TORONTO, ON - January 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Today the Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am announced the first round of NHL alumni to participate in the ninth annual tournament taking place in Toronto from May 1-3, 2014. The announcement was made on the ice at Nathan Philips Square by Garry Foster, Interim President, Baycrest Foundation, during the Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am official event launch. Beloved Maple Leafs alumni Doug Gilmour, Darryl Sittler, Darcy Tucker, Gary Roberts and Kevin Maguire will join long-time tournament supporters Mark Napier, Todd Warriner and Dennis Maruk in the fight against Alzheimer's. The NHL alumni announced today will lace up their skates with teams who have raised $25,000 or more for Alzheimer's research at Baycrest Health Sciences.

"We are thrilled with the roster of NHL alumni confirmed for the tournament this year," said Foster "We are so thankful to have the opportunity to work with the dedicated and passionate NHL alumni who join us in raising funds for this debilitating disease while playing the sport we all love."

The Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am will take place from May 1-3 in Toronto and will see hundreds of participants live out their dreams of playing with and against their childhood hockey heroes. NHL alumni, special guests and tournament participants will see the weekend kick off with the Gordie Howe & Friends Luncheon, followed by the highly-anticipated Draft Night where teams will welcome their NHL alumni draft pick to the team. The on-ice action will begin on May 2 and teams will play against one another until May 3.

New to the tournament this year is the first official Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am media team. Invited to experience this one-of-a-kind event, the media team will be announced following try-outs in early March. Those interested in participating can visit the tournament's official website for more details.

With more than $23 million raised in its nine-year history, the Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am delivers critical funds for Alzheimer's research, care and education at Baycrest, a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. An academic health sciences centre fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest is at the forefront of cognitive neuroscience research aimed at preventing and controlling brain-related illnesses.

For more information on the 2014 Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am, to register a team or for information on how to donate please visitscotiabankproam.com.  

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Opportunity for photos and interviews following the ceremony.

About the Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am 
Established in 2006, the Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am is an innovative charitable hockey tournament that supports care research and education in Alzheimer's and related dementias at Baycrest. Taking place in Toronto, May 1-3, the three-day hockey experience allows amateur hockey players the opportunity to play with and against a host of NHL alumni. To date, the Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am has raised more than $23 million for Alzheimer's care and research at Baycrest Health Sciences -- a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. Follow the excitement on Twitter at @ScotiabankProAm (#baycrestproam) and on Facebook at facebook.com/ScotiabankProAm or visit scotiabankproam.com to register.

About Baycrest Health Sciences 
Baycrest is a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. Headquartered on a 22-acre campus and fully affiliated with University of Toronto, Baycrest is unique in the world, combining a comprehensive system of care for aging adults, one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience (the Rotman Research Institute), dedicated centres focused on mitigating the impact of age-related illness and impairment, and unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. For more information visit baycrest.org.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Vancouver Canucks®., Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers® and the Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Across Canadian communities coast to coast, Scotiabank's Community Hockey Sponsorship Program reaches out to over 5,000 minor hockey teams. To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.facebook.com/scotiahockeyclub.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.