HENDERSON (KTNV) — Police officers and firefighters took the ice Saturday afternoon at Lee’s Family Forum, turning a heated hockey rivalry into a show of unity and support for first responder mental health.
The annual Guns and Hoses charity game brought together agencies from across the valley, with proceeds benefiting local organizations focused on first responder mental health.
WATCH | Guns N Hoses game supports mental health, enhances first responder bonds
“This game brings both departments together, meaning police and fire,” said Matt Wilson, a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue medic and firefighter and founder of Sin City Fire Department Sports. “We’re all one brotherhood. We’re all out there serving the public, doing our thing, working together.”
That brotherhood remains intact — even when competition intensifies.
“When we get on the ice, we’re able to kind of let loose and it becomes like a friendly competition that sometimes turns not so friendly,” Wilson said.
For many first responders, hockey in Las Vegas carries deeper meaning. The Vegas Golden Knights began their inaugural season in 2017, days after the 1 October mass shooting.
“I think hockey, a lot of guys in fire and police play on the rec side, but once the team came here with 1 October, I think that definitely made a bond that’s even tighter than previously,” said Deryk Engelland, the former Golden Knights defenseman who participated in the game.
Engelland said supporting first responders is personal.
“When they reached out and asked me if I could come play, absolutely,” he said. “Anything that they do, I support them in all ways because what they do on an everyday thing, every day, keeping our community safe.”
Robert Anderson, a LVMPD police officer, who also played in the game, described how hockey’s growth in Las Vegas strengthened that relationship.
“When October 1 happened … what that did is changed the city for the better,” Anderson said. “We had our own team that was our own and they were our boys.”
He added that the Golden Knights’ early success gave the city something to rally around. “Having that relationship inside of Vegas in the hockey community, it is a fight to the very end and it’s an awesome fight.”
While the rivalry between police and fire can be “a little bit more on edge sometimes,” Anderson said it ends at the final buzzer.
“After every fight, we’re going to shake hands, we’re gonna hug each other, we’re gonna go have a beer and a burger after the game,” he said. “The majority of our families are sitting together, so that’s how close we all are.”
Mental health remains the central focus of the event.
“It’s the one thing that’s invisible,” Anderson said. “There’s a stigma behind getting help for mental health.”
He emphasized the importance of seeking support.
“The strongest thing you could ever do is ask for help, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “As soon as we come off that ice, we’re all smiles.”
On the ice, police and fire battle for bragging rights. Off the ice, the message is clear: no first responder stands alone.