There is nothing that brings people in Canada together quite like hockey. Every November since 2017, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the American Cancer Society have partnered to make a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer by uniting players, coaches, teams, fans and communities to support Hockey Fights Cancer™ (HFC), an annual fundraising campaign.
This year’s HFC campaign encourages hockey fans of all ages to participate by: making a donation, giving a Gift of an Assist, hosting a HFC fundraiser, doing a Facebook challenge, entering into a sweepstakes or engaging on social media using #hockeyfightscancer. Official HFC fan gear is also available for purchase at HFC Nights taking place in NHL cities across Canada and the US throughout November.
New this year, CCS, the NHL, the NHLPA and the NHL Alumni Association have joined forces to bring the hockey world our Same Team awareness campaign. This campaign celebrates our shared commitment to the cancer cause and our belief that when it comes to cancer, we’re all on the same team.
Watch this first-of-its-kind video featuring past and present-day NHL legends from different eras and teams as they come together like never before – on the Same Team in support of the cancer cause. You can watch all-stars such as Sidney Crosby and Auston Matthews along with cancer survivors Mario Lemieux, Saku Koivu and Phil Kessel as they interact on the same hockey bench thanks to some movie magic. The video also includes Hockey Hall of Fame forwards Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy, who both died from cancer earlier this year.
Teamwork is key on and off the ice and we’re calling on you to help. Share the Same Team video, capture a photo of yourself wearing your favourite hockey jersey, hosting a HFC fundraiser or snap a pic of your whole crew sporting rival fan gear and post to your social channels. Use the hashtags #HockeyFightsCancer and #SameTeam and be sure to tag your friends, family and colleagues so they can get in on the fun too. You’ll be joining NHL players and other well-known hockey personalities who are supporting the cause on their own channels.
To learn more and how you can get involved, visit cancer.ca/HockeyFightsCancer or cancer.ca/SameTeam.