After winning his first Stanley Cup, Los Angeles Kings forward and Yorkton product Jarret Stoll brought hockey's most famous prize back to the Parkland area in a celebration that funded KidSport to give opportunities to local athletes around the area. After winning his second Stanley Cup this June with the Kings against the New York Rangers, Stoll had bigger ambitions in ensuring that his day with the Stanley Cup can help as many people as possible through charity.
Stoll, who has raised over $1.1 million for the Royal University Hospital as part of the Jarret Stoll Patient Comfort Fund Endowment, spent his day with the Stanley Cup in Saskatoon to raise more money for his charity efforts while using his status as a popular Saskatchewan born NHL talent for the good of the community.
The 32 year old Stoll has hosted golf tournaments in the past in Saskatoon to raise money for the Royal University Hospital, a cause that the Kings player told Global Saskatoon that he feels passionate about. Mentioning that it is an honour to come back and see how his charitable efforts has benefited kids who need various medical treatments.
"We put a lot of time into having a successful golf tournament, and raising a lot of money, and this is exactly where the money goes. And it's good to see that and see what they've done and see how happy it makes everybody," said Stoll.
"I'm honoured to come back and spend some time with the kids and their families and that's what the whole endowment fund that we all created here wanted to do."
Winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons, Stoll added to what has been quite the resume for one of Saskatchewan's most accomplished hockey players at both the Junior and NHL level. The Parkland area talent was a former first overall selection in the WHL Bantam Draft before winning the Memorial Cup as a captain in his final Junior season, being named a captain of Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in the process.
In the NHL Stoll has been equally as successful, playing in three Stanley Cups and winning his last two with the Kings as a part of a brewing dynasty in Los Angeles where the team has a chance at adding to their Stanley Cup banners from 2012 and 2014 before Stoll finishes his career. Still despite all of the success in Los Angeles, Stoll hasn't forgot about his Saskatchewan roots and that also extends to supporting charitable causes in the province in which he was born.
Stoll spent six summers from 2006 to 2011 hosting celebrity golf tournaments to raise funds for the Royal University Hospital, making it a no brainer for the player to use his second Cup win to continue to raise money for the RUH. Telling The Star Phoenix that it was special to be able to give back and use the popularity of the Stanley Cup in the province in Saskatoon.
"It's pretty crazy what the trophy does," said Stoll to the Phoenix about the crowd that the Stanley Cup brings, something he has been able to experience twice now in the last three years in bringing the trophy home to the province of Saskatchewan. "The image and how it shines, and how big the trophy is. I'd be biased maybe, but I'm sure it's one of the best-looking trophies in sports. It puts a lot of smiles on people's faces and wherever it goes, people usually follow."
In addition to getting to enjoy the day with the Stanley cup with friends and family in Saskatoon, Stoll mentioned that the biggest part of his day over the weekend with the Stanley Cup was being able to return to Saskatoon and see the children he has helped with the Jarret Stoll Endowment as well as to share a special moment in his career with those who will never forget it at the Royal University Hospital.
"It means a lot to come back to Saskatoon and especially to come back to Royal University Hospital," said Stoll to the Phoenix who mentioned that his focus was on sharing experiences with some of the kids at the hospital that he hopes to help with his charitable contribution. "We wanted to help out with children and their families, making their families comfortable, making the kids comfortable. Hopefully, they have a good experience in this hospital and that's what it's all about."
