Sudbury community comes together for teen hockey player who lost everything

Coming together to get hockey player new gear After losing everything in a fire a Greater Sudbury hockey player received new gear Thursday thanks to the community's generosity.

A 17-year-old hockey player in Greater Sudbury received some much-needed new equipment on Thursday thanks to his community coming together to help him.

Josh Cholette skates Josh Cholette is fitted with new hockey skates on Thursday, January 2, 2025, after the Greater Sudbury community came together to help him replace his gear that was lost in a house fire last month. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Josh Cholette was getting a new pair of hockey skates molded to his feet when CTV News caught up with him on Jan. 2.

Cholette and his family lost everything in a house fire only two days before Christmas.

“From skates to helmet, just everything, my whole bag just burned,” he said.

Wanting to help their teammate and friend, other players from the U18 AAA Sudbury Wolves team decided to set up a GoFundMe fundraiser with a goal of $15,000 to replace the equipment lost.

“We started it the night of the fire, when it happened,” said team captain Matthew Trottier.

“Everyone is still donating to this day and we’re so grateful. It’s awesome that the whole hockey community has come together.”

Hudson Goulet, another of Cholette’s teammates on the Wolves, echoed Trottier’s sentiment saying they did the right thing.

“We’re family right?” he said.

“We want to help each other out as much as we can.”

Josh Cholette + Team Josh Cholette was joined by most of his Sudbury Wolves U18 AAA teamates when he received all new hockey equipment on January 2, 2025, at Skater’s Edge Source for Sports in Greater Sudbury, Ont. after losing all of his belongings in a fire just two days before Christmas. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Cholette was joined by most of his teammates when he picked up his new gear at Skater’s Edge – just a few hours before Thursday’s practice.

“He’s playing an elite high level, making sure we’re getting him the exact same stuff that he had,” said Matthew Zawierzeniec, co-owner of the Skater’s Edge Source for Sports location.

“He’s got to be at the top of his game as soon as he gets back on the ice. So we had to fit him with the same equipment he had.”

New hockey gear Josh Cholette received some much-needed new hockey equipment on Thursday, January 2, 2025, thanks to his community coming together to help him. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Cholette told CTV News that is he grateful to everyone that donated.

“Just thank the hockey community, everyone that came together and supported me through this and helped me get through this,” he said.

Josh Cholette 17-year-old Josh Cholette talks with CTV News on January 2, 2025, about receiving new equipment after losing all of his belongings in a fire just two days before Christmas. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario)

The team has a few more on ice practices before their first game of the new year in Timmins, Ont., on Jan 11.

Cholette said he hopes to have the new equipment broken in by then.