TORONTO — It’s July 2015. Late on a steamy city summer night. The fleet of once-pristine ping-pong tables both inside and outside Steam Whistle Brewery are now sticky with splashed beverages. Hot pizzas have dwindled to cold crusts, the elbow-rubbed crowd of partygoers has thinned to a few post-midnight stragglers under the CN Tower’s glow, and the winner of Smashfest IV has long been crowned.
Among the nighthawks is (table) tennis star Milos Raonic, one year prior to his Wimbledon final appearance, smiling as he rallies with strangers and fanboys. His handlers are long gone. Carriages are pumpkins, yet Raonic and his perfect haircut are like the rest of us: just having fun.
“It’s always hilarious when Steam Whistle has to close down at two in the morning and there’s players still there having a blast. It’s like, ‘Alright, guys, you gotta go.’ That’s saying something. Most events… well, guys, their time is precious,” says Dominic Moore, creator of the most unique and most fun charity event to feature NHL stars.
And, as Raonic’s surprise appearance last summer attests, some non-hockey royalty too. Moore and the NHLPA are working on securing a couple of secret cameos for Smashfest V, which takes place Thursday night.
“The first year Johnny Damon showed up. He wasn’t even invited,” Moore says. Claude Giroux popped up unannounced another year. Tyler Seguin isn’t always on the bill, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see him grab a paddle. “We like to have a little surprise, and Milos was obviously a big surprise last year. We’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed.
“We want to keep it fresh and exciting.”
Update: On Thursday, Moore added Toronto Blue Jays Russell Martin and Josh Thole as well as 2016 Hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros to the Smashfest guestlist.
Doing good has no business being this fun.
Moore’s ping-pong challenge has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Katie Moore (rare cancers) and Steve Moore (concussions) foundations.
“It’s probably the funnest charity event you can go to. It’s for a great cause. Everyone knows someone who’s been affected by the disease,” says Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, who will be there for the third year in a row. “You get to interact with a lot of people, and you get a chance to give back.”
An opportunity for fans to contribute money (attendance packages go for $250 or $1,000 and include all you can eat, drink and fan out) to worthy causes while competing against and with NHL stars, Smashfest has fast become a must-attend event on the hockey calendar.
“We weren’t really sure how it would be received because it’s so unique,” says Moore, an avid ping-pong player and tennis fanatic. “When people say flat-out it’s the best charity event they’ve ever been to—that means a lot. It started with a random, quirky idea, and to build it up to what it’s become and have people say that, it’s a huge honour.”
Rare is the event where you cannot just try to steal an autograph but actually hang out and share a beer with one of your favourite players. The NHLers who attend are easily accessible and happy to chat with the fans. Aaron Ekblad, Mitch Marner, Michael Del Zotto, Darnell Nurse, Sam Bennett, Jeff Skinner, and Derick Brassard are among the attendees confirmed for Thursday.
As the formal ping-pong tournament wraps up, spontaneous matches erupt between players and fans, the DJ cranks the music, and it turns into a party.
“A lot of people complain that hockey players are dry and they’re unquotable. There’s probably some truth to that. But during the season, you have to be a bit on lockdown. The teams expect you to. And you’re always in your equipment and helmets—there’s not much of a chance to showcase personality,” Moore says.
“But with this, it’s the perfect thing. There’s still athleticism and sports, but it’s lighthearted and social, so the players can really be themselves. So in the Doubles Pro-Am, you’ll see guys throwing out hugs and high fives and getting into it as they compete.”
Some take the competitive aspect more seriously than others. Take 2015 title holder Patrick Eaves, for example.
The Dallas Stars winger tweeted a video of himself training with a Killerspin robot that fires ping-pong balls from the opponent’s court like a tennis ball machine.
“If you’ve ever done a boxing workout, it’s the equivalent of that—if you set it right and do it intensely,” Moore chuckles. “Patrick is the defending champ, and he’s been training on the robot for months. I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
Or Moore could always tap his friend Raonic to sub in. Milos had enough fun last summer to come back, right?
“I can’t say for sure,” Moore smiles, “but I won’t say it’s not possible.”
