CALGARY, Alta. - Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that Calgary will play host to the 10th annual Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic gala and golf tournament on June 24-25. The foundation’s annual gala and golf tournament celebrates the on-ice accomplishments of Hockey Canada’s national teams at IIHF world championships during the previous season.

The 2013 gala, which includes unique silent and live auctions, will be held Monday, June 24 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park, the home of Hockey Canada since November 2011. Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, just outside Calgary, will play host to the celebrity tournament on Tuesday, June 25. Each foursome will include a celebrity.

 “We could not be more thrilled to be bringing the Hockey Canada Foundation gala and golf tournament back to Calgary and showcasing our new facility at the Markin MacPhail Centre,” said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “We look forward to this tremendous event and to raising funds for minor hockey across Canada.”

Hockey Canada and the Hockey Canada Foundation have also announced that Lanny McDonald and Sheldon Kennedy will serve as honorary chairs for the event, in recognition of their impact on the game and on the Calgary hockey community. 

“With the Celebrity Classic returning to Calgary, there are really no two better to serve as honorary chairs than Lanny and Sheldon,” said Chris Bright, executive director of the Hockey Canada Foundation. “The passion they have for the game, and to see it grow and prosper not only in Calgary, but throughout Alberta and across Canada, make them ideal fits for what the Hockey Canada Foundation is trying to accomplish.”

Funds raised from the 2013 gala and golf tournament will go to Hockey Canada Foundation initiatives that support accessibility to the game, from grassroots hockey to Olympics teams, as well as to legacy programming in the Calgary area, similar to what has been done in past host cities.

The Hockey Canada Foundation works closely with Hockey Canada to raise money to support minor hockey programs. The foundation focuses on four areas of funding: accessibility, diversity, health and wellness; skill development; facilities; and hockey heritage.

The gala will celebrate the success of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, which won the country’s third world title at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in January, with the potential for more teams to join the celebration, depending on the outcome on world championships this spring.

The Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic will be held for the third time in Calgary, which previously hosted in 2007 and 2008. Toronto (2004, 2005, 2006, 2012), Montreal (2009), Edmonton (2010) and Ottawa (2011) have also played host to the Celebrity Classic, which has raised more than $4 million in its first nine years.