The fifth annual Your Mortgage Source $10,000 Pro-Am Charity Hockey Tournament returns to Abbotsford's The Rinks at Summit Centre, with games running from May 30 to June 1.
A premier division made up of four teams will compete for $10,000, which will be donated to a charity of the team's choice.
The previous four years of the tournament has seen a total of $40,000 donated to charities including the Canucks Autism Network, the Abbotsford Minor Hockey Benevolent Fund and the Gurdwara Baba Banda Singh Bahadar Sikh Society, as well as over $4,000 in cash and food donations to the Abbotsford Food Bank.
Organizer Alex Kotai of YMS founded the event in 2021 and said local businesses help make the tournament a success.
"Our goal for this tournament is to unite our community through Canada’s common love of hockey, while giving back to charities in need," he stated in a press release. "We were so grateful last year to receive tremendous support from businesses throughout our community. From the food donations, player meals, to the door prizes big and small, this event was enjoyed by hundreds of people in the Fraser Valley and Abbotsford. With the help of many local businesses our tournament was a great success."
Some of the notable players for 2025 include:
- Brett Sterling: NHL – Pittsburgh Penguins
- Max Newton: AHL – Belleville Senators
- Dylan Playfair: BCHL – Merritt Centennials/Letterkenny
- Eric Roberts: NCAA Div 1 – Alaska Anchorage
- Riley Wallack: NCAA Div 1 – Long Island University
- Josh Kotai: NCAA Div 1 – Augustana University
- Connor Sanvido: Italy – Pergine
- Dallas Rossiter: ECHL – Maine Mariners
- Parker Colley: France – Dunkerque
- Austyn Playfair: WHL – Tri City Americans
- Jackson Playfair: ECHL – Orlando Solar Bears
- Mike Nolan: France – Morzine Penguins
Sterling recorded nine points in 30 NHL games spread out over four seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. He scored five points in seven games for Pittsburgh in the 2010-11 season. Sterling also had impressive numbers in the AHL and put up 477 points in 546 games with the Chicago Wolves, Peoria Rivermen, Wilke-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Portland Pirates. His first AHL season with Chicago in 2006-07 saw him score 55 goals and 97 points in 77 games. He won both the AHL rookie of the year award and the AHL goal scoring title. Sterling was also named to both the all-rookie team and the AHL first team all-star team that season. He was a fifth round draft pick of Atlanta in 2003. Sterling won a world junior gold medal in 2004. He retired as a professional in 2018.
Newton suited up in six career AHL games spread out over three seasons with the Providence Bruins, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and the Belleville Senators. He also spent two seasons in the ECHL and played his junior hockey with the BCHL's Trail Smoke Eaters and Cowichan Valley Captials. He has competed the past two years in Europe.
Dylan Playfair appeared on the streaming series Letterkenny as Reilly and formerly played junior hockey with the BCHL's Merritt Centennials. He is the son of former NHL player and head coach Jim Playfair. He also appeared in the The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers series.
The event opens on the evening of May 30 with two games planned. Activity continues starting at 1 p.m. on May 31 and four games are scheduled. The event has three games on June 1, with the final set for 5:30 p.m. that evening.
Past champions include: Canucks (2024), Big Time Regretzky's (2023 and 2022) and YMS Stars (2021).
For more information, visit yourmortgagesource.org/pro-am-charity-hockey-tournament.
