Clayton Keller is turning a personal loss into a public cause.
The Utah Mammoth captain has joined Hockey Fights Cancer as one of the NHL’s HFC Champions, and his involvement carries a deeply personal edge: his late grandfather, Bill Simpson, was a major force in Keller’s life and hockey journey.
Keller said Simpson helped make the dream possible from the start.
“He was everything to me growing up, honestly, because both of my parents worked and were super busy,” Keller explained. “Every day from school he would drive me 40 minutes to practice, practice at like six o’clock, 40 minutes back…huge part of my life. He made a lot of sacrifices for me.”
Raised in Swansea, Illinois, Keller leaned on family support to keep chasing the game. His grandfather’s role went well beyond the rides and the routine. Keller said the belief Simpson showed in him mattered just as much.
“He was always the one that believed in me the most,” Keller said. “He always kept me super confident and to trust myself.”
“He always believed that I would make it and be a star one day.”
Now, 11 years after Simpson’s passing, Keller is honoring him by linking up with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson for The Winter Face-Off: The Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes, a fundraising effort tied to cancer awareness and research.
“Losing my grandpa to cancer…he was the one that was huge for me growing up in hockey…he was a huge reason of why I’m here today,” Keller explained.
“Hockey is going to do everything we can to fight for a cure.”
The campaign is part of Hockey Fights Cancer’s 28th season, with the NHLPA, NHL and the V Foundation working alongside a group of 16 HFC Champions to spread awareness. Since the initiative began in 1998, it has raised more than $53 million.
Keller and Manson will team up over the first two months of the season and continue through the lead-up to the 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Rice Eccles Stadium, with both players’ fan bases helping support cancer research through the V Foundation.
The sweepstakes offers fans a chance to win a one-of-a-kind NHL Winter Classic experience.
As for the Mammoth, they’re back on the ice Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers at the Delta Center. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. MT, with the game available on SEG+ and on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).
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