Dion Phaneuf, NHLPA donate new hockey gear to Summerside kids

Thanks to Dion Phaneuf and the NHL Players' Association, 25 kids in the Summerside area will receive brand new sets of hockey gear.

The announcement took place Wednesday afternoon at Credit Union Place, with Phaneuf and kids from the Summerside Boys & Girls Club among those in attendance.

The NHLPA Goals and Dreams Fund has donated more than 70,000 sets of hockey gear over the past two decades in North America and Europe, Phaneuf told CBC.

'Get children started'

"To get children started playing the game that I love and a lot of people love, it's something that's very special to me," said the Los Angeles Kings defenceman.

The gear will be given to kids aged 11-13 who will be identified with the help of the Boys & Girls Club and Generation XX.

Those kids will be involved in a program one day a week led by Summerside Western Capitals players and staff. It will run from late October to the end of March.

'No expense to the family'

Doug Dexter, president of the Summerside and Area Minor Hockey Association, said it's a chance those children likely wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

"It's a wonderful opportunity, once in a lifetime, to get a brand new set of hockey gear head-to-toe and an opportunity to try hockey at no expense to the family, other than just the commitment to showing up."

They will look to identify families who have expressed an interest in hockey or kids who enjoy ball hockey and would like to take it a step further, Dexter said.

'Very important to keep kids active'

Goals and Dreams Fund manager Matt Langen said ages 11-13 were chosen because that's the time when kids start getting pulled in different directions.

"It's an age where kids can drift into multiple areas.... But for hockey players and us, it's very important to keep kids active and healthy," he said.

"So it's important that we give them an avenue to play the game of hockey by providing the equipment."

'I really enjoy the pace of life'

Phaneuf and his wife, actress Elisha Cuthbert, have a summer home in the New London area.

"I really enjoy the pace of life. The Island's been very good to me and my family, so for me to be able to do this program here in Summerside, it's where my family grew up, and for me I'm able to give back to the community a little," he said.

It's an expensive sport to get into, Phaneuf said, and he plans to do this again next summer in Charlottetown, "just to make sure both cities get equal share," he said with a smile.

Phaneuf 'excited' for full season in L.A.

Hockey has become a big business, but seeing the happiness of the kids drives home the grassroots nature of the sport, Phaneuf said.

"When you come into a room and you see the kids smile, that's what it's all about."

Phaneuf was traded to L.A. from the Ottawa Senators in February and said he looks forward to spending a full season with the Kings.

"The guys were awesome to me in welcoming me to the team, but when you go through training camp, I think you grasp a lot more information, you're more familiar with the systems, and I'm just excited to get down there and get started."

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