O'Ree Award finalist spotlight: Sonny Sekhon

The Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by Discover in the United States and Hyundai in Canada is given to an individual who, through hockey, has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society. The award honors O'Ree, the former NHL forward who became the first Black player to play in the NHL on Jan. 18, 1958, and has spent more than two decades as the NHL's diversity ambassador. After a public voting period and votes from O'Ree, NHL executives and Discover executives, one winner from the United States and one from Canada will be announced in June.

Today, a look at one of three Canada finalists: Sonny Sekhon.

EDMONTON -- Sonny Sekhon is giving back to the game that gave so much to him.

The founder of the Punjabi Elite League and ball hockey tournament works tirelessly to promote the game in Edmonton to those who might not otherwise have an opportunity to play.

For his efforts, the 40-year-old has been nominated as a finalist for the 2026 Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai.

"Hockey came to me, it almost felt like fate," Sekhon said. "My grandfather came to Canada in 1983, and I was born in 1986. This is a man that grew up with no ice, never saw the game, never spoke the language, but by the time I was born, he was already in love with the Edmonton Oilers and the (Stanley Cup) dynasty."

Along with his work with the Punjabi Elite League, Sekhon is also the director of volunteer services for the Brick Invitational Novice Hockey Tournament, a director for the South Asian Canada Cup, director of community engagement and coach for AZ1 Hockey Development, and vice president of the women's Team India Ball Hockey Federation.

Sekhon grew up watching the Oilers with his family. Edmonton won the Stanley Cup in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990, introducing a generation of Canadian immigrants to the game.

"I don't remember a lot from my childhood," Sekhon said, "but I have these vivid memories watching games with them, and I have this memory of my grandfather giving me this keychain that had hockey cards of all the great Oilers that are now (Hockey) Hall of Famers, so that's how I got into it. And then through friends at school, they were playing the game, so I wanted to try the game."

Sekhon went on to play in the Edmonton minor hockey system up through to the Under-18 AA level with the South Side Athletic Club. Following his career, he began his work to grow the game in the South Asian community.

"Ball hockey is a great tool to grow fandom in and around the game," Sekhon said. "The Punjabi Elite League was founded in 2018, where previously there was the South Asian Canada Cup and the Indo Canada Cup.

"There was frustration around the selection process for Team India and Team Pakistan, so rather than gripe about it and complain about biases from different parts of the country, I created a platform. We created a one-day tournament that was best-on-best that we could duplicate in cities around the country so that people that are selecting those (national) teams can actually hop from spot to spot and actually see who the best players are."

The elite tournament in Edmonton evolved into a league. There was market for a South Asian league when the Punjabi Ball Hockey League in Edmonton folded after 12 seasons, leaving about 200 adult players without a place to play. 

Sekhon and his partners helped fill the void with the creation of the Elite League two years ago, which has branched out to youth tournaments.

"Organizations like the Punjabi Elite League are so important to this South Asian community, because it gives everyone a space to feel like they truly belong and that they're welcomed," Sekhon said. "The world right now, it's a weird time. There's a lot of days where things feel more divisive than they need to be. To me, sport has always been a place where you're supposed to go and escape all of that. It's supposed to be a place that brings everyone together, not that divides us.

"So, this gives us an opportunity to bring people together to celebrate how good they are at their sport, rather than having to worry about being judged for what they look like, what their name, or last name says, whether they're a boy or a girl. And it allows us to showcase, not just our community, but to the world, how important hockey is."

The Punjabi Elite League has become a point of cultural pride for participants of all ages. There is a strong focus on introducing the game to the youth in the community, allowing them to grow as players and hockey fans.

"We want to create access from athletes to existing advocates," Sekhon said. "We want to create a pipeline where coaches can become mentors. Guys like me that a little more senior are also working really hard to create the next wave of culture changes themselves so that we can move on to new challenges, and that whether we stop doing this or not, the importance and the work that we're trying to do will carry on long after we're done."

Sekhon's stature in the South Asian community has helped the game grow exponentially with players of all abilities picking up a stick. The ball hockey league runs from May to August in venues around Edmonton.

"Sonny was actually one of the best hockey players to come out of the South Asian community in Edmonton," said Arjun Atwal, cofounder of the Elite League. "He was kind of that mentor for me. He's really propelling not only the on-ice game, but the off-ice game, which really isn't talked about.

"He's really touching many areas of the game, which makes him very, very unique. There are a lot of people that are good in one area of the game, but he's kind of touching all facets and he's educated and he's been there. So, he's just a really good person to lean on and he goes above and beyond to help people, which is admirable."

Though the focus of the leagues and tournaments is about participation and enjoyment, it also gives young players a foundation to chase their hockey dreams. Atwal was in the Edmonton minor hockey system and went on to play as a forward for Saskatoon in the Western Hockey League and then at the University of Calgary.

"It gives them a belief and hope," Atwal said. "It doesn't make it seem like an unachievable goal and that they can't get to the top of this mountain. It teaches the kids that you can reach these levels and exceed these levels.

"We can help you get there. It just gives them the belief that they can make the NHL that's not an unachievable goal. They can make the Western Hockey League. They can play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, so it gives them a passion and a reasonable goal and a belief that they can get there."