To say the least, it’s been a long time coming for the Moose Jaw Warriors MNP Alumni Golf Tournament.
The event acts as one of the major fundraisers for the team’s education fund, which sees dozens of former players drawing on scholarships each season as they pursue their academic and professional goals.
Thing is, the last event took place way back in 2019 because of the pandemic, and that means the education fund is well overdue for a top-up -- something the 2022 edition of the tournament is certainly well on the way to accomplishing.
“It’s just about here, it’s just about sold out and we’ve had a really good response from the businesses in Moose jaw, unbelievable actually, and a really good response from the alumni,” said tournament chair Todd Hudson. “It’s been three years, so guys have been looking for an opportunity for something to do and it looks like a lot of them have jumped on the bandwagon.”
The 2022 event begins on Thursday, July 7 with registration, followed by a prime rib dinner at 6 p.m. at the Shriner’s Club. The golf tournament opens with breakfast at 7 a.m. on Friday followed by a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. at the Hillcrest. The event will once again use the popular four-person scramble, with former players and participants mixed among the teams.
The tournament traditionally sees dozens of former Warriors make the trip back to Moose Jaw to catch up with one another and hang out with their former billet families. Some of the luminaries taking part this time around include 2021-22 NHL Rookie of the Year candidate Tanner Jeannot of the Nashville Predators, Jayden Halbgewachs and Zach Sawchenko from the San Jose Sharks and Brett Howden of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, just to name a few recent players. All-time leading scorer Theoren Fleury and former Stanley Cup champion Troy Brouwer are tournament regulars and will also be making their return to the event.
“It’s a chance to see some of their buddies they haven’t seen for five, 10, 15 years,” Hudson said. “The young guys like to come back and have fun, they like the format and having a chance to see everyone again, and it always ends up being a great weekend.”
The good news is folks in the community have responded, too.
Hudson estimated fewer than 15 spots remained a week out from registration day, a sign that fans are just as eager to get out and enjoy themselves among the players they cheered for over the years.
“We always get 10 or 15 signing up in the last week, too, so we’re hoping it’ll be a full sell-out,” Hudson said.
The tournament has raised over $100,000 for the education fund in the past, and Hudson is hoping to be around that mark if not much higher when everything is said and done -- with a huge factor there once again being the support of the Moose Jaw business community, including title sponsor MNP.
“We need it,” Hudson said. “This raises a good portion of the education fund, a huge portion of it comes from this one-day tournament, and the Moose Jaw business community has been absolutely amazing. So we’re hoping to help out as much as we can.”
For more information on the tournament, including to sign up for the last few spots, contact Hudson at (306) 631-0288 or Olivia Howe at (306) 630-6350.
