The Edmonton Police Association hockey team, the EPA Blues, laced up and hit the ice against the Oilers Alumni last weekend to raise funds for those fleeing domestic violence.

The game was a thrilling experience for the Blues players as they faced off against their hockey heroes. The Blues managed to pull off a surprising victory, but the big winners were the charities. The three-day event raised nearly $100,000 for WINhouse and Jessie's House.

The Shoot Pass Support event featured a wing night on Thursday, October 6, where 1st RND won best overall wings, followed by Game Day on Saturday and Try Hockey Day Sunday, where WINhouse families had the opportunity to try the sport with the Oilers Alumni and University of Alberta Pandas. Shoot Pass Support not only raises much-needed funds for essential resources for those fleeing violence but also builds community for the families it helps.

Sage Thate, whose family has actively volunteered with Winhouse and Jessie's House, was thrilled to be out enjoying the games and events while supporting a great cause. She says her boyfriend was especially delighted to meet Oiler Alum Steve MacIntyre at the event. After such a long hiatus from many events, Thate said hockey is a great way to bring the community together to support such a worthy cause, "everyone is just really energetic and happy to be here. Through COVID, domestic violence worsened, and it is great to see all this support."

“It’s an everyday reality”

2021 Statistics from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) show a 20 percent increase in the number of domestic violence calls received by police based on a five-year average.

The experience of one EPA Blues defenceman and EPS officer reflects the statistics, "one of our number one calls for service is domestic violence related. It's an everyday reality that we are trying to put a halt to, and it's an ongoing problem not only in our community but nationwide."

Not only is it essential to bring awareness to domestic violence, but the officer says bringing awareness to resources like Winhouse and Jessie's House is incredibly important. "Every little bit counts in making sure that these support systems have funding so that we are able to take care of those that fall victim to domestic violence," he said.

For Charlie Huddy, an Oilers Alumni and former Winnipeg Jets assistant coach, this was his first time participating in the Shoot Pass Support event. He said he was happy to come out and help the Oilers Alumni when he got the call.

Huddy said he was looking forward to getting back on the ice to play against the EPA Blues for such a great cause, "of course, the more money that you raise, the better, but just bringing awareness to the cause that we are playing for and helping any way we can is what we are here for."

For the EPS members playing Saturday, it's also a great way to do something different while supporting the community. "For us, it is just being able to represent the Edmonton Police Service in a light that shows that we do care. We are here to support people, and we do have not just policing resources but also external resources to help that we can get them connected with," said one member.