It's a one-day tournament that makes a difference all year for people living on the streets of Barrie.

Bev Gordon Freeman was on her own and homeless when Redwood Park Communities put a roof over her head. Today she's cheering on the players at Hockey Helps the Homeless who raised money so she could put her life back together.

“It's such a joy for everybody on all sides,” she says. “For all the work they've done to make this happen.”

Redwood Park and the David Busby Centre will receive more than $40,000 each to keep families off the streets.

“We are definitely in a crisis. We’re seeing high demand right now. About 292 people we just surveyed who say they’re experiencing homelessness in our community,” says Sarah Peddle, executive director.

Those numbers keep climbing as housing in the city becomes increasingly unaffordable. The work done by the Busby Centre and Redwood Park will see more women and children find homes and hope.

“To be able to make a difference, it puts things into perspective and really emphasizes what's important in life,” says former NHLer Adam Graves.

Stanley Cup champions and hall of famers agree Hockey Helps the Homeless matters more than any other game.

“They do this in 12 cities across the country and they say this is probably the best competition of all the different cities. So we love our hockey here in Barrie,” says Mike Gartner.