The 2012 Deloitte Cup hockey tournament April 3 saw lawyers from across Ontario face off in a spirited but feisty event that raised $77,000 for for the Canadian Spinal Research Organization’s Shoot For A Cure campaign.
The tournament, held at Canlan Ice Sports arena in Etobicoke, had eight teams of plaintiff and defense lawyers competing in 10 games. Shoot For A Cure raises funds for research into spinal cord injuries and generates awareness of the issue in the ice hockey world.
This year’s tournament champions, The Zuber Devils, were presented with the Deloitte Cup at a post-game party and raffle in the arena’s Thirsty Penguin Grillhouse. “It’s just a lot of fun and a good cause, and a lot of camaraderie and networking,” said event organizer Michael J. Henry of Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP. “Every year we’ve raised more money; this year we were aiming for sixty thousand dollars and raised almost eighty.”
Despite the altruistic nature of the event, however, participants said things could get feisty on the ice. “The atmosphere is very friendly, but it is competitive,” noted lawyer Paul Fox — “Foxy” to his Element Toros teammates. “You’re out there to win, and I found that the second game got a little chippy.”
“It can get intense,” organizer Michael Henry acknowledged. “Some of these guys know each other from cases, so there’s a lot of good-natured chiding going on – ‘I’ll see ya in the corner,’ stuff like that. But it’s been tame. Afterwards they’re all up here having a beer and a laugh about it.”
Photos: Brendan Adam Zwelling