Hockey Fights Cancer a Winning Event for Canterbury

For one extraordinary weekend in February, our Saints Hockey teams not only came to play—they came to raise dollars and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer.

Members of both varsity squads, along with parents and coaches, held several fundraising events to support the cause, including a bake sale, raffles for items such as New York Rangers game tickets, a “Chuck-a-Puck” contest for prizes, and multiple opportunities to make donations. By the time both games concluded and the gifts were tallied, Canterbury had raised more than $3,000 for Hockey Fights Cancer!

Founded in 1998 by the National Hockey League (NHL) and its Players’ Association, Hockey Fights Cancer is a charitable initiative that supports and inspires hope for cancer patients and their families living with, going through, and moving past cancer.

Prior to the Boys’ game, a Ceremonial Puck Drop was held in memory of Mary Rief P ’25, the mother of current student Soren Rief ’25. Mary passed away last November after a 2½-year battle with stage IV metastatic breast cancer.

The events provided extra motivation for the Boys’ Varsity Hockey team in their game against Kent School, which the Saints won 7-3. “We were excited to continue Hockey Fights Cancer this year and surpass last year’s dollar total,” said Connor Wohlfahrt ’25. “The team was thrilled to include Soren in pregame activities as well. We did not just want to win the game for ourselves, the playoffs, and the fans. We wanted to win for Soren and his family. And we did.” 

Connor was also quick to credit teammate Robert Savaglio ’25, who “did much of the planning, emails, and organizing. Without Rob, this event would not have happened.”

After Girls’ Varsity Hockey put a bow on the fundraiser with a 4-3 victory over The Hotchkiss School a few nights later, Reagan Fitzgerald ’25 was thankful to be involved in such a meaningful cause. “It was special to bring the community together for the shared purpose of supporting those affected by cancer,” she shared. “The weekend was amazing; it was more than just a game for us. To top it off, both teams ended up winning!”

Kudos to the players, coaches, and entire Canterbury family for stepping up in a big way to fight cancer.

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