Murder victim Paul Bennett will be remembered by Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association in three ways, the organization announced Saturday (Oct. 13).
A tournament has been renamed the Paul Bennett Atom C Blast Tournament, and players will wear special “PB” stickers on their helmets this season. As well, a new “Paul Bennett Love of Hockey” bursary has been established.
The initiatives honour the hockey coach and operating-room nurse, who was shot to death in the driveway of his home, in the 18200-block of 67A Avenue, on the afternoon of June 23.
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In July, homicide investigators said Bennett, 47, was an innocent victim of mistaken identity, and appealed for the public’s help to find those responsible for his death.
Bennett worked at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock.
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Last hockey season in Cloverdale, Bennett volunteered his time to coach an Atom-level team.
The hockey association’s new bursary will cover registration costs for a new-to-hockey player registering for the first time.
“Ideally this will be awarded to a Cloverdale MHA catchment player who attended the First Shift program from the preceding year,” Marty Jones, president of the hockey association, told members in a Facebook post.
“Funds will be collected throughout the year towards this bursary through tournaments, ‘PB’ helmet sticker donations (and) through any other private donations.
“Thank you to all of our members who have expressed a desire for this type of program to be put together – and we hope that these initiatives will allow Paul’s spirit and love of the game to live on for years to come.”
A Gofundme campaign has raised more than $50,000 for Bennett’s family.
