P.K. Subban is one of the most well-known and popular hockey players on the planet, but the Nashville Predators defenceman is also a philanthropist. Subban has used his NHL stardom for good and in September 2015, when he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens, he made a $10-million commitment to the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Subban was asked about that altruistic donation when he was a guest on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Wednesday night.
“Did you add a zero by mistake? I’ve done that,” Noah said as Subban and the audience laughed.
“I get that question a lot because it’s one thing to donate and give back [but] another way to look at it is why $10 million?” Subban said. “I think it comes down to everybody had their own personal life experiences.”
Subban then went on to recount the time he went to and earthquake-ravaged Haiti with World Vision as a 19- or 20-year-old. He described that three-day trip as “a life-changing experience” and it showed his desire to make a difference and help those in need. However, that’s not why he made an eight-figure donation.
“I got to know a little boy named Alex Shapiro through my old minor hockey coach, and still close friend and family friend, Martin Ross, and he coached [Alex]. I got to know Alex very, very closely, and his parents and his family, and was actually in touch with him until literally his last moments before he passed away,” Subban explained. “For me, that made me want to give back in a different way and really have a significant impact. And not just give back where everyone could say, ‘Wow, that’s great,’ but give back where I could actually make a difference.
Subban, who was voted captain of the Central Division team for this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game, continued: “When I was presented the opportunity to do something like this with the $10-million donation to the hospital in Montreal, I didn’t even think twice about it. They came down the [Highway] 401 to my house in Nobleton, Ont., and they presented it to me and I signed the papers right there. It was the perfect situation for me and to this point we’ve helped over probably 10,000 families and raised millions of dollars so I’m very very happy about that.”
You can watch the full interview on Comedy Central’s website (although the video is geo-blocked if you are in Canada).
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