'It saved days and days of work': Hay River hockey players praised for helping flood victims

When Mitchell Touesnard returned to his flooded home in Hay River, N.W.T., he discovered a damaged basement that was going to turn into a big cleanup job.

But with a supportive community like Hay River, the only tools he needed to get the job done were some Rusty Blades.

The Hay River Rusty Blades Old Timers Hockey club stepped up to help victims whose homes were affected when the town of almost 4,000 people were ordered to evacuate in the middle of the night earlier this month. 

"It saved days and days of work," Touesnard said of the help the hockey players provided. 

"They were absolutely amazing."

Members of the Rusty Blades were on Cranberry Crescent, going home-to-home shortly after the community could return. While there, they tore up floors, drywall and aired out the water damage. 

Jeff Boyce is the president of the Rusty Blades, and one of those helping the community. 

He told Loren McGinnis, host of CBC's The Trailbreaker, that the mission started as a way to help members of the league whose homes were affected, but expanded into helping the wider community. 

A mass email to the league produced about 18 players — one third of the league — on the very first day.

The team includes a plumber, a carpenter and some engineers. 

"We know all these people, they all live in our community," Boyce said. 

"We just kind of made a plan to do what we could do."

Touesnard lived in Halifax when Hurricane Juan hit in 2003. That massive storm left widespread damage and required a community effort to repair. But he said the way Hay River came together after the flooding outdid that response. 

Boyce said although it was difficult to see his community so damaged, he and his fellow league members enjoyed the opportunity to spend some