The second annual Iceman Cup will return to Brantford’s TD Civic Centre on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
The charity hockey tournament will honour the life and legacy of the late Jimmy “The Iceman” MacNeil while raising funds in support of Diabetes Canada.
A longtime Zamboni driver with the City of Brantford, MacNeil was well known within the community and beyond, even being nominated as Zamboni Driver of the Year in 1999.
“My dad was somebody that was very active in the community. He was a Zamboni driver at many local rinks, but he was really a kind of a staple at the Brantford Civic Centre. He worked there for many years, and he loved his job,” said Jake MacNeil, Jimmy’s youngest. “My grandfather, Alex MacNeil, was one of the first Zamboni repair guys in Canada, so my dad grew up being around the rinks all the time and it became his passion. He just enjoyed creating the best ice possible, whether it was for hockey teams, figure skaters or whatever might be going on at the Civic Centre. My dad took a lot of pride in what he did.”
Jake went on to say that his father’s big claim to fame was his when set off to drive 6,000 kilometres across Canada for the “Goodyear Drive for Gold.”
“In 2001 he drove all the way from Newfoundland to British Columbia on a Zamboni to raise funds for the Salt Lake City Olympic Games and to raise awareness of Diabetes,” he said. “He even wrote a book about his trek and called it ‘The Red and White Zamboni Ice Machine.’ He’d go to local schools and read them various books as well as his own. So he was always going above and beyond outside of the rink.”
Jake said it was his father’s passion for giving back and putting community first that inspired the idea for the Iceman Cup.
“He always instilled that community-first passion and commitment in me and my family. When we unfortunately lost him, it hit a lot of us pretty hard,” he said. “It took us, and the community, by surprise, and so to help myself and my family cope in a different way, I thought it would be a good idea to put together a charity event in his honour and allow his friends and family to support a good cause.
In August 2024, the inaugural Iceman Cup brought together a mix of hockey players from near and far for an exhibition game, including Brandon Montour, Calvin Crombie and Paul Szczechura, to name a few.
“The first one went off really well,” said Jake. “We had some very good hockey players that took the time out of their busy lives to come out, and we were very fortunate that every single player that participated did it for free, so that definitely helped out a lot. Everyone really enjoyed it and that was our goal, so my mom, Lori, and I have decided to try to go bigger and better this time.”
This year’s charity tournament will once again feature a lineup of pro, semi-pro, retired and local hockey players, including Crombie, Jake Dotchin, Ellis Rickwood, Griffen Fox, and Holden Wale, to name a few.
“There’s also a couple guys that play junior hockey in the OHL that have committed and will be announced soon,” said Jake. “Then there’s a few names that are involved who have played high levels and maybe don’t play anymore, but are people that kind of impacted my dad’s life through friendship, and my family as well. They may not be pro players, but they’re local to the community and that’s something my dad would have wanted because they’re just stand-up individuals.”
As far as what people can expect from the day, tickets are $20, with all proceeds going back to Diabetes Canada. Ticket holders can participate in a community skate at the Civic Centre from 3 to 3:30 p.m. ahead of the game.
“After that, the players will hit the ice for warm up, and then we’ll do a pre-game ceremony around 4:15 p.m. with myself, my mom, and Diabetes Canada, and then we’ll have a special guest there for the ceremonial puck drop before the game at 4:30 p.m.,” said Jake. “I think the community skate will be big. I know a couple of the players that are participating have already offered themselves to go out and skate around with the kids or whoever it might be.”
Overall Jake, his mother Lori, who has stepped in to help the youngest MacNeil with planning, and his family are looking forward to the big game.
“We’re very excited. We’re all very big on giving back to the community, and while it’s a lot of hard work to put together, I know once the big day comes around and things start flowing, it’s going to feel very rewarding,” he said. “I always like seeing the excitement of the people and the kids when they get to see some of the NHL guys hit the ice. I know for many families, it might be tough to get high-level hockey games with cost or travel, so it’s nice to give them the opportunity to see these guys right in their own backyard.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
