ROSEMOUNT, MN — April 15, 2026 — Nearly 300 Minnesota high school and youth hockey teams raised $179,529 in the 2025-26 hockey season for cancer organizations, families, and individuals fighting cancer with the support of Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer, a nonprofit based in Rosemount.
The Rosemount High School girls team won the Michael Weiss Fight Championship as the top fundraising high school. The award is named for the head coach for Marshall High School, who won his fight against cancer and who is a Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer board member. The team raised more than $17,000 for a fellow student battling cancer.
Centennial Youth Hockey Association raised over $50,000, winning the John Gegen Cup for a second year in row. The John Gegen Cup recognizes the top fundraising youth association. The association trophy was named by the inaugural winner of the award, Hastings Hockey Association, for one of their players.
Funds raised by the Centennial Youth Hockey Association were directed to CYHA families battling cancer, along with CureSearch, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Children’s Minnesota, Make-A-Wish Minnesota, Give Kids the World Village, and the Pinky Swear Foundation.
The We Fight for Award, the top fundraising team, went to Champlin Park Peewee A with $3,758 raised. They raised funds for Play for Max. This is the second time a Champlin Park team has won the award, with a previous team being one that Max played on.
The Bruce Olson Mite Fight Champions goes to Roseau Youth Hockey, for the fifth year in a row, with more than $5,000 raised. The award is named in memory of Olson, who directed Roseau’s boys to a state hockey title and later coached at Warroad High School. Roseau Mites continued their support for the Roseau County Cancer Fund.
Logan Nugent, Centennial Youth Hockey’s boys director for Squirts, Peewees and Bantams is the Cap George MVP Award winner. The award, named in memory of 17-year-old Cap George, is given to individuals who distinguish themselves in supporting the annual campaign. Logan led the effort, for the second season in a row, for all CYHA teams to hold Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer games.
Logan said he couldn’t have done it without the help of Stacy Nugent (no relation), Lauren Bertrand, Britni Kobeska and Shannon Munger, who he called key contributors to their efforts.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to make an impact and look to build off of this year again,” he said. “Being able to give directly to people affected is HUGE and we’re excited to continue leading this.”
With support from Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer, all proceeds raised by participating teams go to the organizations they’ve each chosen to support. All teams that register for a game have access to an online fundraising portal that shows real-time standings for the competition and promotion through social media. Registered teams and jamborees are provided with stick tape, helmet decals, a game puck, and “I Fight For” signs that honor people fighting or who have battled cancer.
ABOUT MINNESOTA HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER
Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer was founded in 2018 and was established as a 501(c)(3) in 2020. The organization’s mission is to energize the hockey community in Minnesota to build awareness and support the fight against cancer.
For more information, visit mnhockeyfightscancer.org or contact admin@mnhockeyfightscancer.org.