The Moose Jaw Warriors were hoping to see their education fund coffers receive a substantial boost during the MNP Warriors Alumni Golf Tournament at the Hillcrest Golf Club on Friday, and that’s exactly what happened.
Dozens of Warriors past and present took part in the tournament, with alumni and team supporters not only filling out the draw, but also bringing in well over $100,000 for the fund. It all ensures that Warrior graduates will be able to develop their educational pursuits once they’ve moved on from the Western Hockey League, a major aspect of the WHL experience.
“After three years of COVID and not having the golf tournament, it really looks like the guys were looking for something to do because it was a full house right away,” said tournament chair Todd Hudson. “And the Moose Jaw community was unbelievably responsive to the sponsorships we were asking for, it was really easy to sell out this year because everyone wanted to do something and be a part of it all.”
It certainly didn’t hurt that anyone who signed up for the event would have a chance to rub shoulders with some elite alumni -- including the likes of Warriors all-time scoring leader Theoren Fleury, Stanley Cup champion Troy Brouwer, Calder Trophy candidate Tanner Jeannot, Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden and former Warrior head coach Tim Hunter, all of whom could be seen milling around and visiting with huge smiles on their faces prior to tee off Friday morning.
“It’s a great little tournament they have going on here, it’s a great cause for the education fund and it’s nice to come back and support that,” said Jeannot, who finished seventh in 2022 Calder Trophy voting after putting up 24 goals to lead all rookies in scoring. “And it’s also nice to come back and see some old familiar faces I hadn’t seen in awhile, so it’s good to catch up.”
Brouwer has also made regular appearances at the event over the years, with the 2022 tournament his first since retiring last winter after a 14-year NHL career than included a Stanley Cup win in 2010 with Chicago.
“A lot of the times I just couldn’t make it with everything that goes on when you’re playing in the NHL and stuff like that, but it’s great to see old friends and everything,” said Brouwer, who captained the Warriors to the WHL final in the 2005-06 season . “A lot of the older alumni talk about getting together and this is a great opportunity to do that. And I know a lot of the guys that we played with have used the education fund system as well, so we definitely want to support that, and just support the Warriors in general.”
Having the support of the alumni -- all told, more than 30 past and current members of the franchise took part -- is especially important, says Hudson.
“Guys like Theo Fleury, they’re icons to these kids, and in another 10-15 years I hope the young guys on the team today come back too, because those 10-year-old kids cheering for them at games will want to see them when they’re older,” he said. “This is such a cool opportunity to be around the players you cheered for.”
The 2022 tournament featured a bit of history -- the first-ever hole-in-one. And while former Warriors standout Tate Popple could have won himself a car if he had pulled off his ace on one of the designated par-threes, his double albatross on par-four eighth hole just earned him a bunch of cheers and claps on the back.
Popple used a driver to hole out the 297-yard hole.
