MOOSE JAW -- It’s one of the highlights of the off-season for the Moose Jaw Warriors every summer, and an event that sits close to the heart of many former players from the Western Hockey League club.
A field of 140 golfers took part in the 2025 edition of the Velocity Ford Warriors Alumni Golf Tournament on Friday at the Hillcrest Golf Club, with current players, coaches and supporters joined by dozens of former players in support of the team’s education fund.
And has become a regular occurrence for the event, it was once again a huge success, with an expected $100,000 plus to be added to the fund’s coffers once things are all said and done.
One of the reasons for the event’s continued success is the support of the team’s alumni, with players from years past regularly making the trek back to the Friendly City -- and that makes it easy for fans and supporters of the club to rub shoulders with current and former NHL talent.
Former Edmonton Oilers captain Kelly Buchberger was one of those who took part in the event this year, saying in an interview on that having a chance to reconnect with former billets while also meeting the current and recently graduated players is always a highlight.
“We all follow them as alumni, we're very proud of them and we're always proud to be part of the Warriors,” Buchberger said.
Former Warriors standout and current broadcast colour commentator Derek Kletzel had much the same assessment, especially when it comes to the camaraderie of the event.
“I think there's a whole lot of things with this tournament,” he said. “You blend the eras, you got the current guys, you got the alumni that come back, you get to meet the sponsors, the guys that come out and really help keep this team together here in Moose Jaw. So seeing everybody and meeting everybody, we often sit up top and we don't get to meet with a bunch of the other guys, so for me it was just terrific being able to do that today.”
Of course, the charitable component is a major factor in that support. Each year, close to two dozen former Warriors make use of the scholarship program, which sees players receive a year of post-secondary education for every year they play in the WHL.
Former Warriors have gone on to become doctors, dentists, engineers and commercial pilots thanks to the program, which naturally comes with a cost. As an example, 16 players used their scholarships in 2019-20, costing just over $98,500.
That’s one of the reasons former NHL players like Buchberger, Theoren Fleury, Reed Low, Kyle Brodziak and many, many others make the tournament a regular stop every summer.
“We know education is key for everybody and especially the players that don't play pro after,” Buchberger said. “They can go get a great education, play hockey and go to school and you never know what happens after they're done school. Maybe they want to play hockey, keep playing semi-pro or they go into their life of working and trying to make a good living.“
You can check out the complete video segment, including interviews with former Warriors Scott Thomas, Carter Smith and Warriors overager Ethan Semeniuk, by clicking right here, and for more off-season news from the team, visit them on social media or .
