TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning will host their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night, presented by Moffitt Cancer Center, tonight when they face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. at AMALIE Arena.
The Lightning and Moffitt will showcase different initiatives and presentations throughout the night to honor the courage and strength of those who are currently and/or have been affected by cancer, as well as their caregivers and families.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is at the forefront of raising money for pediatric cancer research. He says the games always come with a mixture of emotions.
"It’s great because you know you’re doing it for a great cause. But it’s also… the memories of people that have been lost," Cooper said Thursday morning. "It’s great and it’s not because it’s tough to think what could we have done more of? That’s why I love nights like tonight. You just keep- the word 'fight' is in there. Hockey fights cancer, and that’s what I love about it."
"It’s hit pretty close to home in my family within the last few years," Lightning center Tyler Motte said after Thursday's practice. "So it gives you an opportunity to reflect and understand that we get to play a game for a living. And as much as we love and enjoy it, there are some things that are bigger than that. I think it’s important to understand the battle other people are going through and be there for one another and support them."
Lavender, the official color of Hockey Fights Cancer, will illuminate the in-bowl game presentation throughout the evening on the digital displays, dasher boards, advertisements, and ‘I Fight For’ cards. Fans will have the chance to fill out their own cards on Ford Thunder Alley and behind Section 123. Lightning players will sport Lavender jerseys upon their arrival to the arena and autograph them to be auctioned off by the Lightning Foundation at BoltsHFC.givesmart.com.
Among the highlights, Mason Fox, a 10-year-old battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and participant in the Lightning Made Youth Hockey Program, will take part in the pre-game ceremonial puck drop. In honor of the 25th Anniversary of the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative, the Lightning will invite 25 guests from non-profit organizations helping to fight cancer daily to join them on the ice for a Moment of Silence and the National Anthem.
Dick Vitale’s “Courageous Kids” will be honored as the evening’s Lightning Community Heroes, with a $50,000 donation being made to the V Foundation. The Lightning Foundation will present Moffitt Cancer Center with a special check of proceeds from the 2022-23 season 50/50 raffle. The evening’s 50/50 cash drawing will benefit local cancer-fighting non-profit organizations through the Lightning Foundation as well.
About Hockey Fights Cancer
Hockey Fights Cancer™ is an initiative founded in December 1998 by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association to raise money and awareness for hockey's most important fight. This season marks the 25th anniversary of the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer platform.
To date, the Hockey Fights Cancer programs of the National Hockey League Foundation (in the US) and the NHL Foundation (in Canada), along with NHL supporters and fans, have donated more than $32 million to support the cancer programs of national and local cancer research institutions, children's hospitals, player charities, and local charities.
Learn more here.
