Rising YouTuber honors Humboldt with Brody Hinz Floor Hockey Meet Up

Like the rest of the hockey world, rising YouTuber Shannon Skanes mourned the victims of the Humboldt bus crash. In memory of Brody Hinz, he’s giving back.

It was not long ago that Shannon Skanes’ YouTube channel was buried in the depths of the popular video-sharing platform. In part, this was no surprise — his earliest videos were vlogs in which he discussed anything from movie reviews to WWE to electronic games and more. Just your ordinary guy, really, exploring the things that interested him.

Along the way, he started talking about hockey. And damn, did he know his stuff. People began to listen. The comments section of his videos started to gain traction, as puck lovers united in debating about their favorite teams. His subscriber count rose. He named his channel “The Hockey Guy” and devoted videos to all things NHL. He pumped out multiple uploads per day and promised to cover all of the league’s teams. As any subscriber will tell you, he’s lived up to his word.

The beauty of The Hockey Guy lies in his stunning work ethic. Skanes’ channel is a one-man operation, but the expansiveness of his content is beyond admirable. He uploads numerous videos on a daily basis and covers just about every news story that occupies the talk circuit of the hockey world. He marries critical responses to contemporary issues with close examinations of the history of the NHL.

Simply put, his channel is comparable to that of an independent news network, in that viewers are afforded a window into the mind of one of the game’s rising analysts.

Which brings us to the present moment. As the world mourned the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, so too did Skanes. The loss of Brody Hinz, in particular, was personal, as the team’s late statistician — widely seen as a hero of his community — was a notable contributor to “The Hockey Guy” channel.

Skanes and his wife, Yvonne, had a brilliant idea — what if they were to create a fundraiser in Hinz’s memory?

The result? Skanes is set to host the first Brody Hinz Memorial Floor Hockey Meet Up. It will serve as an opportunity for hockey lovers to come together in the spirit of Hinz’s legacy while also playing the game that they all love. As a bonus, they’ll get to meet their favorite YouTuber.

Here is some information about the event:

• The floor hockey meet up will take place on Saturday, April 21 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. PDT at Pitt Meadows Arena Complex (11435 Bonson Road, Pitt Meadows, British Columbia).
• Attendance will be by donation. The money that is raised shall go into a trust fund in Brody’s name, which will be used as a scholarship for a student at Hinz’s highschool every year (the specifics of which are being handled by members of his family).
• The ultimate intention is for this to serve as the first of many annual events.
• Participants of all ages are welcome. That said, if you are under the age of 18, you will be required to wear a helmet when playing. (An additional update regarding helmets can be found here.)
• Please inform the hosts if you intend on playing. You can RSVP to the event via its official Facebook page.
• If you are unable to attend, you can still donate to the fundraiser from anywhere in the world. Additional information can be found here.

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