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PHOTOS: Canucks players golf in Surrey at ‘The Jake’ tourney to kick off hockey season

Annual gathering at Northview courses raises money for a pair of charities
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Vancouver Canucks star forward Elias Pettersson with his favourite golf club cover on the practice green at Surrey’s Northview Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, during the 2019 Jake Milford Charity Invitational. Pettersson said the fuzzy club cover is just something he liked when he spotted it in a pro shop, so he bought it. (Photo: Tom Zillich)

Vancouver Canucks players, management and alumni were in Surrey Wednesday (Sept. 11) to play golf during an annual season-kickoff tournament.

The 36th edition of the Jake Milford Charity Invitational – better known as “The Jake” – is played on the two courses at Northview Golf and Country Club, on 168th Street.

Teams of three pay $4,500 to play in the event, which last year raised more than $386,000 for the Canucks for Kids Fund and Canucks Alumni Foundation.

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The tournament is played in honour of Jake Milford, the Canucks’ general manager in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1984.

• RELATED: Canucks players talk golf game at annual tourney in Surrey, from 2018.

Last year at Northview, goaltender Jacob Markstrom said the tournament is a great way to kick off the hockey season.

“It’s a fun event,” he told the Now-Leader. “I thought it’d be more competitive than it is, and I won it with the team I was with last year, but you get the most heat and told you’re cheating if you do win,” he added with a laugh.

“We meet new people, new teammates, and get to know them, and it’s for a great cause, too. It’s the bigger picture,” Markstrom said. “The golf is really secondhand to the charity on that. When this tournament comes around, you know it’s time for hockey season soon. It’s good to see everyone and have some fun, and then we go to work in Whistler (where the team’s training camp was held in 2018). It’s fun before the seriousness starts tomorrow.”

The tournament includes an online auction posted to jakemilfordauction.com, with bids closed at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 11). The 55 items include autographed jerseys, game tickets, concert tickets, golf and travel packages, and unique things like a “Be in the Canucks Team Photo”, a “Fin Appearance at Your Child’s Birthday Party” and “Caddy for Your Favourite Canuck.”

The NHL team opens its 2019-20 training camp Thursday (Sept. 12) at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, followed by on-ice sessions at Victoria’s Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre starting Friday (Sept. 13). Pre-season games get going on Monday (Sept. 16), followed by the Canucks’ season-opener Oct. 2 in Edmonton. The team’s home-opener is on Wednesday, Oct. 9 against Los Angeles Kings.

Single-game tickets for the team’s 50th season go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 17 starting at 10 a.m. Pacific time.



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Elias Pettersson (right) practice-putts while fellow Vancouver Canucks forward Nikolay Goldobin watches at Surrey’s Northview Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, during the 2019 Jake Milford Charity Invitational. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
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Elias Pettersson (right) practice-putts while fellow Vancouver Canucks forward Nikolay Goldobin watches at Surrey’s Northview Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, during the 2019 Jake Milford Charity Invitational. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
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Vancouver Canucks players on the practice green Wednesday (Sept. 11) prior to the start of the Jake Milford Charity Invitational tournament at Surrey’s Northview Golf and Country Club. Pictured from left to right are Jordie Benn, Oscar Fantenberg, Tyler Myers, Tim Schaller, Jake Virtanen and Tyler Motte. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
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Canucks rookie Quinn Hughes (right) practices putting while Surrey’s Bailey Bjornson watches at Northview Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, during the 2019 Jake Milford Charity Invitational. Bjornson, a juvenile-level golfer of note, caddied for Hughes during the tourney. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
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Canucks rookie Quinn Hughes (left) with Surrey’s Bailey Bjornson at Northview Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, prior to the start of the 2019 Jake Milford Charity Invitational. Bjornson, a juvenile-level golfer of note, caddied for Hughes during the tourney. (Photo: Tom Zillich)


Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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