Charitable focus harkens back to the Sather days

When Glen Sather was general manager and coach of the Oilers, he had a rule.

“If you’re going to play here, you’re going to help our charities and be part of this city,” he’d tell the young stars he took from crayons to cologne.

Slats urged his players, the ones who would win five Stanley Cups in Edmonton, to make themselves available as honorary chairmen of a charity or two.

Kevin Lowe began a decadeslong run with the Christmas Bureau, Wayne Gretzky became honorary chairman of the Winnifred Stewart Association and the CNIB, Mark Messier chose the Alberta Lung Association, Glenn Anderson the Cross Cancer Institute and Uncles At Large, Mike Krushelnyski the Canadian Cancer Society, Dave Semenko picked Employ Abilities, Charlie Huddy the Kidney Foundation, Andy Moog Special Olympics, Mark Napier Cystic Fibrosis, Craig Simpson Spinal Cord Research … it went on and on.

But led by Connor McDavid, it appears it’s becoming a thing again.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is with Cystic Fibrosis, Darnell Nurse with Right To Play, Milan Lucic with Edmonton Valley Zoo and an announcement is scheduled for Sept. 24 involving Leon Draisaitl.

McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl and Lucic are all also involved with Hockey Helps Kids. Head coach Todd McLellan is honorary chairman of Sport Central.