Rallying point for two cities trying to heal

PITTSBURGH— Hockey players know they’re playing a game. And they know they’re playing for their community.

The Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins know sometimes, unfortunately, the game needs to take a back seat when tragedy strikes the community.

Toronto experienced it last April during the Leafs-Bruins playoffs, when a man drove a van down a sidewalk in North York, killing 10 people and injuring 16 others; and experienced further tragedy this summer when a gunman on the Danforth killed two and injured 13.

Pittsburgh experienced it Oct. 27, when a gunman killed 11 at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

In both cities, the major sports organizations did their best to help their communities heal.

“Tragedies, like what happened in Pittsburgh and what happened in Toronto, nothing is going to make it better,” said Leafs forward Zach Hyman. “Sports gets intertwined with the community. It’s important to show our support.

“When things like that happen to the city, you’re affected, the team is affected. It’s important to be together.”

It’s probably never enough, but sports teams can help contribute to the recovery of a shaken citizenry.

“If you spend enough time here, and you know Pittsburgh, you’ll know people have a lot of pride here. They’re great people,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “They care about one another. When something like that happens, it’s natural for people to want to help and come together.

“It’s a pretty close-knit community.”

The Penguins jumped into action this week.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation announced a donation of $50,000 to benefit the victims and families — $25,000 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and $25,000 to a fund set up by the Pittsburgh Department of Pub- lic Safety for the wounded officers.

They held a blood drive on Monday at PPG Paints Arena, drawing 254 donors on less than a day’s notice.

The Penguins created a special “Stronger Than Hate” patch that players wore on their jerseys earlier in the week, backed by a video emphasizing the Penguins, Steelers and Pirates were working together.

“It’s our home, too. We all live here, too. Nobody wants to see that stuff happen, especially in a place you call home,” said Penguins defenceman Jack Johnson. “It was a sad day for everyone. Human nature is to bond together.”

“There’s nothing you can do to rectify the situation, but you’re doing all you can to help heal.”

The tragedies struck close to home for Hyman. He saw his hometown attacked twice, and his religion targeted in Pittsburgh.

“Things like this need to stop,” said Hyman. “It’s disturbing, for sure. It hits hard. It’s terrible. But the community is strong and banding together. There was a rally in Toronto in Mel Lastman Square, where thousands came out to show their support.”

Moments of silence were held in Pittsburgh and around the league following the Tree of Life tragedy.

The Penguins cancelled their team Halloween party. Two officers wounded in the synagogue shooting did a ceremonial faceoff against the Islanders on Tuesday. Three representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh were invited as well, and were able to talk to Crosby and owner Mario Lemieux for 45 minutes after the game.

The Vegas Golden Knights cancelled their opening-night celebrations last season when a gunman killed 58 and injured more than 800 before the puck dropped on the team’s first home game in October 2017. The Knights’ response en- deared the expansion team to the community.

But the games still need to be played, even if a pall is cast over a city.

“It’s tough, but you provide an outlet for people to maybe get away from the tragedy for a few hours, and enjoy a hockey game,” said Hyman. “Obviously, there are bigger things in life.”

Besides condolences and memorializing the victims of the Toronto van attack, the Leafs and Raptors have beefed up security in and around Scotiabank Arena.

The Leafs and Raptors contributed to the #TorontoStrong foundation that aided victims and their families, and encouraged fans to do the same.

“The Leafs are a huge part of Toronto, the Penguins are huge in Pittsburgh,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.

“It’s a way to feel good. That’s what sports are for. Those of us blessed to be part of it have an obligation to do things right and help uplift the city.”