Last week, two players from the Florida Panthers participated in a charity hockey game back in their home province of Ontario.
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad and center Sam Bennett were among several NHL and PWHL athletes who joined The Barn Burner, which is the Boots and Hearts Charity Hockey Game.
The event took place on Thursday at Saldon Arena in Barrie, Ontario, where the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts play. It was hosted by the Mayor of Barrie, Alex Nuttall.
Ekblad, who served as captain for the Colts during his OHL days before being drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2014, shared his feelings about being part of this occasion.
“It’s amazing, it’s nostalgic,” Ekblad told . “Skating on this ice and snapping it around in warm-ups was really cool. I see a lot of familiar faces, fans from back in the day, so nostalgic would be the word I use for it.”
Ekblad led Team Denim while another former Colt great, John Tavares, captained Team Plaid.
The Barn Burner raises funds each year to benefit local charities and community programs throughout Barrie. This includes organizations like the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Foundation and PIE Education among others.
“It’s an extremely important cause, I’m really happy to be here,” Ekblad said. “They’re doing great things in the community and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
This year’s event reportedly raised over $700,000.
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Photo caption: Mar 16, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrates a goal with center Sam Bennett (9) in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at FLA Live Arena. (Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports)
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