Glen Metropolit's Big Give

Few ever associate Canadian cities and low class "projects" in the same breath, but Canada, like any other country, has its share of communities where people barely scrape by on welfare and minimum wage jobs.

Regent Park, an area of Toronto, is the picture of a typical "American" inner city: Drug dealers, prostitutes, public housing, and rampant crime. Not the type of place you expect NHL players, who generally come from Middle Class background, to have grown up in.

Glen Metropolit was one such person, having endured a rough childhood as an oft moved around foster child.

Knowing what a challenge living in such conditions can be, Metropolit, together with the NHLPA, decided to bring some sunshine to the lives of the kids in Regent Park with a large donation of $45,000 worth of hockey equipment.

"It's rewarding to help children in my home town participate in the sport of hockey," said newly signed Philadelphia Flyers' centre Glen Metropolit, who attended the event this morning on behalf of NHLPA Goals & Dreams. "Players are proud of their Goals & Dreams fund and pleased to be making a difference in the lives of young children here in Toronto and around the world."

I know the story is a bit sappy, but I live to post about stuff like this. All too often, us hockey fans vilify the NHLPA and its members for being greedy shills. This story isn't unique by any means, but it's the type of thing that gets very little press compared to some player's contract holdout.