Brad Richards assembles NY Rangers for Hurricane Sandy benefit hockey clinic

As David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail noted this week, charities are taking a beating because of the NHL lockout.

Think about something like Movember: In a typical year, we'd already have a gallery or two of NHL dusters published by now, giving the movement its spotlight. Instead, it's struggling to maintain the same levels of interest (and no doubt contributions) from hockey fans.

So kudos to Brad Richards for following through on his word. The New York Rangers star returned from Florida to the city last week, seeking to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy any way he could.

We received an email from Joe Darcy today, detailing what Richards and the Rangers are doing:

The clinic will be held at the SI Skating Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 16 in two one-hour sessions beginning at 3:30 p.m. The donation is $75; the clinic is just for youth hockey players, but anyone can come to the rink, donate funds and meet the players.

Email Vikings Hockey at vikingshockey@yahoo.com by Thursday, Nov. 15 with the participant's name and age; first come first serve basis. All proceeds from this event will go to support Hurricane Sandy victims through the Cardinal Egan Fund.

I've got a personal stake in the Sandy story, with friends and family having lost power and property back in Jersey and NYC. (And my parents losing their garage to three fallen trees.)

Along with the Rangers' clinic, the New Jersey Devils alumni team is also doing a charity event on Friday, taking on the coaches from the New Jersey Colonials youth hockey teams at 7 p.m. at Mennen Arena in a charity game to benefit the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and Morris County food banks.

Details for the game can be found here. That's only $10 to watch Friend of the Blog Ken Daneyko try and keep up with Bruce Driver and John MacLean for three hours …