Andy Bichel, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, said the donation marks the culmination of Reeves' vision to build a hockey facility and rink in a place that might not have had one otherwise.
“It's his vision and his continued commitment,” Bichel said. “He's an athlete who backs his words with actions.”
Reeves, a forward who played 49 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, was unable to attend Thursday's event, but all other members of the coalition were in attendance and conducted an indoor ball hockey clinic.
Towards the end of the session, Boys & Girls Club members took turns facing off against current and former NHL and female pro all-stars, including Whitecloud, coalition co-chair and “NHL on TNT” commentator Anson Carter, co-chair and ESPN commentator PK Saban, Seattle Kraken television commentator JT Brown, former forward Georges Laraque, former forward Anthony Stewart, former defenceman Mark Fraser, Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jordan Harris, PWHL New York defenceman Abby Roque and four-time U.S. Women's Olympic Team forward Julie Chu.
“This is important for the growth of the game, and more importantly, the growth of the game is getting people comfortable with it, identifying with it and feeling like they're a part of it,” Saban said. “We're seeing kids who didn't even know how to hold a hockey stick already shooting the ball.”
