The World's Longest Hockey Game reset its own record last year when they played for 262 straight hours, and Event Chair Alex Halat is happy to announce it will return in 2024 to once again set a new record.
Planned for April 5-16, 2024, the game will go for 263 hours. The motivation behind the game is far more important than simply putting your name into the Guinness Book of World Records, as Halat explained they play to raise money for the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation to support cancer research and treatments for children.
Raising close to $4 million since it first began in 2012, the money specifically goes to the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Experimental and Novel Therapies (PHOENIX) program at the Alberta Children's Hospital.
The physical toll 263 hours of hockey is not to be underestimated, as Halat explains some players have needed hip or knee surgery after the game. Despite this, he says he and every other player from the past would do it again in a heartbeat, as helping a child with cancer makes it worth it.
"When you see kids that are sick coming in constantly to meet you or say thank you, you can't help but get emotional. You think of your own kids that are sitting at home, sleeping in their beds when you're out there playing the game because there's some child at the hospital right now going through chemo. It's tough, but we'll get through it," he said.
"It's a sacrifice that these guys will make to get through this game. Thankfully, at the end of the day, we get to go home to our families and lay in our own beds, some of these youths don't have that opportunity, so we will tough through it."
Players during the hockey marathon in 2022As for the game itself, Halat said he has 27 returning players and potentially more on the way, and the way the game works are players will typically spend four hours on the ice and then get a four-hour break. Once the game starts the players aren't allowed to leave the arena, so the four-hour break is usually spent eating, showering, getting physio, and trying to take quick naps where you can.
"You really only have about 20-30 minutes of sleep before you're right back on the ice again, but to put it in perspective, I can't be complaining about sleep when little Sarah or a little Johnny are sitting in the Children's Hospital getting chemo and they haven't probably slept in 10 days. So it's a sacrifice that these guys will make to get through this game."
The hope is to raise $2 million this time around to bring their total donation amount to $6 million. Halat said even if you can't donate financially, he hopes the community will support the game and their cause in other ways, such as volunteering.
To volunteer for the hockey marathon, either as a player or as a volunteer to help the players and keep the game going, contact Halat at alex@hockeymarathon.com. Last year he said they had 1673 volunteers, so any and all help is greatly appreciated.
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