Former NHLer Tim Cheveldae was among the group of golfers that took to Deer Park on Friday in support of the United Way.
The group kicked off the 2010 United Way campaign with the United Way golf tournament featuring a special guest, former goaltender, Cheveldae.
Susan Stewardson, branch manager, Scotiabank, said the day went by better than it did last year, suggesting that the former pro hockey player likely hand a hand in that.
"The numbers were up this year by 30 per cent."
Frank Block of Scotiabank said Cheveldae was very accommodating to come out and said it was just a matter of Cheveldae checking his schedule in order to attend.
Block said he thought it made a difference in getting people to come out and play despite bad weather."I'd like to think it made a difference. We talked about it with the United and sure enough he didn't hesitate at all," says Block of Cheveldae.
Stewardson said it was good especially considering bad weather that day.
It day started with a 10 a.m., shotgun start and about 30 people braved some less-than-ideal weather to come out and join the former Red Wing to raise money for a good cause.
"This is good," said Cheveldae in the Deer Park clubhouse while getting set to munch on a 'post-game' dinner of steak on a bun alongside his scramble teammates.
"You do this as much as you can."
The 10-year veteran of the pro hockey ranks spent time in Detroit with the Red Wings, Boston with the Bruins and Winnipeg with the long gone Jets, now has a little more time to spend donating his time to help support various charities such as the United Way kickoff to its 2010 campaign this past Friday.
The former Wing who made a name for himself as one of two reliable goaltenders that helped to make Detroit almost unstoppable through the late 1980s and 1990s.
He went from fourth on the depth chart in the 1990-91 season to jumping over fellow Wings goalies Greg Stefan and Sam St. Laurent. From 1990-1993, he was Detroit's starting goaltender and played no less than 65 games in each of those season.
At Deer Park, he golfed alongside Doug and Angelica Bullis and said that being a strong athlete in hockey doesn't transfer automatically to golf.
"It's different from golf," he said. Hockey skills "don't mean anything here."
He said he enjoys now what would be the offseason had he not retired in 1997 and said golf tournaments are a fun way to spend his time.
"You have to get away from it, recharge the batteries." Cheveldae and his family are from Melville.Block said that Scotiabank will kick in up to $5000 in support of the event.
