Hockey stars continue rallying around Roy

By Michael Fornabaio

ORANGE - When Ted Drury looked around Race Brook Country Club Monday morning, he not only saw a lot of familiar faces, he saw a bunch of familiar shirts.

Plenty of repeat business at the eighth annual Travis Roy Foundation Invitational Golf Tournament meant that many of the golfers were wearing their tournament shirts from past years, some from four or five years ago.

"You know they've been here every time," said Drury, the former Trumbull resident and NHLer who hosts the tournament with brother Chris of the Calgary Flames, and New York Rangers defenseman Tom Poti.

The hockey community in particular supports the tournament, only natural considering its namesake.

Roy suffered a spinal cord injury on his first collegiate shift for Boston University in 1995, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. He later regained some movement in his right arm.

The foundation was formed in 1997, a year after the inaugural tournament, which raised $5,000 to defray Roy's expenses. Last year's tournament raised over $40,000, co-director Michael Ferguson said, a figure the directors hoped to match Monday.

From the start, when the Drurys and Michael and John Ferguson organized the tournament, hockey players have been mainstays. Chris Drury, Roy's teammate at Boston University, headlined a list this year that included Rangers draft pick Hugh Jessiman of Darien, Bridgeport Sound Tigers goalie Stephen Valiquette and winger Jeff Hamilton, former Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman and Hamden standout Todd Hall, and Fairfield's Julie Chu of the U.S. women's national team.

"It shows you what the hockey community in New England and southern Connecticut is all about," Chris Drury said. "Everybody sticks together. They know what happened to Travis. Everybody comes back here every year."

Hamilton, for instance, was back for the third time. He started playing as an undergraduate at Yale.

"Every year the numbers turn out for this. It's great to see," Hamilton said. "It's definitely a thick hockey community. It's evidence this is a hockey-rich area."

Poti, another Terrier, has come every year.

"Obviously, we're all trying to figure this out and find a cure," Poti said. "Everyone's willing to donate items."

Some of the lots up for bid were an autographed Wayne Gretzky photo, an autographed Bobby Orr photo, several signed jerseys, an autographed Lance Armstrong shirt and numerous ticket packages.

All proceeds went to the foundation, which supports research working toward a cure for spinal-cord injuries. It also assists people with spinal-cord injuries and their families.

Jana Spaulding of the foundation and the Fergusons are the tournament's co-directors.

"My job's easy," Chris Drury said. "I just drive down here and play some golf. Jana Spaulding and Mike and John Ferguson deserve all the credit."