Brock Men’s Hockey to take part in Coach4Food Program

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock Badgers men's hockey team has been chosen to join the successful Coach4Food Program originating out of North Bay, Ontario.  Ontario Hockey League's Niagara IceDogs and Guelph Storm, along with the men's hockey team from the University of Guelph have also been chosen.

Coach4Food, whereby professional goaltending consultant Tom Hedican offers to run minor hockey teams' practices using NHL and European skill drills, in exchange for donations to the North Bay Food Bank over a three-week period in December each year, has exploded in North Bay and is now set for expansion with a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

"We believe in this worthy cause," said Brock men's hockey coach Murray Nystrom. "Last year our Extinguish Hunger game in partnership with the St. Catharines Fire Department was a big success with proceeds going to Community Care. The Coach4Food program is another great avenue for the Brock Badgers to give back and support our local communities."

In St. Catharines the Badgers and IceDogs will exchange high skill drills - both European and NHL drills - for donations to the local food bank.

In North Bay, the six year old program raised 1,000 pounds of food its first year; 5,029 lbs in year two; 21,881 lbs year 3; just over 60,000 lbs year 4; 76,319 lbs year 5; and a record 107,969 lbs in 2010. The program has become the North Bay Food Bank's single largest fundraiser.

"Our staff and students-athletes view community service as an important component of what we do as key role models within the Niagara Region," said Director of Athletics Robert Hilson. "This combination of coaching and providing food for the local food bank is setting a great example for the youth in our community to give back both to sport and society."

Everyone from NHL Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold Medal winning coach Ken Hitchcock, to rock legend Bruce Springsteen, a vocal supporter of food banks, has endorsed Coach4Food.

Hedican is based in North Bay but works as a goaltending consultant for professional hockey teams in the top league in Switzerland. He will be co-ordinating the effort in the Niagara-St. Catharines region with the IceDogs and Badgers and in Guelph with the Storm and Gryphons.

Stay tuned to gobadgers.ca for details on the Coach4Food dates and times.