THUNDER BAY – Getting to the NHL means training hard, whether you’re a sure-fire, first-round phenom like Connor McDavid or a late-round hopeful like Thunder Bay’s Tom Pyatt.
Thousands of hours of hard work and sacrifice are the key ingredients to successfully navigate down the professional hockey path.
On Wednesday, about 50 local youths had the chance to see just what it takes, joined by NHLers Robert Bortuzzo of the St. Louis Blues, Carter Hutton of the Buffalo Sabres, Pyatt, a forward with the Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Furies goaltender Amanda Makela at Lakehead’s Hangar for the annual Training with a Pro event in support of PRO Kids.
The 31-year-old Pyatt, who spent parts of three seasons in the minor leagues before seeing his first NHL action in 2009 with the Montreal Canadiens, said it was the cause and the chance to give back to the community that drew his attention.
PRO Kids is a longstanding organization that provides children who otherwise couldn’t afford it the chance to take part in sporting and recreational activity, including hockey.
“It’s obviously a great thing,” said Pyatt, who has 99 points in 408 career NHL games.
“It’s expensive for families to put their kids into sport. I’ve kind of experienced that. I saw my parents raise three boys playing hockey it adds up and it’s pretty demanding. So it’s obviously a great thing to have, that financial help for families. I was happy to be a part of it tonight.”
Makela, a former Thunder Bay Queens star, said she jumped when the opportunity arose.
“It’s really important to give back to your community and helping kids as well,” she said. “PRO Kids is a great organization and I’m just happy to be here to help out.”
Bortuzzo, who enjoyed a breakout season on the St. Louis Blues blue-line, said he had a blast helping the children – who each raised at least $50 to take part in the event – learn what it takes to make it in the world of professional hockey.
“All four of us definitely enjoy spending time around kids and giving back to the community. It’s definitely an easy event to get behind and the kids are the one who make it so enjoyable. They’re all smiling and having a good time. We had a blast today and the kids did a lot of good stuff for a good cause.”
Now entering his fifth season with the Blues, the seven-year veteran said he saw plenty of high-level talent in the two-hour dry-land training session.
“There were some great athletes today, some kids who you can just tell were very co-ordinated and you can tell they can do some great things in sports,” Bortuzzo said. “There were some young girls who I would say blew away a lot of the guys today. They were very motivated and really into what we were doing today, so it made it that much more fun.”
To donate to PRO Kids, visit their website at https://www.thunderbay.ca/en/recreation/donate.aspx
