NHL Carolina Hurricanes to Join TPS Hockey by Playing with Pink Sticks

Lorenzo Perez staff writer for the Raleigh News and Observer reported that the Carolina Hurricanes are going to be giving the fans a treat tonight.

These rugged individuals known for inspecting their new sticks like a 'jeweler searching for a diamonds flaws', will be unpacking new sticks with a new color variation.

Lorenzo thinks that Carolina Hurricanes Craig Adams and his teammates will wield there new sticks with abandon as they face off against the pink sticks of the New Jersey Devils.

It is all part of the TPS Hockey sponsored "Tribute to Hockey Moms" which uses the funds raised to provide money for Cancer Research.

In 2006 more than 400 NHL players raised over $150,000 for the NHL/NHL Players Association's "Hockey Fights Cancer" program according to Lorenzo.

The program is an easy way for the players to help raise money for Cancer per Craig Adams.

After the games where the special edition sticks are used, they are put up for auction.

According to an Associated Press report each player, including the goalie, will have his name inscribed on the stick. The sticks cost TPS Hockey $300 each to produce and provide for the players.

TPS Hockey is a manufacturer of hockey sticks. This year, in addition to making the sticks available via auction, players will be able to purchase their own sticks. The playing period starts March 16^th through the 18^th. It appears that some teams, like the Hurricanes, start playing with the sticks on the 15^th; the Coyotes took theirs to the rink on March 9^th.

The idea for the pink stick campaign came from the death of hockey mother Phylis Gretzky to lung cancer and TPS owner Paul Walker's sister to breast cancer.

The auction will be starting in March after the games are played. The auctions will be held on Ebay.

TPS is making pink sticks available to its retailers to expand the opportunity for fans to purchase a stick. In addition to TPS some baseball manufacturers have pink bat fundraisers. The Canadian Cancer Society is also partnered with TPS.

For many hockey fans this is an excellent opportunity to get a professional hockey stick from one of their favorite players or from their hometown team.