Former NHL defenseman Irwin leads philanthropic group, which will support grassroots programs to grow the sport
© Brandon Laidlaw/Medea
The Medea Charitable Foundation has donated $25,000 to support the NHL Foundation U.S. Empowerment Grant for Girls Hockey to help grow the sport.
The gift from the philanthropic arm of California-based Medea Inc. will go directly to support the second recipient of the NHL Foundation’s empowerment grant for girls. The grantee will be announced in the fall.
Launched in 2024, the NHL Foundation U.S. Empowerment Grant for Girls Hockey is a flagship initiative aimed at expanding access to hockey for girls across the United States. The grant supports grassroots programs that focus on skill development, leadership, and inclusion, ensuring that girls from all backgrounds have the opportunity to engage with the sport.
The inaugural grant was awarded to the Columbus Ice Hockey Club, a 25-year-old youth program that serves more than 3,000 kids annually with hockey and skating instruction, health and academic support, violence prevention programming, and community service opportunities.
Medea Charitable Foundation executive director and retired NHL defenseman Matt Irwin said the donation was the perfect way for his foundation and Medea Inc. to pay it forward and carry out the foundation’s mission of assisting organizations that help children with athletic, educational, social, and community activities.
“We’re very hockey focused, hockey driven,” said Irwin, who played 461 NHL regular season and 47 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals from 2012-23. “With this donation, it’s getting kids on skates, and we’re just super excited about it.”
© Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images
Medea Inc. is a healthcare solutions and distribution company established in 2014 and headquartered in Silicon Valley. Its charitable foundation was founded in 2022 by CEO Brandon Laidlaw, who was a forward for NCAA Division III Utica College in 2006-07 and played for two teams in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League from 2001-06, and Randy Winn, a retired Major League Baseball outfielder who played for five teams over a 13-year career from 1998-2010.
The foundation’s advisory board includes Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn, Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz, and former NHL player Tyler Johnson.
“We just think that sports and athletics is a pathway to success, whether it’s continued within that sport or in the real world,” Irwin said. “It just forms those intangibles, that discipline, that dedication that drives all those things that can make individuals successful moving forward.”
Kim Davis, NHL senior executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs and president of the NHL Foundation U.S. said the Medea Charitable Foundation donation will “help us accelerate the work we’ve set out to do — removing barriers and creating real opportunities for girls in hockey.”
“The Empowerment Grant is not just about access to the game — it’s about equity, representation, and building a sport culture where every girl can see a future for herself on the ice,” she said.
Rob Wooley, executive director of the NHL Foundation U.S., said the Medea Charitable Foundation donation “Isn’t just a gift — it’s a commitment to the future of our sport.”
“It sends a message to young girls across the country that they belong in hockey and that there’s a community ready to support them every step of the way,” Wooley said.
Haley Skarupa, a former forward for the U.S. Women’s National Team and gold medalist at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in South Korea, guides the NHL Foundation U.S. Empowerment Grant for Girls Hockey as its chief advisor. She said the Medea Charitable Foundation gift will play “a vital role in growing the game by ensuring more girls have the chance to participate and thrive.”
“I was once one of those girls chasing a dream, and that journey eventually took me to the gold medal game,” Skarupa said. “We want every girl — regardless of background or zip code — to feel that same sense of possibility when she laces up her skates.”
