Together To Play: Helping kids get involved in hockey 

MONTREAL - Learning to play hockey on the Bell Centre ice: what could be better? 

This past April, the Canadiens announced the launch of the Together To Play program, whose goals are to take advantage of the circular economy with an equipment drive that ran in May and June. The equipment – used skates, sticks, and jerseys – was refurbished during the summer so that it could be given to kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Then, on November 4, kids from Sun Youth were invited to the Bell Centre to receive their new gear along with their families. 

They got to meet former Hab Francis Bouillon, the bubbly Kevin Raphaël, and the Canadiens’ furry mascot, Youppi!, joining them on the Habs’ home ice to try out their sticks and skates, and also brand-new helmets which were generously donated by Warrior. 

The kids were wide-eyed as they looked around at the stands, the players’ bench, and the Bell Centre’s immensity during their skating session, which surely ranks as among the most memorable they’ve had. 

Of course, a visit to the Canadiens’ locker room was also on the agenda. There’s nothing like that to get new or longtime fans alike to start dreaming of one day wearing bleu-blanc-rouge.

The event gave the perfect opportunity to associate sports and recreation with the feeling of belonging to a community. The day finished with a brunch, where the kids had some time to socialize and reflect on all the fun surprises that came their way during the special occasion. 

“It’s a real dream come true for our kids. Hockey at Sun Youth is a program for integration, and there’s no better way to introduce kids to hockey – and our society as a whole – than by having a morning skating session on the ice with their new refurbished equipment that they’ll use all season,” declared Guinness Rider, director of community services. “With this initiative, National Bank and the Montreal Canadiens have unequivocally shown that they care about future generations, and we’re deeply grateful to have made a real difference in kids’ lives.” 

The Together To Play program is proud to give kids and their families access to athletic equipment that they need in order to live their passion for hockey. This initiative is an addition to the Goal Is Green program presented by National Bank. 

About the Goal Is Green program 

Back in May 2007, the Montreal Canadiens organization launched the Goal is Green program with the objective of positioning the club as a leader in terms of environmental management and sustainable development among all professional sports franchises. Thanks to National Bank, which joined the project in early 2023, concrete actions such as the Cool Your School! program – a development and greening project for Montreal Island schools – the Together To Play equipment drive, and other initiatives have been born. 

Special thanks goes out to National Bank, the presenting partner of the Goal Is Green and all its initiatives. The Canadiens would also like to thank Warrior for donating helmets for the program.