WHL Community Collective: Saskatoon Blades
The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming community across our 22 clubs scattered throughout Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team is given the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate towards. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.
Through the WHL Community Collective we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club over the course of the year.
This is what the Saskatoon Blades’ #WHLCommunity looked like this season:
As a former member of the Red Deer Rebels, Blake Gustafson never got to experience the joy of visiting the kids of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. Until now, that is.
After being acquired by the Saskatoon Blades at the start of the 2022-23 Regular Season, Gustafson was all set to join the team during their excursion to the hospital — which is an annual tradition for the Club during the holiday season.
What it’s all about❤
????Merry Christmas, #BladeCity @PattisonKids @makeawishsk pic.twitter.com/KQWNnMpAc4
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) December 25, 2022
In his first visit, Gustafson was joined by teammates Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Brandon Lisowsky and Justin Lies.
The four players delivered presents, tested their hand at bingo, took on their friends in some video games, and spent the day interacting with those at the Children’s Hospital in what was a forever memorable day for Gustafson, the Blades and the Children’s Hospital.
“It was an excellent day for the kids and for the players. We had a great time,” Gustafson said.
During his inaugural visit to the hospital, Gustafson’s reaction was nothing short of priceless. The defenceman was blown away by the strength shown by the kids, which left him inspired, awestruck and incredibly supportive toward everyone he spent the day befriending.
“My goodness, [the kids] are much tougher than use,” Gustafson praised. “Captain [De La Gorgendiere] and I were talking about how the mental toughness and physical toughness of these kids are unmatched and we we’re talking that we wouldn’t be tough enough to be in this environment every day, so those kids are absolute troopers.”
His full day of connecting with the hospital goers also left the 20-year-old reflecting on his own life and a newfound admiration to those fighting battles outside of the ice surface.
“It makes you count your blessings a little bit and it makes you kind of say a prayer for all these kids that are in tougher times and hope that they all recover,” Gustafson said.
The Blades’ relationship with the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital didn’t start and end with the visit from the players, however.
For much of the season, Saskatoon raised money for the Children’s Hospital through various initiatives. This included 50/50 fundraising efforts in partnership with RE/MAX, auctioning of the limited-time Saskatoon Bananas jerseys, and collecting proceeds during Saskatoon’s Nickelodeon Night, which saw the team wear Paw Patrol themed jerseys.
Our Saskatoon Banana jersey auction in partnership with @saveonfoods raised $4,235 for @PattisonKids.
Thank you to everyone who contributed! ???? pic.twitter.com/6Jdlo9I4jJ
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) May 25, 2023
At the conclusion of the team’s season-long fundraiser, over $15,000 was raised in support of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.
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