Amanda Gritz | staff writer

For a select group of hockey fans, skating on the ice at PPG Paints Arena with former professional hockey players isn’t just a dream, it’s a reality with a purpose far greater than the game itself. The Mario Lemieux Fantasy Hockey Camp has become one of the most impactful fundraising events within the Mario Lemieux Foundation, blending an authentic NHL-style experience with a mission far beyond the rink.

Over the course of 14 years, the Mario Lemieux Fantasy Hockey Camp has raised more than $5 million for the Mario Lemieux Foundation’s cancer research, patient care and Austin’s Playroom initiatives. Those funds have helped support families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, providing medical resources and emotional relief in the hospital.

This year, 72 people across the United States and Canada participated in the camp. 60 of those campers are returning from previous years, and around 300 sit on the waitlist for upcoming years. Jason Chappell has been one of the many campers who have participated since the first year of the event.

“I originally joined because of the way the foundation runs the camp,” Chappell said. “The Mario Lemieux Foundation is a great organization, and because of the camp, I have made friends from all over North America.”

The Mars native has also seen the impact the camp has left on the community firsthand.

“My family has used an Austin’s Playroom in the hospital, so I understand the impact and how special it is to have access to that during those times,” he said.

The camp is run over the course of four days, with the first three spent at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, and the final day at PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Campers are divided into four teams, each featuring two to three former professional hockey player coaches, including Hall of Famer and six-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Trottier and Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Larry Murphy. Each team also has two to three former professional hockey player captains.

Captains include back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Pascal Dupuis and Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Recchi. Together, all of the captains and coaches have 29 Stanley Cups, more than 4,700 goals and more than 12,100 points in their NHL careers.

The camp holds a total of eight games where campers get to play with some of hockey’s greatest players while supporting the Mario Lemieux Foundation’s mission.

“The camp has a direct impact on anyone who visits a playroom or cancer facility. We couldn’t do it without our campers,” said foundation President Nancy Angus.

Campers get an NHL-like experience both on and off the ice by getting personal interactions with the professional captains and coaches, along with Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux Fantasy Hockey Camp equipment and apparel.

From the gear to the games with former professionals, every detail is designed to replicate the professional level while reinforcing the charitable mission behind it.

Although the foundation plans and hosts the event every year, they cannot do it alone. The camp relies on dozens of volunteers to ensure things are running smoothly. Volunteers take on tasks such as running the game clock, managing the penalty box and keeping statistic sheets. These behind-the-scenes efforts play a crucial role in the camp operating seamlessly each year.

Larry Stepp completed his fifth year volunteering for the camp and has witnessed its true meaning through the years.

“The camp is meaningful for the foundation because they provide great services for Austin’s Playhouse,” Stepp said. “It’s meaningful for the campers because they get to spend time with former players.”

The Mario Lemieux Fantasy Hockey Camp is more than goals scored or games won. It’s about the lives touched far beyond the ice. For the campers, coaches, captains and volunteers, the experience may last just four days, but its impact on the community continues long after the final buzzer.

Amanda Gritz can be reached at gritza@duq.edu