NHL Foundation Partners With Bruins Alumni, Warrior For Life Fund

The NHL Foundation is always looking for ways the league can leverage hockey to serve communities.

The partnership between the Boston Bruins Alumni and the Warrior For Life fund helps do just that.

That was on full display in early December when B’s fans packed Warrior Ice Arena in Boston for the Faceoff For Heroes Nathan H. Hardy Memorial Game.

A star-studded ensemble of Bruins legends skated to a hard-fought win over the Warrior For Life team, but the impact made off the ice was what made the night such a special event.

“Of course, our military community is incredibly important to us,” NHL Foundation executive director Rob Wooley told NESN.com. “Seeing the work of the Warrior For Life Fund just seemed like a really natural fit for the things that we want to do in the community across the country.”

The entire event was largely based on a conversation between Wooley and former Bruins defenseman Frank Simonetti, who now serves as Bruins Alumni Association president.

“I reached out to Frank and said, ‘What are some of the things that the NHL can do to support this group and their efforts?” Wooley recalled on Dec. 7 after watching the alumni game. “It just made a ton of sense for the NHL and NHL Foundation to support. … We were all in. I told Frank that next year, we’re going to increase our support and continue to do more to support this great event. … We’re always looking for opportunities to serve our military communities, and this game is just a phenomenal way to do it. We’re pretty excited about it.”

There’s no shortage of buy-in from the Bruins Alumni’s side, too. Former Black and Gold defenseman Kevan Miller, who now skates for the B’s alums in the annual game, is also so invested in the Warrior For Life Fund that he serves as a board member for the organization.

“I think we start with just the military side of it,” Miller told NESN.com. “It’s something that’s been important to me for a long time, since about Day 1. I have a lot of friends who’ve served. And then to get involved with the (Naval Special Warfare) community, I have a great buddy of mine; he’s still active, and he introduced me to a lot of the guys in the community. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what these guys do, protecting and serving.”

The partnership between the three entities has grown over the years. The sold-out event at Warrior Ice Arena, featuring an all-star Bruins lineup, benefited all involved, allowing fans of the Black and Gold to see their favorite players don the Spoked-B again for a great cause.