First responders and administrative staff from the Sault Ste. Marie police and fire departments are expected to renew a friendly hockey rivalry in March.
The two departments plan to play in the Battle of the Badges, a charity hockey game pitting police and fire personnel against each other. It serves as a fundraiser for a scholarship program in the name of the late Sault Ste. Marie firefighter Jason Carstens for first responder students at Lake Superior State University. Carstens passed away in 2024. Organizers are also hoping to find a local charity that would receive a portion of the funds generated from the event.
The game will likely be held on Saturday, March 21, although details still need to be finalized. Logistical plans, such as securing a second charitable partner, should be finalized in the next two weeks, Troyer said.
Battle of the Badges was an annual event for many years until COVID-19, but was brought back in 2024 with the help of Sault Ste. Marie Police Detectives Philip Donnay and Rebecca Troyer.
“It will be quite comical and entertaining,” Troyer said. “We have some players who can barely skate and others who have been playing since they were kids and even played in college.”
Troyer indicated fans can expect “entertaining scrums” as part of the game.
“The skill level definitely varies, but we have fun with it,” she added. “We definitely focus on the entertainment aspect of this event.”
The departments are also accepting letters of interest from nonprofit organizations interested in helping to run the event. A selected organization would then receive proceeds from fundraising efforts for the Battle of the Badges game. Department officials have already raised enough funds between the hockey game and other related fundraising efforts to create an endowment that annually supports the Jason Carstens Memorial First Responder Scholarship, Troyer said.
The Sault Ste. Marie police and fire departments raised around $10,000 from last year’s event based on ticket sales, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and other activities. Troyer said the departments will consider additional fundraising ideas in 2026 and beyond.
The charity hockey game drew around 20 players from the police department and 15 players from the fire department last year. Troyer expects a similar number of participants in March.
“There’s a lot of interest among (the departments), and the game was really well supported by the community last year,” Troyer said.
The Sault Ste. Marie police and fire departments are accepting donated items for the silent auction fundraiser. Interested parties of nonprofits wanting to learn more can contact Troyer by email at btroyer@saultcity.com or by phone at 906-632-5744.
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Battle of the Badges: Sault police vs. fire in annual hockey match
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, Sault Ste. Marie News / The Sault News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
