Regina Rebels repeating quest for Good Deeds Cup

The Regina Rebels are taking another run at a coveted championship trophy.

The Peewee B Rebels team has made it to the final 11 entries looking to be crowned the next Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup winner.

The Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup is awarded annually to a Canadian minor hockey team which “do good by transforming the positive values learned through hockey into good deeds within their communities.”

“We’d like to, if possible, continue the work with the Super HEROS,” coach Nathan Strueby said.

“To see the Super HEROS program in pretty much all the major centres in Canada.”

In 2020, the Rebels made it to the final three in the competition before The Northeast Eagles from Torbay, N.L. was awarded the trophy.

This year, the criteria for the Good Deeds Cup were altered due to COVID-19. Rather than have a team showcase the good deeds in the community, teams were encouraged to pitch an idea.

The team has worked closely with Super HEROS (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society), a program from Calgary which helps kids between the ages of seven and 17 with mental and physical challenges take part in hockey.

Inspiration for the initiative came from one of the team’s players, Mila Snell, and her older sister, Ava.

Ava has a disability but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming an honorary member of the team.

With four returning players on this year’s team, Strueby is pleased to see a largely different group of girls look to extend the efforts and reach of their community outreach.

“It’s been tough, it really has,” Strueby said of COVID restrictions stopping the team from being together since late-November.

“On our team, everybody is part of the team. It was just fortunate enough where we could have a few of the girls tell the experience to the new girls of how it was last year — how this Super HEROS helped us out, if you will, with our year.”

The Good Deeds winner receives $100,000 to donate to a charity of choice. If the Rebels win, that money will go directly to Super HEROS so the program could expand to more cities across the country.

Voting is open for the finalists until Feb. 24.

The top-three finalists will be announced on March 20th.