South Island Ravens Hockey

Once again Ryan McKinlay and his family presented the team with 2,000 (more) dollars. The fellow who won the football pool donated his winnings of $1,050.00, a Cowichan Lake community member donated $550.00 and Coastal Community Credit Union raised and donated $300.00. We- the Ravens team-are truly blessed. Thank you kind and wonderful people! We really do appreciate it!

The Pucker Nation came out to play the Raven's Sunday and Rheal brought donations from the guys totaling 1090.00$! Thank you guys! Rheal then treated the parents and the Ravens players with pizza after the game. A lot of fun was had by all. The Ravens are very grateful for all you do!!

Thank you Sean from Kirby's Source for Sports. Kirby's and Bauer presented the Raven's with two full sets of junior goalie gear to replace the gear that was stolen. So grateful! 🥰🙏👏

We had a great day playing the Fire Fighters last week. They generously gifted the team with $7,750.00. Thank you Central Saanich Fire Fighters, Langford Fire Fighters, Victoria Fire Fighters, Oak Bay Fire Fighters, View Royal Fire Fighters, Colwood Fire Fighters, Sidney Fire Fighters and Saanich Fire Fighters. You guys are AWESOME!!!!🥰👏 We are beyond grateful!

Our final ice time for 2025 is this morning at 11:00 - see all our fans there! Go Ravens!

WORDS CANNOT ADEQUATELY EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE WE FEEL
In the wake of the press release and media coverage about the theft of our gear, we’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from individuals, businesses, and community groups.
The Ravens would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has reached out with words of kindness, and to all who have offered to replace or donate hockey equipment. Your generosity has been truly remarkable.
We are also deeply grateful to those who have provided financial contributions to help ensure our program can continue to operate at minimal cost to families and participants. Your support means more than you know.
Raven-Ryan McKinlay raised 120 dollars for the team from a fishing derby that he hosted in Cowichan Lake community. In addition, in response to the theft of the Raven's equipment, Ryan's parents, Kari and Brad organized a football pool and raised 2,000 dollars and in addition a generous and kind Cowichan Lake community member donated 750 dollars. We are so grateful! The community support for our team is so heartwarming! Thank you, Ryan, Kari, Brad and fans!
Thank you from the Ravens to:
• Vancouver Canucks
• Kirby Source for Sports
• Bauer
• Nancie/ Matthew Nathanson Law Corp
• Richard Warner
• Andrea Jarman
• Dan Lazaro
• Malcom Leitch
• Northridge Excavating
• Matteo Nicola Diiorio
• Marshall Mintz
• Janet Hender
• Kevin Bhander
• Thomas McCormick
• John Wright
• Mitchell Jernslet
• Thomas Sluchinski
• Robert Miller
• Nina Jay
• Keith Menard
• Singh Foundation
• Pascal Matters
• Bonnie Berniaz,
• John Wright,
• Mitchell LLoyd
• Anna Marie Lovering
• Spectrum High School Hockey program
• Mena Westhaver
• Malcolm Leitch
• Andrea Jarman
• Dan Lazaro
• H and W Bloomenthal
• Cale Grieve
• Michael Taylor
• The Cutting Edges Hockey Club
• Brian Bengtson
• Tasha Cockett
• Victoria Firefighters Union
• Barry McLaughlan
• Anthony Palmer
• Christopher Taylor
• Michael Catney
• Carolyn Anthony
• Michael J Taylor
• Roger Grypiuk
• JF Paquet
• Lesley Ruzicka
• Caroline Hudson
• Katharine Cairns
• Larry Woolsey
• Judith Dryden
• Cristall Group Investments Inc.
• Patti-Leigh Edwards
• Prestige Inn
• Rahel Umpherson
• Brian Newman

Heartfelt gratitude!
Proof positive that there are so many wonderful people in the world!

Send a message to learn more

Thank you to Canucks for Kids Fund, the Vancouver Canucks and the Aquilini family, who have generously donated $10000 to our team, and invited us to a game. They hosted a gabulous lunch for us at Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar!

Please watch the news tonight for the story.

Here’s a snippet from today’s Times Colonist (FB does not allow us to link directly to news outlets):

Gus Ascroft, general manager and co-founder of the club, said media reports about the theft sparked an outpouring of support and donations large and small, some from as far away as Gatineau, Quebec. The money was enough to replace the stolen gear and to cover three years of the club’s operating cost, Ascroft said.

Sean Tackaberry from Kirby’s Source for Sports, a sports equipment store in Saanich, is donating a set of junior goalie gear, and the store also reached out to Bauer, a hockey-equipment manufacturer, which has agreed to donate another set, Ascroft said.

In addition, the Canucks for Kids Fund is donating $10,000. Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini has arranged for the Ravens to meet some pro hockey players on Tuesday at Marilena, a restaurant in downtown Victoria owned by the Aquilini family, where the team will be served a free meal, Ascroft said. The Aquilini family also invited the team to see a Canucks home game in Vancouver next year, he said. “It’s been pretty awesome.”

With the extra money, Ascroft is hoping to expand the club and start a beginner’s program for youth with developmental disabilities.
“We’ve got lots of six-year-olds that are coming out who don’t know how to skate,” he said.
The club, founded in 2012, had to cap registration for its junior team for the first time this year due to increased demand.

On Sunday, the Juan De Fuca Recreation Centre was filled with cheers, whoops from supporters and players as the Ravens kicked off a fresh season on the ice. The locker room during the switch-out between the Ravens’ minor and adult teams was a mix of parents and grandparents helping to peel kids out of their hockey gear. The kids excitedly shared their exploits on the ice against the Rack-A-Tiers, also known as the Old Chiefs, and chattered about the rest of the day’s plans.

Barry Moore, who plays with the Rack-A-Tiers, fist bumped the kids as they walked down a hallway toward the exit.
Moore said his team has played against the Ravens for more than 15 years. “They were all just little kids [then] … we’ve been doing it long enough to see all the kids get older and improve,” he said.

Nick Pfiefer, a volunteer with the Ravens, said it’s important that there’s a space for people like his 26-year-old younger brother Michael to play hockey. The club acts as a support group for families that have children or adults who have high needs and require full-time supervision, like his brother, he said.

Olivia Trotter, another volunteer, said the Ravens and the teams the club plays against take care to include everyone in the game, regardless of skating ability. Those who are still learning to skate hang out near the goal, where other players will pass them the puck for them to try and score, she said. Trotter said the Ravens are excited to play next week against a group of firefighters who have formed a hockey team.

The Victoria Fire Fighters Association is expected to play against the Ravens on Nov. 3.

A huge thank you to one of our Ravens - an amazing hockey player Ryan and his family (Kari McKinlay) for actively fundraising and donating $2700 from what they collected from their family, friends and their community for our teams! ♥️ We are so grateful to you all! (Please also see the video in the comments).

On behalf of all of our South Island Ravens we want to thank everyone who has been reaching out to offer support. The generosity from the community has been amazing! We are a little team that will keep pushing forward with gratitude in our hearts. Thank you!

Some unfortunate news to share. 😢

West Shore RCMP is investigating the theft of hockey equipment from the Juan De Fuca Recreation Centre in Colwood.

Between Sept 28 – Oct 19, about $3,500 worth of gear was stolen, including team jackets, goalie equipment, and skates belonging to the South Island Ravens — a community hockey team that provides players of all ages with developmental disabilities the opportunity to participate in inclusive sport and teamwork.

Anyone with information is asked to contact West Shore RCMP.

More information here: https://bit.ly/47pfZAN

Hockey season is here again! Welcome back to the ice Ravens! We’ll see you all tomorrow!

Huge thanks to Mike from Captured Sports Photography. He has the images from the tournament up - and very graciously offered them free to families to download. Here’s the link:

South Island Ravens Captured Sports Photography

A HUGE shoutout to all the teams, the players, the coaches, the families, the friends and all the amazing volunteers!! The tournament was a huge success! We are grateful for every one of you!

♥️ the South Island Ravens