Coach in need of life-saving kidney donation hoping for big assist [Video]

A Wilmot hockey coach is taking on the biggest battle of his life – off the ice.

Matt Bell has been a coach with the Wilmot Wolverines Girls Hockey Association for almost a decade, but now he’s waiting to receive a life-saving surgery.

He needs a kidney transplant and has been on the organ donation list for a year after failing to find a match within his family.

“Right now, it’s a little overwhelming. I have received lots of support from friends and family in the hockey community. It’s a tough thing to go through,” Bell said.

An upcoming hockey tournament, however, could give the coach some much-needed hope.

The 16th annual Kyla Kowalik Memorial Hockey Tournament kicks off on Jan. 10 at the Wilmot Recreation Complex. The tournament was named after a teenaged player who died in 2006 and her organs were donated after her death.

The event typically raises awareness for organ donationbut, this year, it will also be used to …