‘Classless’ NHL team slammed over testing cancer survivor with $1 million charity donation ‘impossible’ game

AN NHL team were branded “classless” after a cancer survivor missed out on an $800,000 donation.

The Tampa Bay Lightning faced the Boston Bruins in Sunday’s Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium.

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Higgins had the chance to get a $1million donationCredit: X

Rob Higgins was originally going to be given $100,000Credit: X

Both shots missed the tiny targetCredit: X

And at the interval, they invited Rob Higgins on to the ice.

Higgins is the CEO of the athletic department at the University of South Florida.

He also survived cancer and was welcomed on to receive a $100,000 giant check from Tamba Bay Buccaneers legend Ronde Barber.

However, retired hockey hero PK Subban joined them on the rink and offered to raise the donation to $500,000.

But in order to get the bumper increase, Higgins had to shoot a puck from the centre circle through a tiny gap cut out of a board covering the net.

Unfortunately, he missed the shot.

Then Bucs star Baker Mayfield and Higgins’ dad came out – then upped the donation offer to a whopping $1million.

But again, Higgins could not find the target in front of the 65,000 fans, squandering the chance to claim the seven-figure donation.

Then Mayfield announced the NHL would double the initial gift to $200,000.

However, the fact that they put $1million on the line but only gave $200,000 after Higgins missed the near-impossible shot did not go down well among fans on social media.

The NHL doubled it up to $200,000 but were still criticizedCredit: X

One said: “This was absolutely out of touch, just classless. Lowering a $1 million charity donation by $800,000 because a cancer survivor missed a tiny, impossible target? Live on TV like that?

“The NHL should’ve built the widest net and asked dozens of survivors to score symbolically.”

Another wrote: “Way to make the cancer survivor feel like a loser! You had a million to donate so donate it. The whole ceremony was tacky.”

A third added: “Who thought this was a good idea? Managed to make a $200k cancer charity donation look bad.”

A fourth typed: “This was an absolutely stupid take by the NHL. Embarrassed him on the national stage not once, but twice.”

A fifth replied: “So the NHL could have donated $1million here but chose not to because the guy couldn’t put the puck through a tiny hole? That’s some good charity work right there.”

And a final user commented: “Just give him the million, cowards.”

Cancer survivor Higgins works at the University of South FloridaCredit: X