friday March 24, 2023
The tournament started with one team, and has grown over the years to 28 teams in multiple divisions, from Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan.
Players did everything from shovelling sidewalks to holding bottle drives to raise money.
"All the teams also have to raise at least $750," said tournament coordinator Stacy Baltzer. "We have teams that are over $6,000 raised. It's been incredible. I think the next (highest) team was $4,000 and $3,000.
"There isn't anybody that didn't meet those $750 quota in order to come to the tournament," she added, "so it's quite amazing that 28 teams are able to raise that much money."
Proceeds from a 50/50 draw, silent auction and raffle go to Kids Cancer Care.
If you'd like to participate, click on the link for more information.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

4 in custody after 'brutal' death of Quebec entrepreneur, partner in Dominica
Four people are in police custody after Quebec businessman Daniel Langlois and his partner Dominique Marchand were found dead in Dominica.
Canada's grocery retail sector one of the most competitive on Earth: Sobeys CEO
The top executive at Sobeys asserted on Monday that Canada has one of the most competitive grocery retail sectors on the planet -- even as Canadians continue to feel the bite of higher prices.
Speaker Fergus apologizes, faces calls to resign over 'personal' video played at Ontario Liberal event
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus apologized to MPs on Monday about a 'personal' video tribute message played this weekend at the Ontario Liberal Party leadership convention, but two opposition parties say that's not enough and are now calling for him to resign over his 'unacceptable' participation in a partisan event.
opinion As Trump burns through cash, powerful Republicans are rallying behind a surging candidate
With less than 50 days until Republican voters begin the process of determining their nominee to take on President Joe Biden, political analyst Eric Ham writes about a storm brewing within the GOP -- as super-donors align behind a surging candidate who could pose a threat to frontrunner Donald Trump.
Escaped kangaroo found safe after 3 days on the loose in Ontario
A kangaroo that escaped the Oshawa Zoo during a one-night stay last week has been recaptured after more than three days on the loose.
CBC says it is cutting 600 jobs, some programming as it slashes budget
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Radio-Canada will eliminate about 600 jobs and not fill an additional 200 vacancies. The cuts at CBC come days after the Liberal government suggested it may cap the amount of money CBC and Radio-Canada could get under a $100 million deal Ottawa recently signed with Google.
Canada issues updated travel advisory for Guyana due to border dispute referendum in Venezuela
The Canadian government is warning against travelling in Guyana near the border with Venezuela due to a weekend referendum that saw Venezuelans asked about the future of an of oil-rich region that is the centre of a territorial boundary dispute.
Driver arrested after nearly hitting pro-Palestinian demonstrator in Victoria
A driver was arrested in Victoria on Sunday after nearly hitting a protester with a car during a pro-Palestinian rally outside the B.C. legislature.
Short-term rentals have 'significantly impacted' housing affordability: Desjardins
A Desjardins report suggests short-term rentals likely contributed to the housing affordability crisis in Canada and around the world.