A former NHL player is organizing a charity gala in Boston to raise funds to support people recovering from addiction.Kevin Stevens, who grew up in Massachusetts before going on to a Stanley Cup-winning NHL career, is hosting the gala for his foundation, Power Forward 25.As a child, Stevens dedicated his life to hockey at Hobomock Ice Arena in Pembroke. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but this spot has a place in my heart,” Stevens said. Now 60, the former NHL great is committed to giving back to those in recovery from addiction through his foundation. The name of the foundation is a nod to Stevens’ position with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the cause is deeply personal, rooted in his own experiences with addiction, loss and recovery.”I didn’t even know what addiction was. It changed the path of my life. It didn’t happen right away, but it took me down a different road,” Stevens said. That road now includes providing hundreds of scholarships each year to individuals coming out of treatment, offering them a chance to transition to a sober home.Stevens and his supporters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through events to support the foundation, including its first-ever gala, which is just days away. “The only way we can move forward is the help of the people out there. We’ve got some great people coming, and I’m very lucky and very fortunate to have great friends and looking forward to a big night,” Stevens said.The gala is set for Thursday night at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

PEMBROKE, Mass. —

A former NHL player is organizing a charity gala in Boston to raise funds to support people recovering from addiction.

Kevin Stevens, who grew up in Massachusetts before going on to a Stanley Cup-winning NHL career, is hosting the gala for his foundation, Power Forward 25.

As a child, Stevens dedicated his life to hockey at Hobomock Ice Arena in Pembroke.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but this spot has a place in my heart,” Stevens said.

Now 60, the former NHL great is committed to giving back to those in recovery from addiction through his foundation.

The name of the foundation is a nod to Stevens’ position with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the cause is deeply personal, rooted in his own experiences with addiction, loss and recovery.

“I didn’t even know what addiction was. It changed the path of my life. It didn’t happen right away, but it took me down a different road,” Stevens said.

That road now includes providing hundreds of scholarships each year to individuals coming out of treatment, offering them a chance to transition to a sober home.

Stevens and his supporters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through events to support the foundation, including its first-ever gala, which is just days away.

“The only way we can move forward is the help of the people out there. We’ve got some great people coming, and I’m very lucky and very fortunate to have great friends and looking forward to a big night,” Stevens said.

The gala is set for Thursday night at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.