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The emotional weight of Matt Duchene’s stick is pretty heavy.

But the truth is that it lifts him to places he couldn’t otherwise go.

Duchene puts motivational messages on his stick, including the initials of friends who have passed, to remind what has helped him to more than 800 points and 1,100 games in the NHL. That kind of thought process also helps drive the creation of programs like “Duchene’s HockeyTonk” initiative that he revealed this year with the Stars.

“It actually helps me as much as it helps the families,” he said of the initiative. “If you have the ability, I think you want to give back. God has given me such a gift to be able to play this game and do what I do, I think it’s important to give back and be thankful for what you have.”

Among the reminders on Duchene’s stick are the initials “DH” for Dawson Hamilton. Duchene bonded with Hamilton, the son of one of his dad’s friends, in Haliburton, Ontario when Hamilton was five and dealing with leukemia. The two were close friends until Hamilton passed away in 2010, and Duchene said what he learned from Dawson has stayed with him.

“He asked his parents to bury him in my jersey, and that was very powerful,” Duchene said. “You want to do everything you can to help, and you understand what you can do.”

The HockeyTonk in Dallas is similar to one that Duchene had when he was in Nashville. It is dedicated to helping families who are dealing with cancer. The entire family is invited to a game and sit in Duchene’s suite. They also meet with Duchene after the game, and it gives everyone a chance to have a pleasant and welcomed distraction for a night.

One of the most important parts of the HockeyTonk is the fact that Duchene and the Stars invite the entire family. J Ackley, who attended earlier in the season, is dealing with multiple myeloma and said one of the hardest things is finding quality time where his family can just be “normal.”

“Our vacations every month are down to MD Anderson in Houston, so we don’t get to do much as a family,” Ackley said. “So having something like this was a godsend. We were able to just go out and have some fun. The suite was great and we were able to relax and just be ourselves. My 5-year-old, that was her first game, and now you have a diehard Stars fan.”

Ackley attended with his wife Isabel, son Levi, daughter Addison, and some family friends. They met up with Duchene and his wife and children after the game, and that made the evening complete.

“It was just so special, because you see his family and you know how important family is to him, and it just made the night perfect,” Ackley said. “We hadn’t been able to do anything like that for two years, so it’s a really nice memory.”

Erica Olenski’s 6-year-old son August has been dealing with brain cancer, and said she felt the same positive energy from Duchene. August was able to attend with several family members, including his grandma and his brother Bryant, 10, as well as his night nurse, her husband, a friend from school, and her mother. His sister Phoenix, almost 2, stayed home but loved the gifts that she received, Erica said. That family environment is a big part of the night in the suite. Their visit was around Christmas, and the timing was perfect, she said.

“When you get to a point in your cancer journey, it can be really tiring for everybody,” Olenski said. “To have them help us and take care of all of that, it just is so helpful. To be cared for at a time when I couldn’t prioritize these other things, it just made the holidays so much better. Like I said, it was amazing.”

While Duchene was helping the Hamilton family, he built a relationship with Dawson’s older brother Tanner, and that taught him a lesson about what cancer does to parents and siblings.

“The idea is to help the entire family, because they are all battling cancer,” Duchene said. “I just know that experiences like coming to a game can be good for bonding, for the entire family. It’s a good escape.”

Duchene has made giving a big part of his career. The relationship with Dawson Hamilton began when Duchene was a teenager playing junior hockey in Brampton, Ontario and carried over to the start of his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche.

When Duchene was a rookie, he was in a shootout late in the season that could help the Avalanche make the playoffs. Duchene said he looked to Dawson for inspiration and felt that power. It was a moment that he carries to this day with his sticks. Whether it be Bible verses or song lyrics or initials of important moments or people in his life, Duchene believes the spirit comes through.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s a great example,” said Duchene’s father, Vince.

Duchene said the impetus for the giving comes from his family.

“For me, my parents were always as charitable as they could be,” Duchene said. “We are Christians and tithing is a big part of being a Christian, and that’s something I take very seriously. I’ve been so blessed that I want to give back whenever I can. And to do it like this, it just makes it that much more personal.”

Vince Duchene works in real estate in Haliburton and his wife Christine is a guidance counselor at the high school. The family takes great pride in the community, and that also is something which has fueled Duchene’s charitable nature. They are part of the group that helps make sure the Heat Bank has supplies to help citizens in need during the winter. Duchene’s annual golf tournament is also a big fundraiser for the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation. Last year alone, the tournament raised $222,000.

“We are a Christian family and one of the things we’ve done for years is to support our local community, especially when it comes to kids,” Vince Duchene said. “And when Matt was able to make some dreams come true by being a professional hockey player, he definitely wanted to do as much as he could.”

Duchene has found a way to establish a charitable foundation in each of his pro stops. The HockeyTonk is a nod to the fact he loves country music, and it’s already been successful this season.

To raise additional funds for Cancer Support Community North Texas, Duchene’s HockeyTonk suite will be available for fans to purchase on select nights families from Cancer Support Community North Texas are not in attendance.

At the team’s annual Casino Night last week, Duchene told the story behind the initiative and then auctioned off the game day experience to fans. After the high bidder won the package with a $13,000 donation, Duchene told the second place bidder that if they matched the price, he would put them in the suite at another game. They obliged, bringing the total raised to $26,000.

Included in the private suite purchase is an autographed Duchene jersey, twelve tickets, and three parking passes. For an additional donation, fans can have a post-game meet and greet with Duchene. All proceeds for the suite purchases will benefit Cancer Support Community North Texas.

In addition, the scoreboard flashes a QR code that you can use through your phone to make additional donations. Ackley said he would love to see that flashed up even longer.

“It was real quick, and we only saw it one time, so I would love to see them put up a few times a game,” Ackley said. “I would be happy to talk to anyone who has questions and tell them what a fantastic program it is.”

Olenski said Duchene’s heart shines through, which makes the experience even more special.

“He’s just very kind and you can see the empathy that he has,” Oleski said. “You can feel it when you’re with him.”

And that’s sort of the ripple effect that Duchene is shooting for. Pay it forward, and others will feel the same impact.

“I just look at Dawson and he had so much strength and so much courage, and he helped me as much as I helped him,” Duchene said. “Those are the memories that help carry me.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.

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