On Tuesday, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), together with the players of Atlanta and Detroit , announced the Red Wings will wear a special "37" patch on their jerseys, the same Dan Snyder tribute patch the Thrashers have been wearing all season, during their December 31, 2003 match-up.  

The game-worn jerseys for both the Red Wings and Thrashers will be auctioned by the NHLPA at a later date, with all proceeds going to The Dan Snyder Memorial Scholarship , an award established by the NHLPA and Thrashers players to honour Dan in his hometown of Elmira , Ontario . Red Wings jerseys will come with a certificate of authenticity from the Original Six club while Thrashers jerseys will come with a certificate of authenticity from Mei-Gray.  

“NHLPA members on the Detroit Red Wings and the Atlanta Thrashers are excited to be able to honour Dan Snyder by auctioning their special jerseys from this New Year's Eve game,” said Bob Goodenow, NHLPA Executive Director. “On behalf of the players, I would like to thank Don Waddell and the entire Atlanta Thrashers organization and Mike and Marian Ilitch, Ken Holland, Steve Yzerman and the entire Detroit Red Wings organization for participating and supporting the Dan Snyder Memorial Scholarship.” 

Yzerman, a shoo-in for Hall of Fame honours, was quick to respond to the suggestion. 

“I received a call from Bob (Goodenow) about the idea and I thought this would be a very easy thing for us to do,” said the legendary centreman, who is closing in on 1,700 career points. “It's a simple and very effective way to contribute to something that is very important to the players. It's a great idea.” 

Snyder, the well-respected Thrashers forward, who worked tirelessly on and off the ice, died October 5 in an Atlanta area hospital, six days after he was involved in a serious car crash.  

The gritty competitor, who split his time between the NHL and the minor leagues, played a prominent role in helping Orlando win the International Hockey League title in 2000-01 and the Chicago Wolves' American Hockey League championship team the following campaign. Snyder also played 35 games for the Wolves in 2002-03, recording 11 goals and 12 assists.  

For Shawn McEachern, captain of the Thrashers, the partnership between the players and the NHLPA is a special one, a welcome opportunity for a lasting tribute to a revered teammate and member of the NHLPA fraternity. 

“Wherever we play, people ask us if we get sick of talking about Dan and what happened…and the answer is no,” said McEachern. “We want people to know what a great person Dan was and what he meant to this team.

“I've had lots of calls from players on other teams offering to help in any way they can. Even though we play in different cities, something like this brings us all together.”

Although the Red Wings and Thrashers will go head-to-head for two points on New Years Eve, Yzerman is hardly surprised the players will band together to literally give the shirts off their backs in memory of Snyder. 

“It's amazing to see how the Atlanta Thrashers and the Snyder family have handled this tragedy,” he said. “This was a jolt to everybody, something that really opened my eyes. Dan won't ever be forgotten in Atlanta or by anyone in the game.” 

The scholarship was established with donations from the Thrashers players and a $20,000 contribution from the NHLPA's Goals & Dreams fund. Graham Snyder, Dan's father, has announced that there will be at least two recipients of the scholarship each year. One recipient will come from the Elmira Sugar Kings Jr. B. Hockey Club, Dan's former club. Another recipient will be a midget-aged player in the Woolwich Minor Hockey Association. Additional scholarships may be awarded based on proceeds from the jersey auction. 

Recipients will be selected based on their outstanding levels of sportsmanship, dedication and determination. They will receive a financial contribution towards post-secondary education and a trophy. A permanent version of the trophy will be housed at the Elmira Arena and updated each year. In addition, the NHLPA will create a plaque with bios of the two recipients that will be displayed in the Atlanta Thrashers dressing room, the Elmira Sugar Kings dressing room and the Elmira Arena lobby. 

The scholarships will be presented annually at the season-ending banquet in Elmira .  

It is exactly the type of initiative Snyder, well regarded for his commitment in helping others throughout his hockey career, would approve of, according to McEachern. 

“This fund is a great way to pay tribute to Dan and to the Snyder family. It's tough to lose someone like Dan. No one felt like getting out on the ice after what happened. But as his father reminded us after the accident, Dan would have wanted to us keep playing. And that's what we intend to do.”