Players remember Ruppe in tourney

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

It went down just how he would have liked it.
The third annual Kyle Ruppe Memorial Hockey three-on-three tournament went off without a hitch last weekend at the Strathmore Family Centre.
All of Ruppe’s former teammates, friends and competitors suited up for another weekend of hockey and hanging out with the boys.
“This tournament isn’t about winning or losing, it’s just about getting the boys together for a weekend of hockey. That’s the way Kyle would have wanted it,” said one of Ruppe’s oldest friends, Kyle Sheen.
A smaller turnout than last year, this year’s tournament featured eight teams – including one female squad – split up into two divisions, in another attempt to raise money for the charities that mattered most to Ruppe.
Puck drop took place in the morning of April 21, as the round robin schedule went on throughout the day, featuring players from around Wheatland County and Calgary region who knew of Ruppe or played with him in the past.
“We wanted to put together a tournament in honour of Kyle,” said Chad Krushelnicki, one of the tournament organizers. “We wanted to get everyone around the rink to do something for him and share the memory of him with everyone that he was involved with.”
Born and raised in Strathmore, Ruppe was a hockey player who starred in the local scene, playing for the UFA Bisons before moving on to the Okotoks Bisons of the Heritage Junior Hockey League, and completed his playing career in 2007 as a member of the Mount Royal Cougars. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 and passed away Nov. 21, 2015. He was 33.
Even in his absence, his story lives on as the community continues to show support for their lost defenceman.
After the round robin stage, players from all teams convened for a fundraising event at the Strathmore Civic Centre. Beef on a bun and drinks were served, as players bid on a live and silent auction, with all proceeds going to charity. In the two prior years, the tourney raised over $20,000. This year, the tourney was able to bring together $15,000. Like every year, the money is donated to organizations that meant the most to Ruppe, including KidSport, ALS and new this year, a donation to the Humboldt Broncos.
The Wheatland Athletic Association continues to make sure Ruppe’s story and significance will not be forgotten anytime soon by continuing to hand out the Kyle Ruppe Memorial Scholarship to two players from the midget Chiefs team.
This year’s winners of the $1,500 award are Jared Kirkpatrick and Riley Stovka. In 39 games, Kirkpatrick supplied four goals and 14 assists, while Stovka went 9-7-3 between the pipes with a 3.44 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage.
“I know a little bit about him. I know he was really involved with the community and hockey, but I never met him; I’ve only heard good things about him,” said Stovka, who will attend the University of Calgary next fall to pursue a political science degree. “It meant a lot to me to win the scholarship. University is expensive and every little bit helps. I’m glad I was given the scholarship in Kyle’s name.”
Stovka was a member of the Gunners in the tournament and went 1-1-1 in the round robin before losing out in the semis. Last year, he was one of the refs who helped out.
“This is a great tournament. I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Stovka. “It’s great to see the community continue to support him they way they did this weekend.”
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Zambronis – a team of local players featuring Shane Fraser, Ty Tarvyd and Cole Busslinger, who were all much younger than Ruppe – ended up winning the tournament in the end on the competitive side, with the Flyers out of High River taking the title in the non-competitive division.
But none of it even mattered. Everyone was happy to spend a weekend together, playing hockey and raising money for a friend who left far too soon.