Each season, the Greater Toronto Hockey League leads and participates in a number of efforts that support the local community and the League’s community partners. Over the course of the 2023-24 campaign, the GTHL proudly helped to contribute $214,884.00, in addition to various community outreach initiatives.

Beginning in the offseason, the GTHL were proud partners of both The Carnegie Initiative’s (The CI) Beyond Their Years: The Incredible Legacies of Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil” documentary, and Hockey Equality’s Black Hockey Summit in July 2023. Both the documentary and the Black Hockey Summit serve as educational tools and direct catalysts to growing the game of hockey.

Also in July 2023, the GTHL hosted its 12th annual Legacy Classic golf tournament, raising $37,484.32 in support of the GTHL Legacy Fund. With the support from players, sponsors, and volunteers, the tournament was able to make a significant contribution to the Legacy Fund, which was established in 2011 in an effort to help families in financial need and to further assist organizations in funding hockey programs with a focus on child and community development.

In 2023-24, the GTHL Legacy Fund, through the Legacy Fund Community Development Grant, was able to provide significant granting opportunities to organizations striving to develop and grow child and community development programming.

Under the health and mental health umbrellas, GTHL staff raised over $1,100 for Sunnybrook’s Family Navigation Project participating in the RBC Race for the Kids in September. In November, the GTHL’s Movember Moustache Cup tournament and its participating teams raised $45,280 in support of Movember.

Also in November, thanks to the partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs, participants of the Platinum Cup tournament powered by the Maple Leafs and the GTHL helped to raise over $6,000 for the United Way.

Other community partners such as You Can Play also received donations via League fundraising efforts such as the 2024 OHL Cup 50/50 for their ongoing support of the GTHL through educational programming.

In February 2024, the GTHL was proud to continue its community collaborations, supporting Brock McGillis’ Culture Shift Tour as a sponsor and with the participation of 10 teams.

At the GTHL’s Under-18 All-Star and I Play in the G Festivals fuelled by Gatorade, the hockey community graciously supported the Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive hosted by the League. Supporting Indigenous youth in Ontario, the drive brought in 150 full hockey bags and 237 sticks, as well as a $1,100 financial donation.

More from the GTHL’s outreach initiatives, the League’s Try Hockey program relaunched this past season for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The program introduces students to hockey through floorball where they learn the skills of passing, shooting, and stick handling in a friendly and fun environment. Delivered through January to May 2024, the program was delivered 15 times in 14 different schools across the city, introducing just under 2,000 students to the game of hockey.

Additionally, the Whitefish River First Nation and GTHL exchange experienced its second season of success. The exchange program, which strived to provide opportunities to GTHL and First Nations players, parents, and other participants to develop relationships, fellowship, and a cultural understanding through a shared passion for the game of hockey, featured the U13 George Bell ‘A’ Titans and youth from Whitefish River First Nation.

The GTHL continued its outreach through development programming, supporting the MLSE Coach Education Program for the third season. To change the face of hockey, the MLSE Foundation, Scotiabank, and the GTHL collaborate to provide opportunities for underrepresented youth to be involved in the game at the coaching level. The aim is to improve representation in leadership positions to inspire a diverse generation of youth to engage in hockey. Over three cohorts this past season, the League ran three clinics welcoming 43 total participants.

The GTHL also supported the 50th annual Little NHL Tournament by providing Coach Education with 49 coaches participating in a Coach Level 2 clinic.

GTHL officials also supported community events through volunteering for both the 2024 Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament and the second annual North American VOLT hockey tournament. The Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament welcomed over 200 players and coaches from 11 participating Canadian provinces and hosted international players in March 2024. In May, Variety Ontario hosted its second annual VOLT hockey tournament, providing kids an opportunity to play VOLT competitively ahead of the VOLT World Cup in Sweden. VOLT hockey is an accessible form of hockey that is played in a specifically designed hockey sport chair by people with a variety of disabilities, particularly those with limited upper mobility.

The League’s efforts are a limited footprint of the significant work and contributions that happen across the entire GTHL – from competitive clubs, teams, to local house league associations striving to make a difference.

As the holiday season comes to a close, the GTHL is congratulating the many teams who spent time giving back. 👏

🎁READ | https://t.co/Kg7ewAwSkh#GTHLCommunity | #IPlayIntheG pic.twitter.com/9ugdK0SKiW

— GTHL Hockey (@GTHLHockey) January 3, 2024

Are you or someone you know making a difference in the GTHL community? Let us know!