Second Annual Pucks for Purpose Men’s Game: A Winning Night for Hockey and Charity

With a packed crowd, the Pucks for Purpose Men’s Game on Friday night was electric. Full of Business and Art-Science students alike, alumni, and the StFX community, everyone was excited to support our players and the charities. It was fitting for the second annual Pucks for Purpose Men’s Game. As we walked to the Keating Center, a line wrapped around the side of the building, and the arena filled up fast. But before the game could start, there were many important announcements to share.

First, the big one: last year, Pucks for Purpose raised over $55,000. This year, with the addition of a women’s game and even more publicity, they have exceeded their goal of doubling the money raised. With $130,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and motionball for Special Olympics, the Pucks for Purpose Classic was a complete success. Now, with many of the executive team members who created this event graduating, it was an even sweeter victory to see their creation be such a success.

As a fan, both events, the women's and men’s games, are exciting to watch. Why? Because even during the periods, there are events and prizes to be won. The buzzer will go, and challenges like sliding an Oreo into your mouth without using your hands, or guessing which briefcase has the money, are only a couple of the ways fans are involved. And of course, one could not forget the big Shoot-to-Win a Subaru! With a seemingly impossible task, I still held my breath as the puck slid toward the net. Even though it was not a win, seeing the Subaru drive on the ice was cool. It is no wonder that the game was sold out with the amount of money that was to be won! Or the Shoot-to-Win competition hosted by the Business school, which led to $300 being won! The fun never stopped. One section in the stands even won hot dogs. No matter what, the event was fun both on and off the ice.

But on the ice, the game was thrilling. Business took the lead, but Art-Sci did not give up. With amazing saves from Brandon Cole and incredible goals from Nate Supryka, Art-Sci was a definite underdog. However, Business stood strong and took home the win, 7-3. Both teams raised a large amount of money themselves: Business with over $29,083 and Art-Sci with over $27,057. The game is the base of the event, and every ticket purchased to watch went toward that grand total. I will say, as a biased Art-Sci student, that Art-Sci filled up most of the crowd, but it was the combined effort of the StFX community that showed up and made the game what it was.

As the next generation of Pucks for Purpose carries on the tradition, I am excited to see what we can raise next year. StFX shows up for charity, for hockey, and for those who need help. Pucks for Purpose was a success that I cannot wait to see again.