Doug Gilmour and ex-Leafs/NHLers take cancer fight to the street rink

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Any NHLer will tell you the most underrated members of a team are its equipment managers.

“One hundred per cent,” said former Maple Leafs captain Doug Gilmour. “You just look at all the hours they put in during the day. And at night, when we’d get off a plane and able to go right to bed, they’re on their way to the rink to get our stuff ready.”

It was a jolt to many Leafs and former NHLers to learn a decade ago that Scott McKay, Toronto’s long-time equipment man in the Pat Quinn era, had a cancer diagnosis. He has survived, but the battle continues and friends want to help him raise funds and awareness in a big way.

On Thursday, Gilmour, Curtis Joseph, Shayne Corson, Brad May and Raffi Torres will reveal Street Hockey For The Cure, to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society, the Scott McKay Foundation and the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation. Proceeds of the Sept. 13-14 tournament near the grounds of the Hotel X at Exhibition Place will go to reducing the financial burden of cancer patients throughout treatment, such as the Wheels For Hope transportation program.

Gilmour points out that almost every family has lost someone to the dreaded disease.

“It could be an aunt, an uncle and in my case it was a really good friend. Bob Lavelle,” he said. “He used to be my marketing guy, the man who started the NHL player softball tournament in Niagara Falls. They discovered a lump in his shoulder when he wasn’t that old and was gone.

“We want to be there for Scotty, who has really given back to the community, despite his diagnosis.”

The 3-on-3 tournament is open to ages 13 to 50-plus and includes a special division for first responders. Each team will get to meet Gilmour and the NHLers, while playing on a half-scale rink with dasher boards, netting and volunteer officials

“We’ve done different thinks like this for Easter Seals and the homeless,” said Gilmour, now a Leafs club ambassador.

At 62, the franchise leader in playoff points gets in some ball hockey and puts on the blades for some charity tournaments.

“I took a year off of skating, then woke up one morning and said: ‘Geez, I really miss it’.”

For more information on the tournament head to www.cancer.ca/streethockeyforthecure.

Lhornby@postmediaa.com

X: @sunhornby