Fans still have that opportunity today, but now it’s anything but rare. In fact, the tournament has become one of the most popular and anticipated events of the summer at the Hillcrest Golf Course, with the 10th annual edition no exception.
Close to 150 golfers and more than 40 alumni and current players took part in the event this week, including a social on Thursday night and tournament itself all day Friday.
“It’s always a very special event for us,” said Warriors general manager Alan Millar prior to teeing off Friday morning. “The alumni continues to support this event at a great level and I think our relationship with our alumni has grown significantly in the last decade with this event and our Hall of Fame festivities during the season. I can’t thank those guys enough for their support.”
This year’s tournament featured the addition of a title sponsor, as Meyers Norris Penny threw their support behind the event this year. That, combined with the hard work of the tournament committee, has helped ensure the tourney will continue to grow and remain as popular as it has.
“We have as good as a committee to run this event as you could have in any city,” lauded Millar. “Todd Hudson and his group year after year are engaged in the business community and sell this thing out sponsorship-wise and player-wise. It’s been a great event across the board to raise money for our education fund and in particular I can’t thank our committee enough for their work and the support of the players.”
This year’s event included a host of former Warriors, including Tampa Bay Lighting all-star Brayden Point along with former Warriors captain Jerome Bechard and recent graduates Jayden Halbgewachs, Tanner Jeannot and Tristin Langan, just to name a few.
Alumni were spread out amount the various playing groups in order to give fans a chance to interact with the players throughout the event – something that has always been a major drawing card for the weekend.
“I think this is as passionate a hockey community as there is in the CHL,” Millar said. “It’s a smaller centre, but it’s so supportive of the team and I think it really relishes the idea of these young men coming here and growing up there. And I think our fans are so supportive of the people, they’re engaged in what a Brayden Point is doing, what a Tanner Jeannot is doing. And you go back to a Scott Thomas and that crew… just the players over the years. The fans want to be a part of the event for those reasons and it’s a heck of a tournament because of that.”
Then there’s the reason for it all. The tournament annually raises in excess of $80,000 for the Tribe’s education fund, with close to $930,000 raised through the past decade after this weekend.
That all goes to covering the team’s annual scholarship commitment – every year a player suits up in the WHL, they receive a year of education covered by the team they play for – which has now reached over $100,000 annually.
“Our education scholarship is one of the most sacred things we do for our players,” Millar said. “The majority of our players will use their scholarship as opposed to signing a pro contract, and that’s a significant commitment by the ownership in the Western Hockey League. It’s something that’s very special in terms of what our players earn during their time here and it’s a big commitment and a significant liability, but a liability only in financial terms and this tournament goes a long way to helping with that.
“It’s important and this is a significant event to build that education fund so we can look after our players for years to come.”
