Second Annual Firefighter Faceoff Brings HCFR Hockey to the Ice Against Tampa Bay Marauders Aug. 22

WESLEY CHAPEL / PASCO COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County firefighters are trading their turnout gear for hockey pads later this month, taking the ice for a cause that hits close to home for the fire service community.

The Second Annual Firefighter Faceoff charity hockey game lands at AdventHealth Center Ice on Saturday, Aug. 22, with puck drop at 6 p.m. and the game running until about 8:30 p.m.

Who's Playing

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue's own hockey team, HCFR Hockey, will face off against the Tampa Bay Marauders, a team made up of members of the Tampa Bay area law enforcement community. The matchup gives the event a friendly firefighters-versus-first-responders energy, with two public safety agencies squaring off for a good cause instead of running calls side by side.

Why It Matters

All proceeds from the event, along with donations collected through a "Fill the Boot" drive at the game, benefit Hillsborough County Firefighter Charities — a local 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting the families of fallen firefighters. The organization has spent years helping families in the Tampa Bay fire service community get through some of the hardest moments imaginable, and this game is one of its higher-profile fundraisers of the year.

For Wesley Chapel families, it's also a rare chance to see local firefighters in a completely different light — off duty, on skates, and playing for their own.

What to Expect

Beyond the game itself, organizers are billing the event as family-friendly, with the kind of community atmosphere that's become a hallmark of charity hockey games between public safety agencies elsewhere in the country — think local vendors, a chance to meet firefighters up close, and plenty of good-natured competition on the ice.