The Golden Knights spent 52 days in the NHL Bubble in Edmonton. Whether it was for a game, a morning skate, practice, or for any other reason, players, coaches, management, and staff made the walk from the J.W. Marriott where they were staying to the connected Rogers Place arena and practice rink next door pretty much every single day. Back and forth over 52 days, sometimes multiple times a day, means that walk became a huge part of the lives of every single person making it.
https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1299844761340137472
The entire walk is indoors, sheltered from the outside world, allowing the players to stay inside of the bubble to keep them safe and allow the NHL Playoffs to go off without a hitch despite the global pandemic. A part of that walk includes an indoor bridge running alongside 102nd Street and 105th Avenue in Downtown Edmonton.
When you went from the practice rink to the main rink there was a food shelter there and you saw a lot of people were always in line, especially when the weather was nicer. -Paul Stastny
That food shelter is the Boyle Street Community Center. It’s the local soup kitchen where they’ve worked to feed the homeless and fight poverty in Edmonton since 1971.
The Golden Knights, spearheaded by an unnamed player and trainer, wanted to help.
When you are in a bubble and when you can’t get out of there you have to find different ways to give back. -Stastny
So, the Golden Knights phoned a local pizza joint and asked them to deliver pizzas to the people standing in line waiting for a meal.
Sometimes it’s nice to switch it up so you don’t have to eat the same soups or the same simple foods all the time. -Stastny
Then, they did it again, and again, and again. Every Monday for the entirety of the Golden Knights stay they sent pizzas.
You just realize how lucky you are and sometimes it feels like the littlest thing but for that person for that one day a week I think it just changes mentalities of people there that are struggling. When you around good people you see stuff like that you see people giving back. It just shows the quality of guys on this team that have been around for a while and realize how much the game has given us. -Stastny
But now, the Golden Knights have gone home and the pizza delivery service to those in need has dried up. Or has it?
A Golden Knights fan on Reddit has launched a campaign to continue the delivery and to this point, they’ve already raised enough money to keep donating pizzas for the next six weeks!
Overwhelmed with gratitude for what has happened here. For someone from outside our city, our province, our country to want to help our community and support the people that we serve, people who are experiencing homelessness is just such a profound gesture -Elliot Tanti of Boyle Street Community Services to CTVNews in Edmonton
The donation link remains open until Sunday at 6:00 PM and can be found here.
The Golden Knights did not leave Edmonton with what they went there for, but they did leave something behind, a legacy of kindness and giving, and a delicious one at that.
Nathan
Thank you for sharing. One pepperoni ordered – and will be sure to visit this place when hitting a VGK road trip in Edmonton.
DOC (JustReposting)
This will be my last comment post, for a while. (hey, a standing ovation! thank you, thank you very much) More on the pause in minute. But first this goalie BS that has been throw around regarding me, must be put straight.
* Back at trade deadline day, I said we needed to obtain a goalie (someone) to replace Subban as backup, we did, and I was happy. ** I knew of Lehner’s “story”, but not much of his play, so I investigated and found he was a top 5 goalie the past couple years or so. I was ecstatic that we had such a good goalie as backup. That’s all I thought of him at he time. Then after the rotation at end of season, I thought hmmmm? (He IS good). *** During the NHL pause I read and listened to everything I could on this. Using common sense and logic, I saw what was taking place. **** So months ago, before the bubble, I wrote that I believed PDB had in fact decided Lehner was his #1. Not my decision, HIS! And I was correct. ***** Since all that I gradually gained confidence in that decision. Then after the MAF/agent fiasco, I said PDB was done with MAF, again true. These were never my decisions, they were the coaches, I just called it as I saw it. That has morphed into me being on Lehner’s bandwagon all along, which just wasn’t true.
So that brings me to taking a leave away from commenting here for awhile. There is no way to converse with those, on here, that: A) – Have absolutely no concept of the business side of pro sports OR Live in an alternative reality OR Are just chronic bitchers & whiners OR ALL of those? I’ll name no one, ya’ll know where you fit in with the kind of comments you make.
My posts are largely based on common sense and logic. So here’s some things my sources have led me to see. Things that will or maybe happen:
WILL happen = A) – PDB will not be fired … B) – Lehner will be signed … C) – MAF is gone (trade, buyout, retire). MAY happen = D) – Nosek will be resigned (Cousins may not). … E) – #5 will stay with the organization in a coaching spot (probably with the silver team)
So for my own sanity I will not post here for a while. Things will be much clearer in a month or so. Enjoy yourselves, bashing the organization, certain players, the coach, each other and ME. (But I will not be responding). Bye bye, for now, DOC
Juan Merrill’s Stalker
Sorry Doc, you don’t get to quit the internet, the internet quits you.
Kodiak
I agree with everything in your post with possible exception of the coach. I do think he will be around next year but I don’t think he has a long leash. Take and be safe
Tim
Well Doc it’s been a fun run hope your health holds up so you can go through the pain next year. For months I was hoping to keep both goalies as we’ve see in the playoffs it’s all about the goalie. Unfortunately that wasn’t to be so I guess it’s Lehner and Fleury is like a wilting Flower in the desert. Take care Tim
Hdbiker7851
Very nice to see the Golden Knights at least some of them accomplished something in Edmonton . That was a great gesture and hope it made the Edmonton papers. Unfortunately all to often the nice things in life are never told. Thanks Ken for bringing this to everyone’s attention. It would make a great story in the local papers. Vegas could use some good news of human kindness.
Happy Commie
It’s getting attention in Canada and there’s actually now a reciprocal effort being made by EDM fans to send pizzas to a Vegas food bank. It’s great all around, and a nice bit of news that everyone can get behind. I guess as long as there’s no Pizzas Don’t Matter peeps around
Hdbiker7851
They may not have won the Cup but what took place is even a greater reward. They are to be commended stepping up to recognize a need and acting upon it.
Soon To Be STH
Doc, if you are giving up any season tickets, let me know. I’m at the top of the list.
Mike StG
Ken, one of your finest articles. Well done. This is part of your mission, stated or not, and you’ve met that challenge admirably.