COVID-19 has Calgary Flames captain buying groceries for those in need

Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano and his family have been quietly paying it forward during the COVID-19 lockdown that has put his NHL season on ice.

"My wife has been online and there are a lot of different groups on Facebook. She is very involved and we are very eager to help. It's been really rewarding," Giordano told CBC Calgary News at 6.

"There have been a lot of families reaching out to this group, asking for certain needs like groceries. We are extremely happy to help and want to help as many families as we can. It has been very touching to see some of the stories."

A Calgary woman posted to social media that her grocery bill of $430 has been covered by someone who worked for Giordano.

"I am still in shock [by] what just happened," Ashley Martin wrote.

Aside from helping Calgarians get food on their tables, Giordano said he and his team are aching to get back on ice, when the time is right.

"I just want to get back and play," he said.

"We are not really too worried about the format. We are all going to be in the same boat. Looking forward to somehow getting a few games in and maybe a playoff format going, but we will see how it all shakes out here."

Busy with kids

His children, seven-year-old Jack and two-year-old Reese, are keeping busy.

"With the online school and classes, they have kept them busy. We get up and do that with Jack every morning. He is still doing his guitar lessons online and taekwondo lessons online. The one thing he is missing a lot, like myself, is sports and hockey," Giordano said.

"We will get back to that as soon as it's safe. Our daughter Reese, who is two, is a little ball of energy, so there is always something to do or play with. Now that the weather is nice, we are able to get out in the backyard."

Like everyone else, it's a waiting game.

"It is definitely different times being inside a lot and not being able to go out and socialize like we usually do, especially when the weather is getting nice," he said.

"But we are just trying to stay safe and hoping that in coming weeks or months, we can figure something out where we can get back to a little bit of a more normal routine."