Mike Stelter discusses Ben’s Cup youth tournament with NHL.com

In NHL.com’s Q&A feature called “Sitting Down with …” we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. This week we feature Mike Stelter, the father of Ben Stelter, who captured the hearts of the Edmonton Oilers and the entire hockey community during his courageous battle against glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. Ben died on Aug. 9, 2022, at the age of 6, and a foundation was started in his name to help raise funds to continue the fight against cancer. The second annual Ben’s Cup youth hockey tournament, which is proudly sponored by the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, is taking place in the Edmonton area from Dec. 26-30, with all proceeds going to the Ben Stelter Foundation.

Mike Stelter is proud of the legacy left by his son Ben.

The Ben Stelter Foundation was set up to honor the Edmonton Oilers superfan in December 2022, and has gone on to raise well over $5 million to help children diagnosed with cancer.

The foundation is working on bringing Proton Beam Therapy to Canada, with Edmonton being the first city to offer the groundbreaking cancer treatment.

“Ben was such a special boy, we still miss him so much,” Mike Stelter said. “But we’re so fortunate to have the support we do in the community, to have people talking about Ben, to be at an Oilers game and see someone wearing a “Stelter” jersey is cool.

“It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe, but it’s just a proud feeling seeing Ben’s name on somebody’s jersey and to hear people talk about Ben.”

Ben was introduced to Edmonton captain Connor McDavid during the 2021-22 season, and to Oilers fans when he led the starters on the ice as the Scotiabank Skater before a 5-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on March 24, 2022.

Following the victory, Ben accompanied forward Zach Hyman to the postgame media conference where he endeared himself to fans with an infectious personality.

Ben and his family, including mother Lea and siblings Dylan and Emmy, were invited back as guests throughout the rest of the season and into the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Edmonton advanced to the Western Conference Final where they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

A video of Ben exclaiming, “Play ‘La Bamba’ baby,” following an Oilers playoff victory was played on the scoreboard consistently during the run and the phrase became a rallying cry for fans. “La Bamba” performed by the Los Angeles band Los Lobos, was adopted as the Oilers victory song to honor longtime dressing room attendant Joey Moss, who died on Oct. 26, 2020.

Los Lobos echoed the phrase in a social media post acknowledging they had become Oilers fans during the playoff run.

“The Oilers support has been incredible,” Stelter said. “Again, we’re so fortunate to have support from such elite players like that and such a world-class organization. It means so much to us and it was especially special to see that Ben was a friend to them. Ben was a friend to Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman and the rest of the Oilers, and to see that they’re still out here supporting us, is incredible and it means the world to us.”

The foundation was set up to invest in four pillars; magical experiences for children battling cancer, investment in medical equipment, outcome-based research to find better treatments, and venture philanthropy.

Ben’s Cup features 56 teams in three separate age categories (U-7, U-11, U-13), up from 32 teams in its inaugural year.

Every participant in the tournament is asked to take on a fundraising challenge with the top fundraisers selected to play in an all-star event.

“Each player, coach and manager are encouraged to raise a minimum of $100,” Stelter said. “And the top 40 fundraisers get to take part in the all-star game.”

Stelter is hoping the tournament continues to grow and becomes a holiday staple in the community. He discussed the tournament in an interview with NHL.com.

How did you come up with the idea for the Ben’s Cup hockey tournament?

“We have a really good committee that came together wanting to do a big fundraiser for the Ben Stelter Foundation and wanting to do it hockey related. So we had some ideas and what we came up with was Ben’s Cup, which is a youth hockey tournament where each kid has their own fundraising aspect and responsibility.”

Those top fundraisers get to play in the all-star game. What does that entail?

“We go all out for the all-star game. All the players get custom Ben’s Cup jerseys, along with hoodies and swag and they all get all-star championship rings, which is really special. The Oilers mascot, Hunter, comes out and plays with the kids and he has both jerseys so he’ll take a period on each side, which is fun. And we have all the Oilers super fans come out, Banjo Guy, Superfan Magoo, Mick Mullet, and it’s an absolute blast. The kids love it.”

You added an Under-7 group this year, what are the logistic challenges of expanding the tournament?

“So, it’s gone from three days to five days this year. We needed a lot more ice time and the crew at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex has been incredible to work with for us and we’ve required a lot more volunteers. It was a pretty jam packed three days last year and to have it for five days this year is going to be a blast.”

How much does the tournament raise for the foundation?

“This is the second annual tournament and it’s grown a lot. Last year, it raised an incredible $608,000, and this year we have higher goals and are hoping to get close to $1 million. The kids have been fundraising like crazy and right now it’s already pushing on $450,000, and we have quite a bit of sponsorship dollars on top of that and we’re already sitting at $750,000 in total.”

Are the proceeds from the tournament going to a particular initiative?

“Yes, 100 percent of the money raised from Ben’s Cup is going toward our proton therapy initiative, which makes it a little bit extra special for us. It really gives the kids an important cause to fundraise, to know they can help other people battling cancer right now. And once the facility is built, it is something they can be proud to say they helped bring to Canada for the first time.”

How are things going with the initiative to bring proton therapy to Canada?

“We are hoping to break ground next year and hoping to be up and running by the end of 2028.”

Why was the proton therapy initiative so appealing to the Ben Stelter Foundation?

“This is a great partnership that has come up with Edmonton Global and WestCan Proton Therapy. We knew it was something that Canada didn’t have and it’s something that would have benefitted Ben, but it wasn’t an option because we don’t have this treatment in Canada. So it was an easy cause to rally behind. There’s a ton of Canadians that need this treatment every year. We’re sending hundreds of Albertans to the United States each year for this treatment and we’ve met so many families through the foundation that have had to say ‘no’, because they financially can’t afford to go. You’re separated from your family for months, you have to pay for accommodations, transportation, some medication while you’re down there, along with meals, so it’s expensive. We want to make sure everybody has access to the same or the best treatment available no matter their financial situation.”

You underwent proton therapy treatment in at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia after being diagnosed with sarcoma when doctors found a tumor in your back. How are you doing?

“Yes, I underwent the same one. I’m doing great. I feel really good, I’m off all the nasty pain medications and I’m doing really well.”

When you set up the foundation, did you expect it to generate as much support as it has?

“We had big goals and plans for the foundation from the start, because this community has been incredibly supportive, but it has exceeded our expectations for how big we’ve grown and how many families we’ve been able to help. Edmonton is such a special community and we feel so fortunate to be included and the support we receive from the community.”