Ryley Budd was selected as Hockey Alberta’s 2023 Player of the Year presented by ATB.
During the 2022-23 season, the 15 year old from Calgary struck a deal with EnerCorp. For every save he made through the regular season, $1 would be donated to charity and an extra $10 for every shutout.
After posting 686 saves and two shutouts for the Calgary Northstars, Budd raised $700 for HEROS Hockey. The funds were used to send a young HEROS’ goalie to Ontario for his first tournament.
When EnerCorp learned more about HEROS Hockey and what the donation was being used for, they increased the donation to $5,000. This contributed to sending the whole team to the tournament.
As Budd looks to the next season, he hopes to continue the initiative to help get more kids on the ice through HEROS Hockey.
HEROS Hockey provides free hockey programming for at-risk children and youth. The organization uses the game to teach life-skills that individuals can use beyond the rink. The Hockey Alberta Foundation is a proud supporter of HEROS Hockey.