Lawyers do on occasion clash in the courtroom, but on Wednesday they took their competitive spirit to a different kind of arena for the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region.
The one-day tournament was held at the Richcraft Sensplex in Gloucester. It involved more than 100 players, most of whom were lawyers. The event raised $35,200 in support of the Y.
The non-profit organization’s president and CEO, Trevor McAlmont, expressed how impressed he was with everyone’s “passion for hockey, passion for sport and passion for helping the YMCA and all of our youth programs.”
Being an employer is tough and getting tougher. When the pandemic accelerated remote and hybrid work, it added to a complex workplace already full of challenges for employers. Keeping employees
Every Tuesday, for last 15 years, Dr. Rebecca Auer could be found in an operating room at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) removing cancer tumours from patients. As a surgeon who
McAlmont served as honorary coach for one of the teams that day. When asked what the role involved, he explained with a smile: “Pretty much just watching and cheering them on.”
Chairing the organizing committee were Ottawa lawyers Cale Harrison, Brett McGarry and Marc Sauvé, who, as managing partner of David|Sauvé LLP, is a former Forty Under 40 Award recipient andpast president of AJEFO (Association of French Speaking Jurists of Ontario). McGarry’s uncle is Richard Moore, one of the founders of the tournament, while his mom is prominent businesswoman Sharon McGarry, president of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry. It was also one of the sponsors.
From left, lawyers Cale Harrison, Brett McGarry and Marc Sauvé led the organizing committee for the 2024 Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex in Gloucester on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsTrevor McAlmont, president and CEO of the YMCA of the National Capital Region, thanked attendees for their support at the post-tournament celebration for the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region, held Thursday, May 9, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The hockey tournament honoured the memory of Jim O’Grady, who’d been a long-standing member of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. He passed away suddenly from an aneurysm in 2008, at age 71. It was his friends who started the fundraiser. There was some debate amongst organizers as to how long the tournament has been running. They settled on 15 years.
O’Grady had also been a lawyer in Ottawa for 46 years, practicing at Soloway, Wright, Houston, Greenberg, O’Grady and Morin (now Soloway Wright LLP), as well as at former law firm Burke-Robertson. He’d been considered a “lawyer’s lawyer” by the legal community.
As well, he was a great hockey player and really nice guy, said tournament co-founder Brian Scott. He used to play on the same Oldtimers’ Hockey team as O’Grady, who had a few years on him.
“I was never a hockey player, really,” continued Scott. “I remember once, I was sitting in the dressing room, and he said to me after our game, ‘Brian, you’re playing a lot better’. And I thought, ‘I wasn’t playing any better; that’s ridiculous’, but he was generous, that’s the way he was.”
Scott, who’s an award-winning fundraiser for the local YMCA, is retired now but used to be president of insurance brokerage Smith Petrie Carr & Scott. The firm was acquired in 2018, then merged with Acera Insurance, which was the presenting sponsor of the hockey tournament.From left, Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament co-founder Brian Scott with Senators Alumni player John Barrett, who played in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Minnesota North Stars, and tournament co-chair Gerry Myers at Richcraft Sensplex in Gloucester on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Also present that day were Scott’s fellow co-founders Gerry Myers, lawyer Bob Morrow and Richard Moore, founder of conflict resolution firm MDR Associates. The tournament included former NHL players Rob Murphy, John Barrett and Chris Valentine. They’re part of the Senators Alumni comprised of former Senators players, NHLers and professional hockey players who make Ottawa their home, and who regularly help out worthy causes.
Valentine, who was on the organizing committee, told OBJ.social he doesn’t go full-force in the charity games. “We just play to the level that we need to play,” he said of trying to keep the experience fun for everyone. Valentine, who played for the Washington Capitals in the early 1980s, is an advisor at OneLife Wealth Management.
From left, Senators Alumni member Chris Valentine, who was part of the organizing committee for the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament, with one of the tournament players, Adam Kane, director of sales and marketing for sponsor Gifford Carr Insurance Group, at the Richcraft Sensplex in Gloucester on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFourteen-year-old Bobby McGarry with his dad, Brett McGarry, co-organizer of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament, along with Brett’s uncle, event co-founder Richard Moore, and Brett’s mom, Sharon McGarry, president of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, which was also one of the sponsors. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The tournament had a founders’ division, for the older players, and competitive division that consisted of law firms Gowling WLG, McMillan, Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), Soloway Wright, Emond Harnden and Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco(LMD).
The final game was between David|Sauvé/LMD and defending champs Gowling WLG Grit, with the latter team winning by a score of 2:1.
“We had a lot of fun,” Corey Willard, a partner at Gowling WLG, said later. The tournament is a good way to get colleagues out while helping local kids in the community, he continued. “During COVID, we realized how lucky we are to have these events where we can gather and socialize.” Defending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDefending champs Gowling WLG played against David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP in the finals of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held at the Richcraft Sensplex on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsPlayers with the Gowling WLG Grit team at the post-tournament celebration with their trophy. From left, Corey Willard, Spencer Shaw, Garrett Hamel, Mackenzie Jamieson, captain and goalie Pierre Alary, Ghislain Nadeau, Jacob Polowin, Katie Rankin, Stephanie Clancy and Gord Cudney. Photo by Caroline PhillipsMichael Rankin, senior partner in the Ottawa office of Gowling WLG, played in the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region alongside his daughter, Katie Rankin, a former varsity hockey player. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Gowling WLG senior partner Michael Rankin, who only recently joined the firm, got to play alongside his daughter, Katie Rankin, a former varsity hockey player with Penn State and McGill universities. Also playing that day was IP summer law student Stephanie Clancy, whose parents, Paula and Michael, are both partners at the firm.Stephanie Clancy, IP summer law student at Gowling WLG, arrived at the Richcraft Sensplex with her gear for the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament. Photo by Caroline Phillips
As well, the team included Inflector Environmental Services senior vice-president and community leader Gord Cudney, who’s a former partner at Gowling WLG. He’s somewhat of a free agent. Last year, Cudney played with the other guys, David|Sauvé/LMD. “It’s whoever invites me first,” he said good-humouredly of his team swap.
Sauvé, who co-captained his team with McGarry, was a good sport about losing to Gowling WLG in the finals. “For me, it was important that we raise money for the Y, for kids who don’t necessarily have all the opportunities in the world, and to show them that anything is possible, and the community does support them,” he told OBJ.social. Besides, his team has won the finals in the past.
As for McGarry, who was the goalie, he claimed to be too tired and in too much physical pain to talk about the day. “All I can do is eat pizza and drink beer.”Fourteen-year-old Bobby McGarry with his dad, Brett McGarry, co-organizer of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament, along with Brett’s uncle, event co-founder Richard Moore, and Brett’s mom, Sharon McGarry, president of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, which was also one of the sponsors. Photo by Caroline PhillipsPlaying on the David|Sauvé/Lyttle McGarry Del Grecco LLP team were: Travis Ujjainwalla, Mathieu Delorme, Brett McGarry, Ian Brown, Marc Sauvé, Josh Shanbaum and Ewan Lyttle as part of the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Emond Harnden LLP partner J.D. Sharp, Browns Cleaners owner Brian MacGregor, and Emond Harnden LLP partner Jock Climie played in the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Pierre Alary and Corey Willard from the Gowling WLG Grit team accept their trophy on behalf of the team from co-organizers Marc Sauvé and Brett McGarry at the post-tournament celebration for the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament held in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Ewan Meredith, philanthropy outreach coordinator with YMCA of the National Capital Region, with local YMCA president and CEO Trevor McAlmont, vice president of finance and housing Andrew Smith, Morgan Bello (who does “a little bit of everything” at the Y) and Marianne Long, the Y’s manager of philanthropy and community engagement, at the Lawyers for Kids Charity Hockey Tournament in support of the YMCA of the National Capital Region. Photo by Caroline Phillips
caroline@obj.ca
Get our email newsletters
Get up-to-date news about the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Ottawa and beyond.