Spruce Grove fundraising hockey game honours fallen Edmonton police officers
Global News
Wearing an EPS jacket, widow Ashley Ryan dropped the puck during the ceremonial faceoff at Grant Fuhr Arena in Spruce Grove, where the couple lived and he played hockey.
The annual Battle for the Badges charity hockey game took on additional meaning Wednesday night following the murder of two Edmonton police officers.
The game at Grant Fuhr Arena in Spruce Grove is a fundraiser for Legacy Place Society, an Alberta-based organization that provides support for first responders and military personnel seeking mental health help.
The event saw the Parkland Athletic Club U18AA team take on a team made up of police officers from the Parkland County RCMP and members of the Spruce Grove Fire Department (SGFD).
The game on Thursday was also an opportunity to honour Constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, who were killed in the line of duty last week.
The two young officers were responding to a domestic violence call at the Baywood Apartments complex just off Groat Road and 114 Avenue.
The officers met the 16-year-old shooter’s mom outside. When they went up to the suite she lived with a 73-year-old man and their son, the teen open fired on the officers. Neither had a chance to even draw their own weapons.
“It’s been a tough week. It really shows what we actually go through behind the scenes, and that can be anyone of us,” Battle for the Badges organizer Miles Valiquette said.
Before the game, a tribute was held for the two officers.