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CONNECTION TO A CAUSE

By: Dan Berlin, Pro-Am Blogger - 30/03/2013

A beautiful part of life is having the opportunity to give back to a cause that you believe in, with the chance to make a difference in other people’s lives.

ProAm Launch

It’s a big part of the reason why I, Dan Berlin, your 2013 Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s blogger, along with the NHL Alumni Association, are taking part in the annual hockey tournament, which has raised over $20 million in support of Baycrest since its inception eight years ago.

Growing up in Toronto, I’ve always loved hockey, especially the Maple Leafs.  My earliest memories are of my parents allowing me to stay up late enough to catch the first period of Hockey Night in Canada, watching my hero Darryl Sittler score for Toronto.  Years later, I remember being glued to my TV watching my beloved Leafs make a run for Lord Stanley’s Cup, as Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour and later, Curtis Joseph, captivated an entire city two decades ago.

Without question, I am one of the lucky ones.  I’ve spent 15 years working in sports media, granted the professional privilege of sharing the stories from athletes in a variety of sports and from all walks of life.  But, even at age 39, the job still brings out the little kid in me.  And at this year’s event, you’ll find me interviewing Clark, Gilmour and Joseph, with a small glimmer from that bright-eyed boy gazing up at his larger-than-life heroes.

Those times I had as a young fan following the Leafs remain my most cherished hockey memories.  But I can only imagine what it would be like to have those memories taken away from me; the way Alzheimer’s snatches them away from its unsuspecting victims.

ProAm Launch

Former NHL great Marcel Dionne, who will be making his first appearance at this year’s Pro-Am tournament, has felt the effects of the disease first-hand in his family. 

“My mother-in-law that lives with us is 83 years old and she’s got the start of it,” said Dionne.  “I don’t think you’re ever really prepared for this.  It’s absolutely devastating.”

Dionne, who scored 731 goals in 18 NHL seasons, is grateful at this stage of his life to be in good health and be able to give back to this particular cause.

“Researchers have connected concussions with dementia,” said the 61-year-old hall-of-famer.  “You now have people in their mid-50’s and early-60’s who’ve been diagnosed.”

While these latest studies have led to positive changes in how current NHL teams handle players with concussions, Dennis Maruk, the former NHL 60-goal scorer with Washington in the early ‘80s who will be participating in his fourth Pro-Am, recalls a time when that certainly wasn’t the case.

“There were maybe times when we had head injuries when we should have taken two weeks off or three weeks off,” said Maruk, who suffered multiple concussions during his playing days.  “But during my time, if we missed a game, there’d be someone else right behind us ready to take our spot.”

But while NHL players now have to pass a myriad of tests before being able to return to the ice from a concussion, the risk of suffering a head injury hasn’t diminished in today’s game.

“The equipment’s a lot harder.  We had leather pads and they have plastic pads now,” said Kevin Maguire, president of the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni Association.  “The boards back in our day were a lot more flexible.  Today the boards are rock solid … it’s like hitting a concrete wall.”

Head injuries are a scary reality in sports today.  It’s a big part of the reason why so many former NHL players want to get involved with this tournament.  A portion of the funds raised will support research projects like the world’s first ‘virtual’ brain at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute – revolutionizing care for people with brain disease or damage, within our lifetime.

“Any support that helps figure more out about the brain,” added Wendel Clark, “the better it is.”

For more information on the tournament and how you can get involved with this great cause, go to the tournament page.