There have been two devastating events that have taken place in two hockey cities (one near) but never the less their hockey teams tried to step forward and help those in need. The first was the Boston marathon bombing and the second one was the Lac-Mégantic (a few miles away from Montreal) train explosion.
The Boston marathon bombing was a shock to the whole world especially since the bombs went off on live television. That night, the Boston Bruins game against the Ottawa Senators was later postponed due to the tragic event and having officials check the arena in case there had been more bombs planted there. The bombing injured more than 140 people and killed 17 including a young boy who was a huge Boston Bruins fan.
For the victims, the Bruins held a minute of silence for the shock of the state of Massachusetts. They also let some victims come out onto the ice and hold the American flag. They showed tribute videos and allowed those affected meet the players and watch the games. The Bruins in their best effort tried to win as many games for the city to give them something to cheer about and they tried to win the second Stanley cup in three years but did not succeed.
The Bruins helped in an emotional way. They gave the city something to keep their minds off the tragedy. Many cities would do that in need. This shows that the teams care for their city and do anything possible to lift up their spirits.
In July, Quebec suffered devastation in Lac-Mégantic. The train derailed in Lac-Mégantic and caused an explosion in the heart of the city where over 40 people were confirmed dead and many others injured. The worst part of that was seeing a completely built city (over 30 buildings) destroyed because of the fires.
As the new season is fast approaching us, the Montreal Canadiens have decided to help raise money for the victims and help lift their spirits up. The first of the fundraising event (that I will cover) will happen on September 14 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. It is a scrimmage game starring Habs players who are divided up by team white and team red. Tickets are already on sale for $5 a ticket and each ticket holder will receive a hot dog, drink and a bag of chips. The next day and for the five of the teams preseason games, the Canadiens organization have personally invited directly affected families and emergency personnel to come watch. One of the preseason opening games national anthems will be sung by a resident of Lac-Mégantic that will be followed by a minute of silence. The final event will take place on October 3, where the Canadiens will hold an official team practice in Lac-Mégantic.
Following the event tragedies that happened in the last few months, these two teams are pure examples of what coming together and helping out those in need means. They are using their NHL status to help lift the spirits of those who have been affected personally. They lead other teams to do the same for if or when anything happens in their city and they show strength and courage.
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Main photo credit: slidingsideways via photopin cc
