Hartnell beats JVR in off-ice charity bet

SCOTT HARTNELL doesn't need to be on the ice to win.

The Flyers forward recently defeated former Flyer James van Riemsdyk - now with the Maple Leafs - in a contest to see who could raise the most money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The Power of 2 charity set up the wager in which the duo went head-to-head online.

Hartnell raised $22,000 for the Empire State Relief fund, $4,000 more than JVR pulled in for Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

Because he "lost," JVR will go Christmas shopping for Hartnell at the Mall of America in Minneapolis on Wednesday. And, oh yeah, he'll be wearing full hockey gear.

The real winners of course, were the charities and their beneficiaries.

Kudos to Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma and his wife Kathy for donating $80,000 to the Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor those killed in the Newtown school attack.

The scholarship will provide financial aid for any students who currently attend Sandy Hook Elementary, as well as siblings of those killed in the assault and dependents of teachers and other adults who lost their lives.

Auriemma, who was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, grew up in Norristown and attended Bishop Kenrick High.

Donation aside, Auriemma was feeling generous when asked by the Hartford Courant what he thought about the seven Catholic universities who are leaving the Big East for basketball.

"The Catholic schools did a really good thing. They stayed at the table for as long as it took them to make as much money as they could. And once they saw all the money running out, they decided to go play somewhere else," Auriemma said. "Had some of them managed to vote appropriately over the last 10 years [as Big East conference members with a say on rights' fees], we wouldn't be in the situation we are now."