Six young participants from the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation (ESYHF) will participate in the three-day national Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation Got Skills Competition in Brooklyn, NY, from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28.

“It is very rewarding to be able to deliver these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to our participants,” said Snider. “These young men are very deserving of this honor, and we are very excited to see them compete with others from around the United States.”

Representing the ESYHF in this prestigious national competition are David Barr; Alexander Podagrosi; Stephen Joyce; Elias Porter, all squirt-level players; and Edwin Lopez and Jacob Hoffman, both pee wee-level players.

As part of the weekend, the ESYHF participants, along with ESYHF coaches Jan Koziara, Mike Sulkes, and Jim Britt, will visit the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, the National Hockey League offices and NHL store, Coney Island Amusement Park, pay tribute to fallen heroes at Ground Zero, and meet other up-and-coming hockey stars from across the U.S.

The Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation Got Skills Competition (“Got Skills”) is the ultimate youth hockey skills event for pre-teen boys and girls and their families. This one-of-a-kind event combines a top-shelf youth ice hockey skills competition with a powerful grassroots, youth oriented community outreach program. Supported by the NHL, this competition has been created to showcase the glory of the human spirit both on the ice and through our charitable partnership with the Ace Bailey Children's Foundation.

Bailey played 11 seasons with the National Hockey League. He won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 1969-70 and 1971-72. He went on to play for the Detroit Red Wings, the St. Louis Blues, the Washington Capitals, and the Edmonton Oilers. When Bailey’s playing career ended following the 1979-80 season, he moved first to coaching and then to scouting. In his roles as player and then scout, Bailey earned seven Stanley Cup Rings. Bailey was flying to Los Angeles to begin training camp with the Los Angeles Kings on September 11, 2001.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009