On Saturday, the city of Vaughan just north of Toronto will play host to the 15th edition of Road Hockey To Conquer Cancer. This year’s event, in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, will have strong representation from the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
The celebrity ambassadors will include Jayna Hefford, PWHL EVP of Hockey Operations, plus Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull, reigning Defender of the Year – Renata Fast of the Sceptres, and recently retired goalie Erica Howe.
Howe’s participation in the event is compelling if not miraculous. The 33-year-old Team Canada alumna was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2024, not long after finding a lump on her body right after playing in a charity tournament hosted by Laura Stacey.
As Howe was undergoing chemotherapy, the Sceptres hosted Stacey’s team, the Montreal Victoire, on December 21 in a game dubbed Cancer Awareness Night. The sellout crowd at Coca-Cola Coliseum engaged in a symbolic bra toss, littering the ice with brassieres in solidarity. Howe and Stacey shared a memorable embrace at game’s end, seen by thousands watching on television.
Four months later, a heartwarming post appeared on Howe’s Instagram page, showing her “ringing the bell”.
“Radiation complete. A few more steps to go, but for now, that’s a wrap on active cancer treatment. Ding, ding,” the post read.
As she takes to the hardcourt for Road Hockey To Conquer Cancer, Howe couldn’t be more grateful for the support. “I’m just excited to see the impact and the community feel of the event where there’s so many people coming together, they raise big dollars, everyone’s fighting and pulling towards the same thing. That’s definitely something I can get on board with,” Howe told CBC Sports.
Meanwhile Turnbull, Howe’s former Sceptres teammate, has undergone her own journey of both tragedy and resilience. Turnbull, while in high school, lost her mother to cancer. Years later while playing hockey at the University of Wisconsin beginning in 2011, she became best friends with American goalie Alex Rigsby (now Cavallini).
During the two future Olympians’ college days, Rigsby’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Turnbull, who was more than empathetic towards her friend’s plight, was always available as a shoulder to lean on. When Mrs. Rigsby was in remission, Turnbull gifted her a pink hockey stick inscribed with the words “Mama Rigs.”
“My mom is a really tough person and through the whole thing she didn’t really get emotional, but she definitely teared up when Blayre handed her that stick,” Rigsby said to KSN.com.
Hefford, meanwhile, is one of Road Hockey To Conquer Cancer’s longest serving celebrity ambassadors. Her father Larry was lost to cancer in 2007; no fewer than two of her grandparents also succumbing to the disease.
The Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic gold medalist participated in the inaugural Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event in 2011, and is a mainstay for the annual fundraiser. The number of PWHL participants increases yearly.
“The Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event is always a special one,” Hefford said in an email. “Cancer has touched so many people, so there is a powerful connection amongst participants at the event. After losing my Dad to cancer in 2007, it’s been important to me to support organizations that continue to make a difference by investing in research and striving to find a cure. The RHCC event is one that provides hope and inspiration to so many people.”
