Hockey / TALBOT HELPED SAVE COLLEGE HOCKEY PROGRAM

TALBOT HELPED SAVE COLLEGE HOCKEY PROGRAM

Date:  Source: Ontario Junior A Hockey League

Ontario Junior Hockey League graduate Cam Talbot is more than an NHL goalie.

He’s a bit of a saviour.

The University of Alabama-Huntsville’s hockey program was scheduled to shut down until Talbot and other alumni of the NCAA Division 1 team stepped in.

The program will now continue after supporters raised more than $535,000 to save it, those fundraising efforts aided this spring by Talbot, the Calgary Flames netminder.

Following news of the university’s plans to end the program due to budgetary concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, supporters of the program were given a deadline to raise $500,000 in order to keep the program alive.

Talbot was the face of a GoFundMe page set up by UAH Hockey Alumni and Supporters that raised $537,115, with more than 2,300 donors participating.

“I’m extremely excited that the program will continue on,” Talbot told NHL.com after the news was announced. “Don’t get us wrong, there’s still a lot of work to be done. But this was the first hurdle and we couldn’t be more ecstatic from the support we’ve gotten.”

Talbot played for the UAH team from 2007-10 following three seasons with the Hamilton Red Wings (now Markham Royals) in the OJHL.

“The program meant a lot to me,” Talbot told NHL.com’s WIlliam Douglas. “I never thought that it would really kind of grow to allow me to live out my dream like I am now. I wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity if I didn’t end up in Alabama.”

Talbot has played in the NHL since 2013 with the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and Calgary.

After university officials said $750,000 would need to be raised for them to reconsider their decision to cut the hockey program, the school received donations of $125,000 apiece from team alumni Sheldon Wolitski and Taso Sofikitis.

The money raised via the GoFundMe page accounted for the rest of the needed private funds, while officials said funds from the university would also be committed to cover the team’s operations for the coming campaign.

“We are thankful from the loyal support that has been demonstrated this week by the fans and alumni of Charger hockey,” said university president Darren Dawson in a media release.

“We are hopeful that this support will translate into a sustainable funding model that will allow the UAH hockey program to rise again to high levels of success.”

UAH named former assistant coach Lance West as head coach of the Chargers July 22.

OJHL grads on last season’s UAH team included Josh Astorino (Georgetown), Mark Sinclair (Hamilton), Christian Rajic (Oakville), Jack Jeffers (Markham, Orangeville, Burlington, Oakville) and Brandon Salerno (Pickering, North York).

With files from Sportsnet