- The York Region Hockey Helps the Homeless tournament raised nearly $250,000 for local transitional housing initiatives.
- Proceeds will support Blue Door’s redevelopment of Kevin’s Place and 360°kids’ Transitions Housing Program.
- Fifteen NHL players, including Stouffville Councillor Keith Acton, participated in the event.
- Acton said the tournament offers a meaningful and fun way to reconnect with the game while supporting organizations addressing rising homelessness.
- HHTH Operations Manager David Dionne said the tournaments blend his passion for hockey and community service.
Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH) brought its York Region tournament to Newmarket’s Magna Centre on Dec. 12, uniting professional and local players in support of two organizations working to address homelessness. The event raised just under $250,000, contributing to the national charity’s historic total of more than $33 million.
Now in its 30th year, HHTH will host 22 charity tournaments between October 2025 and May 2026. The York Region tournament benefits Blue Door and 360°kids, two frontline nonprofits helping vulnerable community members secure stable housing.
Blue Door, one of the region’s largest providers of emergency housing, will use its share of the proceeds to advance the redevelopment of Kevin’s Place. As part of its emergency housing and support programming, “the project will transform a 100-year-old house into 14 purpose-built stacked townhouses, offering a mix of emergency, affordable, and accessible housing,” HHTH explained.
360°kids will use donations to bolster its Transitions Housing Program, which serves individuals between ages 16 and 26. Supported by additional funding, the organization plans to purchase and renovate transitional units. According to HHTH, the effort will expand “affordable housing for underserved youth and priority groups, such as Black youth and youth leaving care.”
“Each tournament that we do, the funds stay in the local community… We pride ourselves in making sure of that,” HHTH Operations Manager David Dionne said. “This year, we’ve already been to Calgary, Vancouver, Halifax, Winnipeg, Waterloo, and Markham.”
Dionne described how the program works: a sponsor assembles a team, each player raises at least $500 through the HHTH online platform, and teams are ranked by their fundraising results, which determines their position in a pro draft.
Fifteen former NHL players, most listed on the tournament’s online roster, joined teams through that draft process. Stouffville Councillor and Stanley Cup winner Keith Acton was among them. He is now in his seventh year volunteering with HHTH and participates in tournaments across the country.
The hockey is light and the games are short, but camaraderie among participants was evident throughout the day. In a lunchtime conversation with Bullet Point News, Acton said he enjoyed returning to the ice and getting back into his element, but emphasized the cause behind the event.
“Homelessness is an ever increasing concern, not just in our community but across the country. These events can help address some of the immediate needs of people in a very challenging position,” he said. “We need Blue Door and 360ºkids to help all of us better combat this growing problem, and it’s good to see so many here willing to do their part to assist.”
More than 200 participants across 14 teams helped make this year’s tournament a success. Acton said the format also gives him a valuable way to connect with younger players, even as the age gap widens.
“It’s funny, sometimes I wonder if these guys really know who I am,” he joked. “I find myself recommending they go ask their parents and grandparents about me.”
Between games, a fan handed Keith Acton a photo from the 1988 Stanley Cup Final that he had never seen before.
The day also offered moments that blended nostalgia and community spirit. After his first game, Acton stepped out of the dressing room holding a black-and-white photograph of himself moments after scoring the winning goal in Game 1 of the 1988 Finals.
Grainy and dynamic, he told us it was the first time he had ever seen the image. A local fan had asked him to autograph it, which is a common occurrence during HHTH events. “I signed it and told them that it was something I hadn’t seen before, and they just gave it to me,” the Ward 3 Councillor said.
For Dionne, the work behind HHTH is driven by two passions, and as a Newmarket resident, the York Region event holds particular meaning. “Why do I love doing this? Well, it combines my love for hockey and my love for helping people,” he said. “Even better when I can do it in my own backyard.”
