Stanley Cup visits Toronto mosque to help celebrate Industry Growth Fund

TORONTO -- Huzaifah Motala's eyes grew wide with awe. So too did those of the other 30-plus kids at the Abu Bakr Mosque in Scarborough.

The children, members of the Scarborough Muslim Ball Hockey Association, had been told they were going to get a visit from a friend named Stan. Little did they know that Stan was short for the Stanley Cup.

So when hockey's holy grail was carried into the mosque's gymnasium by a representative of the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, the looks on many of the young faces were priceless.

"It's so, so big," said Motala, an 11-year-old defenseman.

Does he hope to lift it one day after winning it with an NHL team, he was asked?

"Maybe," he said, breaking into a wide grin.

Thanks to the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund, the First Shift program, and efforts from community leaders like Abu Hafejee, Huzaifah and his friends have an avenue to do exactly that.

The NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, allocates dedicated funds in conjunction with the 32 NHL teams to support a diverse fan base and offer unique hockey opportunities. One of the programs associated with the fund is called the NHL/NHLPA First Shift, which is designed to ease kids and their families into the sport of hockey in a fun and friendly environment.

Thanks to Hafejee, who reached out to see if these programs were applicable to the SMBHA, these kids, primarily ages 5 to 11, now have the chance to go from ball hockey to ice hockey. And, on this particular night, get the thrill of seeing the Stanley Cup.

"I would definitely say the joy on the kids' faces is the highlight," he said. "I think for a lot of them, it just seems so far-fetched to have the Stanley Cup in our community. So the joy when they heard it was here and seeing their reaction when it was wheeled into the room, it was amazing."

The same could be said for the efforts and leadership of Hafejee, who has produced one of the many feel-good stories the Industry Growth Fund and First Shift Program are helping to promote.

Saleh Hafejee, Abu's father, established the SMBHA in 2004 as a way for kids who couldn't afford ice hockey to enjoy the sport. Saleh died several years ago, and the league is now in the hands of Abu and his brother, Mohammed.

Abu is also involved in various ice hockey endeavors, which spawned the idea of teaming up with the First Shift program to get some of his kids on blades.

"I'm a referee in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, a volunteer with the Scarborough Ice Raiders and the vice president of the SMBHA, so I approached the GTHL with this idea," he said. "And I brought the idea to the Ice Raiders that we have a lot of kids that are in ball hockey already so let's get them into ice hockey. I asked them what the best way was, and they recommended the First Shift."

In conjunction with Bauer, which helped supply equipment, the kids had a six-week on-ice training session at nearby McGregor Arena and Don Montgomery Community Recreational Centre. When they were done, they were awarded Certificates of Completion which were handed out on the night the Cup made its surprise visit to the mosque.

"We have a graduation system, and we've already had 32 kids graduate into the house league," Abu said. "It's amazing.

"For a lot of these kids, the dream of winning a Stanley Cup one day simply was unattainable in their minds. And suddenly, when they see it here in a place where we have our weddings, funerals, family gatherings, well, suddenly, it's not so far-fetched for them."

Abu said seeing Nazem Kadri, a Muslim, win the Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche last season, serves as inspiration.

"He stole our thunder by bringing the Cup to a mosque in London (Ontario) during his day with it, so I guess this is the second time it's come to a mosque," he chuckled. "It's special."

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who partnered with First Shift, provided t-shirts, scarfs, pucks and autographed TJ Brodie and William Nylander jerseys for the children, adding to the memorable evening for them.

For Rob Knesaurek, NHL Senior vice president of youth hockey and industry growth, moments like these are what the Industry Growth Fund and First Shift Program are all about.

"It's times like that you really love your job. And I don't even call it a job," he said.

"The Industry Growth Fund has really tried to plant seeds and connect our clubs with their communities. And it goes beyond just the moralistic part of it. It's good business. These are hockey fans. What is does is that they are hockey fans, and we need to keep doing the good work and doing more of this."

Young Huzaifah Motala would agree.