Article content

What does an NHL player do when he has a free afternoon?

If you’re Tomas Tatar, you might drop in at the Dawson Boys and Girls Club in Verdun to spend time with the 20 youngsters involved in the recreation centre’s after-school ball hockey program.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Hickey on hockey: Habs' Tomas Tatar surprises kids with new equipment Back to video

Tatar dropped in Friday and it was apparent he has formed a bond with the boys and girls. He asked then about school, and when one youngster half-apologized for wearing a Canadiens T-shirt with Brendan Gallagher’s name on the back, Tatar said: “That’s okay, I’m sure Gally will feel good about it.”

After a few minutes of touching base, Tatar unveiled a surprise for the young players, taking the wraps off a pile of new equipment, courtesy of Tatar and the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. There were new running shoes, sticks, shin pads, gloves and a full set of Canadiens sweaters with Tatar’s name and No. 90 on the back.

“When I started coming here in November, I noticed that the equipment they were using was old and I decided to do something about it,” Tatar said.