Luke Tuch helping kids 'get back in the swing of hockey'

MONTREAL -- Before returning to Boston University for his junior season, Luke Tuch is raising money for an important cause.

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The Canadiens prospect is hosting the inaugural Tuch Hockey Camp in the Syracuse, NY suburb of Cicero this week, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the
AT9 Foundation
.
Established by his older brother, Alex, who plays for the Buffalo Sabres, and the Tuch family, the non-profit organization assists children facing challenges in all areas of their lives, with a special focus on supporting research to end children's cancer and helping those with special needs.
Thirty-five kids ranging in age from 7 to 12 years old are attending the camp, which began on Monday and runs through Thursday at Twin Rinks where Luke played youth hockey for a decade.
The 20-year-old Baldwinsville, NY native is serving as the head instructor, and a host of special guests will be on-site, including Alex, and fellow New Yorkers Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars), Eamon Powell (Boston College / Tampa Bay Lightning) and Anthony Angello (St. Louis Blues).

"I thought it would be great to give back to my community and have the kids get back in the swing of hockey. They've been playing a lot of other sports like lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball and football over the summer, so we're going to work on a lot of skills, a lot of skating, stickhandling, and some high-intensity stuff to get everyone moving. There'll obviously be a lot of shooting and goal scoring, too," explained Tuch, a second-round selection (47th overall) in 2020. "We'll push the kids and get them outside of their comfort zone a little bit. I know they're going to love working with us."
Luke eagerly anticipated the ice sessions.
It's a prime opportunity to share the same valuable lessons he learned that eventually enabled him to climb the ranks with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP) before joining the Terriers.
"I ran a hockey camp earlier this summer for someone else, and it brought me a lot of joy. It's very exciting. I look forward to going to the rink every day and working with the kids. They look up to me and I'm kind of a mentor, so it's really special," mentioned Tuch. "Camps like this really bring me back to when I was that age, how much I really enjoyed hockey, and why I still love this game so much, so we can officially say that this is the first camp of many, hopefully."
Fundraising for the AT9 Foundation is close to Luke's heart, of course.
He's proud to lend a hand.
"We've had different fundraisers over the years like charity hockey tournaments, but this is just another way to give back and help kids fighting cancer. They're the real fighters battling this terrible disease," said Tuch. "Donating to Alex's foundation means a lot to me, so I'm happy to do anything I can to help out."
Once the camp is over, Luke won't have much time left at home.
He plans on making the five-hour drive to BU on August 31 to continue preparing for another NCAA campaign.

"I'm very excited. I haven't been there in a couple of months. I haven't seen my teammates in a while. We've got a new coaching staff in there, so we're going to hit the ground running," said Tuch, who has 12 goals and 21 points in 42 career games with the Terriers. "We're looking forward to the game against Bentley on October 1st."
One of his "new" teammates is incoming freshman and fellow Habs hopeful, Lane Hutson.
The pair met last month on the South Shore.
"We text here and there, just to check in. We became good buddies at Development Camp. He's a nice kid and a great player," said Tuch. "He's going to have a great season."