Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergervin was back in his old stomping grounds in Pointe-Saint-Charles Saturday to take part in a hockey fundraiser benefitting Share the Warmth.
Two teams, one coached by Bergevin and the other by hockey great Guy Lafleur, faced off at noon at the Saint-Charles arena for the first ever Partageons la Puck.
The on-ice challenge was preceded by a youth street hockey game outside the arena.
And while the event was a fundraiser, Lafleur couldn’t quite keep his competitive side in check.
“I won the first game,” he quipped. “I was so happy about it.”
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Lafleur admitted the second street hockey game was a tie but was looking forward to another chance of beating Bergervin when the adults took to the ice at noon.
All joking aside, Lafleur said events like today were important to help fuel youngster’s dreams.
“It’s helping out organizations and it’s also motivating kids to become one day hockey players,” he said. “It’s good for them to dream about it.”
For Bergevin, taking part in Saturday’s event was a no brainer.
“I get to share my love of hockey with Montrealers, coach alongside legend guy Lafleur, which is a great honour, all to help the community I grew up in and love.”
Share the Warmth is active in Montreal’s South-West and calls Pointe-Saint-Charles home. Its goal is to fight hunger and poverty while providing opportunities for fulfillment to the city’s most vulnerable residents, namely children and youth.
Share the Warmth (STW) provides 2,500 school children with nutritious meals every week and its bursary programme is helping local youth graduate from high school. In a neighbourhood with a dropout rate of 51 per cent, the importance of such a program can not be ignored.