The CI Aggregator is a compilation of recent stories regarding the hockey world, The Carnegie Initiative, our Board members, other industry influencers, similar organizations doing work to change the culture of the game, related issues, and anything aligned with our important mission to make hockey more inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to all.
A new edition is posted each Friday.
Please feed us news! We welcome submissions to be considered for the weekly “CI Aggregator. Send stories to “[email protected]” with “CI Aggregator” in the subject line.
WEEKLY RECAP: Friday, February 16, 2024
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Mass. HS hockey team welcomes middle schooler with autism
Naoko Funayama, WCVB5 ABC, Feb. 15, 2024
The Chelmsford High School Boys hockey team has had a terrific season – nothing to do with the record books, but in the way they’ve accepted, welcomed and included a young middle schooler with autism.
Thirteen-year-old Kayden Bovardi often rides on the bus to away games with the team because his mother, Leeanne, is their school bus driver. He developed a friendship with the team, and in turn, the team inspired him to take skating lessons so he can one day achieve his dream of playing hockey.
“They’re just so nice for high schoolers,” Kayden said. “These are my boys. I’ll be there for the highs and lows with them.”
The team invited Kayden to join them for their practice on Thursday as a way of thanking him for being their number one fan.
“We’re so fortunate just having him on the ice,” said junior goalie Mark Bierwirth. “Makes it 100 times better.”
It’s a heartwarming moment for mom Leanne, who watched her son take the ice for just the fourth time ever with the team.
NHL.com, Feb. 15, 2024
The NHL is celebrating women in hockey, and every week this season, NHL.com will highlight a woman from each of the 32 teams. Today, a look at New York Islanders executive director, community relations Ann Rina:
Name: Ann Rina
Job title: Executive director, community relations
Education (Please list post-secondary institutions and degree/s): Master of Arts: Education (Adelphi University, Garden City, NY; Bachelor of Science: Mathematics (Adelphi University, Garden City, NY); Minor Degree: Sports Management (Adelphi University, Garden City, NY)
Years of hockey experience (Include on- and off-ice hockey-related experience): 22 years
Describe your job in 2-3 sentences:
I joined the Islanders in a full-time capacity during the 2005-2006 season and have spent my tenure leading the organizations efforts in the community. As a member of the senior leadership team, I focus not only strengthening the team’s community relations and fan development efforts but also spearhead the team’s charitable foundation, alumni relations and player community efforts. I also execute several of the team’s fan events and act as a liaison between the organization and player families.
Exclusive: Canada Hockey didn’t suspend referee accused of rape from junior league
Jessica Gaertner, who filed a rape charge against a referee through Hockey Canada, is one of many calling for reform in how abuse is managed by sports organizations
Matthew Hall, The Guardian, Feb. 15, 2024
On 30 December 2022, a match official took to the ice for a hockey match in the British Columbia Hockey League. The match was overseen by BC Hockey, the provincial governing body for the sport. It wasn’t the only hockey game this particular official was on the ice for that week. There was another on 3 January 2023, and again on 6 January. On 7 January he took charge of a high school game in the local area.
Business as usual. What was unusual was that the official was under investigation by Hockey Canada’s investigatory “independent third party” (ITP) following a rape allegation and was under an interim suspension that should have prevented him from being anywhere near the ice.
Yet here he was. The match official had ignored suspension issued on behalf of the governing body for the sport in Canada because, according to correspondence seen by the Guardian, he believed the ban emailed by the ITP was a scam.
NHL Player Inclusion Coalition visits Hockey4Youth
NHL Player Inclusion Coalition LinkedIn Post, Feb. 15, 2024
Here’s how Jordan Harris and Georges Laraque celebrated inclusion at a memorable practice with Hockey 4 Youth Foundation/Fondation hockey pour les jeunes’s all-girls program.
Antitrust Lawsuit Filed in U.S. Against CHL, Major Junior Leagues and NHL
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in New York against the CHL, its major junior leagues and the NHL allege that teenage hockey players are “treated like disposable objects.”
Ian Kennedy, The Hockey News, Feb. 14, 2024
A new antitrust lawsuit filed today in New York federal court alleges the CHL, its major junior leagues, the NHL and member clubs are systematically exploiting “teens pursuing their dream of playing in the NHL.”
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit are alleging the system used to draft and control teenage players is a “hockey cartel.”
Plaintiffs include the World Association of Ice Hockey Players Unions North America division, as well as former WHL players Tanner Gould and Isaiah DiLaura.
“It’s time for change within major junior hockey,” said Gould in a joint press release from Constantine Cannon LLP and Zelle LLP, the law firms representing the plaintiffs. “I’m proud to be a part of this case because I want to make sure that the players coming up after me are protected in a way that I was not.”
Pickup Lines to Slapshots: The Best Valentine’s Day Content Across the Hockey World
From dating advice to enjoying chocolate to themed jerseys, teams from various hockey leagues had fun on the day known for love.
Avry Lewis-McDougall, The Hockey News, Feb. 14, 2024
Love is in the air on Feb. 14 for many, and it’s a day that also sees the hockey world get involved.
From a content level, Valentine’s Day provides everyone with something lighthearted to enjoy. Let’s take a look at how a few teams have been spending the day:
Chris Johnston, The Athletic, Feb 14, 2024
It was inside the Toronto Maple Leafs dressing room that Ike Werner first allowed himself to believe he was going to survive.
After having his throat cut accidentally by a skate blade during a Sunday afternoon rec league game at the NHL team’s practice facility earlier this month, a terrifying experience turned surreal when the 37-year-old looked over and saw Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson receiving treatment in an adjacent room.
“Firsts” with Sarah Nurse & Sophie Jaques
TSN, Feb. 14, 2024
In celebration of Black History Month, Raegan Subban sits down with Canadian national women’s hockey team players Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jaques to discuss some of their historic accomplishments.
Hockey Canada’s ‘One For All’ Celebrating Women’s and Girl’s Hockey
Hockey Canada will host a program called “One for All” this week in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories celebrating women’s and girl’s hockey.
Ian Kennedy, The Hockey News, Feb. 13, 2024
In partnership with Hockey North, Hockey Canada has announced it will host One for All, a celebration of women’s and girls’ hockey, from Feb. 15-18 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Throughout the event, more than 300 girls and women are expected to participate in programming hosted by Hockey Canada and Hockey North, which will include an official opening ceremony, visits from Team Canada alumnae, two IIHF Global Girls’ Games, We Are Coaches clinics, Try Hockey events, on-ice skills and goaltender sessions, off-ice development presentations and much more.
Pair of influential mentors aim to create a space for Black girls in pro women’s game
Zack Smart, CBC Sports, Feb. 13, 2024
Sarah Nurse and Saroya Tinker know what it’s like to feel different, like an outsider.
The Canadian hockey trailblazers recently sat down with CBC Sports for a one-on-one conversation about what it means to be a Black woman in the sport, and how they are mentoring young girls following in their footsteps.
While their success and presence in the hockey space serves as inspiration for the next generation, Nurse and Tinker are also working directly with Black girls to help them realize the same dreams through various initiatives.
“Seeing the young Black girls in the stands, like I can’t even believe it; it blows my mind,” Nurse told Tinker. “Every time I see a little girl who looks like me or looked like me when I was a kid, it stops me dead in my tracks and gives me goosebumps.
“It just makes me feel seen almost, and it’s just as gratifying for me I think as it is for them.”
Nurse, 29, of Hamilton, Ont., helped Canada win Olympic gold in 2022 and currently plays as a forward for Toronto’s Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team.
Tinker, 25, transitioned from the ice to league office as the PWHL’s Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives & Community Engagement. The former defender from Oshawa, Ont., retired from playing last November after helping the Toronto Six win the Isobel Cup in the Premier Hockey Federation’s final season.
Black PWHL players paving the path for hockey’s inclusive future
Janson Duench, The Charlatan, February 13, 2024
PWHL Toronto forward Sarah Nurse (20) looks on during a Jan. 10 game against PWHL Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. [Photo provided by PWHL]
When the puck dropped on PWHL Ottawa’s inaugural season at TD Place Arena Jan. 2, there was so much more at stake than the final score.
“I think you’d be remiss to walk into an evening like tonight and be worried about the scoreboard,” said Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod post game. “It wasn’t going be about the result tonight — it was going to be about the experience.”
While MacLeod was talking about the long-awaited arrival of a platform for female hockey players, her words carried even more weight for female hockey players of colour.
“It’s a huge opportunity for representation and to be able to highlight that Black women can play hockey and play hockey very well,” PWHL Toronto forward Sarah Nurse said following a 3-1 loss to Ottawa on Jan. 23.
Accounting for less than three per cent of the league’s players, there are only four Black players in the PWHL’s inaugural season: Nurse, Ottawa forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis, PWHL Boston defender Sophie Jacques and PWHL Minnesota defender Nikki Nightengale, who is a reserve player. Reserve players don’t travel with their team on road trips.
The overwhelming majority of the league’s players are white.
The participation rate of men versus women in sports is most pronounced among Filipino and Black populations, according to Statistics Canada. Sixty-six per cent of Black men participate in sport compared to just 42 per cent of Black women.
Moose Cree First Nation sending record number of players to Little NHL
Moose Cree is one of a few First Nations accessing Jordan’s Principle funding to help cover costs
Kate Rutherford, CBC News, Feb. 13, 2024
Anticipation is mounting among young hockey players and their families in Moose Cree First Nation.
The First Nation will be able to cover the cost of sending more young hockey players to the largest First Nations minor hockey tournament in Ontario this year, thanks to help from Jordan’s Principle, a program that supports First Nations children in Canada.
Some will be attending the Little NHL tournament for the first time.
Jennifer Carey-Cool is the director of the child and family well-being program with the First Nation.
She says it’s an important boost to the children’s mental health to travel beyond the First Nation’s boundaries.
“Culture is a big thing with Indigenous people, socializing and going out and meeting other nations, other people is very important,” says Carey-Cool.
Russia, Belarus banned from ice hockey world championships for another year
Sonya Bandouil, The Kyiv Independent, Feb. 13, 2024
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decided that Russian and Belarusian national and club teams will not participate in the 2024/2025 championship season.
The IIHF said that “it is not yet safe to reincorporate the teams back into IIHF competitions.” The decision also disqualifies the Belarusian team from participating in the August 2024 Final Olympic Qualification Round.
Luc Tardif, IIHF president, previously said that the bans were a “question of security” for hockey fans and teams alike.
The International Olympic Committee recently announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be permitted to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, if they compete as neutrals.
Season 3 / Episode 8 – Marc Johnstone and John Kofi Osei-Tutu
The Minority League Podcast, February 13, 2024
Sports agent John Kofi Osei-Tutu and professional hockey player Marc Johnstone join us on this episode. Johnstone made his NHL debut December 8, 2023 with the Pittsburgh Penguins when they played the Florida Panthers. They share their experiences navigating the sport and what it felt like to make an NHL debut after many years of dedication and hard work.
10 semifinalists revealed for Minnesota’s Ms. Hockey Award
Five finalists will be announced Friday, followed by the winner on Feb. 25.
Nolan O’Hara, SI.com, Feb. 13, 2024
Let’s Play Hockey announced the 10 semifinalists for the Ms. Hockey Award — given to the top senior girls hockey player in Minnesota — on Monday.
The semifinalists are Lindzi Avar (Minnetonka), Chloe Boreen (Hill-Murray), Addie Bowlby (Lakeville North), Kendra Distad (Minnetonka), Hannah Halverson (Edina), Kate Kosobud (Moorhead), Ilsa Lindaman (Duluth Marshall), Ayla Puppe (Northfield), Bella Shipley (Maple Grove) and Josie St. Martin (Stillwater).
Scotty Gomez’s anticipated Pond Hockey Classic returns to Big Lake
Jordan Rodenberger, AlaskasNewsSource.com, Feb. 13, 2024
The much-anticipated Last Frontier Pond Hockey Classic hosted by the Scotty Gomez Foundation is quickly approaching.
The three-day tournament opens next Friday (Feb. 23) with divisions ranging from house to comp, women to coed, with the chance for both kids and adults to get in on the action. The big event began in 2013 and has been held almost every year since then. Last year’s tournament was the first in three years after the pandemic and warm weather put a temporary stop to the skating.
Something out of a puckhead’s dream, 20 different rinks are carved, shaved and zambonied on Big Lake for the event, which serves as the biggest fundraiser for the foundation.
”We advertised as a party with a little bit of hockey,” said Carlos Gomez, Scotty’s father and head of the foundation, with a laugh.
Hosting 2024 NHL All-Star Game Puts Toronto Back On Global Sports Map
Michael LoRé, Forbes.com, Feb. 13, 2024
Depending who you ask or which article you read, Toronto is either a great sports city or it isn’t. In 2011, the now-defunct ESPN The Magazine dubbed Toronto as the worst city for sports in North America. Six years later, Rolling Stone opined: “Is Toronto the Next Great North American Sports City?”
Not only did the former criticism draw the ire of most Torontonians, then-Maple Leafs president and GM Brian Burke called it “absurd and offensive,” while claiming he didn’t think “ESPN knows squat about Canada. I don’t think they know squat about hockey.” Ironically, a decade later, the NHL returned to ESPN beginning with the 2021-22 season following a seven-year, multiplatform agreement announced that March.
While the debate whether or not Toronto is a great sports city continues in some circles, Canada’s most populous city continues to cement itself in the global sports conversation, most recently by hosting the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
PWHL Boston trades Sophie Jaques to Minnesota for Abby Cook and Susanna Tapani
Tyler Kuehl, The Daily Faceoff, Feb. 13, 2024
The first-ever trade in the history of the Professional Women’s Hockey League has been made, and it is a big one.
On Sunday, PWHL Boston traded defender Sophie Jaques to Minnesota. Defender Abby Cook and forward Susanna Tapani are heading the other way to Boston.
Jaques came into the PWHL after being drafted in the second by Boston in the inaugural league draft. The 24-year-old was coming off an incredible senior season at Ohio State, where she was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Award for being the best player in college hockey. Jaques was just the second defender to win the award, and first since Hall of Famer, and fellow Buckeye, Angela Ruggiero earned the accolade in 2004.
“Sophie will add depth to our blueline,” Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz said. “She had a dominate NCAA career and we are excited about her future in Minnesota.”
‘Great addition’: Team manager Brenden Garrett inspires Olentangy Liberty hockey
Garrett overcomes cerebral palsy to compete in sports, motivate defending state champion Patriots
Frank DiRenna, Columbus Dispatch, Feb. 13, 2024
As the Olentangy Liberty hockey team closed in on the 2023 state title, there wasn’t anyone more excited about the postseason run than Brenden Garrett.
Nicknamed “B-Money” by teammates, coaches, friends and family, Garrett played a vital role as team manager – and motivational leader – as the Patriots became central Ohio’s first OHSAA hockey champion.
A senior who will celebrate his 19th birthday on Feb. 25, Garrett has faced adversity his entire life. Born with cerebral palsy, which affects the ability to move and maintain balance and posture, he remains upbeat, sharing that mindset with the hockey team.
In turn, the Patriots have been equally willing to help Garrett achieve important milestones, effectively serving as a second family for Brian and Julia Garrett’s son, and giving back to someone whose positivity is on display whether Liberty wins, loses or ties.
A ‘surreal experience’ as 3 Windsor youth join NHL All-Star festivities in Toronto
‘I didn’t think this was real,’ said Joy Uchenna
Desmond Brown, CBC News, updated Feb. 12, 2024
Before moving to Canada in 2019, Joy Uchenna knew nothing about hockey.
“I just knew that it was a very popular sport played here, but I didn’t know any teams or anything about it,” the Grade 12 St. Joseph’s Catholic High School student told CBC News
Uchenna, 17, was one of three teenage girls from Windsor who travelled to Toronto for the PWHL’s NHL All-Star Weekend, where they got the opportunity to hit the ice at Nathan Phillips Square and meet NHL and PWHL stars ahead of All-Star weekend.
USA Hockey requires safety upgrade for youth players
The decision could impact NCAA following the season
Jack Main, NBC 5, Feb. 12, 2024
After the death of former NHL hockey player Adam Johnson sent shockwaves through the hockey world, USA Hockey stepped up its safety requirements for all players under the age of 18.
Playing in a European professional league in October, Johnson took a skate to the neck in a “freak accident”, cutting his neck. He died at a local hospital that night.
In November, USA Hockey, the governing board for U.S. hockey leagues, met with its Saftey and Protective Equipment Committee to discuss safety improvements in the United States, resulting in a requirement for all players under the age of 18 to wear neck guards in games and practice.
PWHL Boston and Minnesota strike a deal for league’s first trade
In a blockbuster trade, PWHL Boston sent Sophie Jaques to Minnesota in exchange for Susanna Tapani and Abby Cook.
Faith Pinnow, Boston.com, Feb. 12, 2024
The PWHL announced its first ever trade Sunday night, between Boston and Minnesota.
The blockbuster trade, which took place during the chaos of Super Bowl LVIII, marks a historic moment for the league. The deal sends defender Sophie Jaques to Minnesota in exchange for forward Susanna Tapani and defender Abby Cook.
Boston drafted Jaques, 23, 10th overall in September, signing the Ohio State University grad to a three-year deal. Her 2021-22 NCAA season was one of the most productive for a defender with 59 points, however Jaques has struggled with scoring at a professional level. She played seven games for Boston and had no points through the beginning of the season.
Bob Batz Jr., Pittsburgh Union Progress, Feb. 12, 2024
Darren Lowe as a Pittsburgh Penguin in 1984, when he played all eight games of his National Hockey League career. But he went on to play 328 games in the pros. (Courtesy of the Hockey Hall of Fame)
Lots of Black history was celebrated, and maybe a little was made, Sunday afternoon when possible future National Hockey League players and coaches and managers of color got to hear from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first Black player, Darren Lowe.
Lowe, now 63 and a university professor in his native Toronto, played eight games for the Penguins in the 1983-84 season, but he’s more than just the answer to a trivia question. He would go on in 1984 to become the first Black hockey player to represent Canada in the Olympics and, later, among other achievements, the first Black head coach in Canadian university hockey.
Sunday Lowe led an online “culture and identity” discussion for youth hockey players in the Penguins’ Willie O’Ree Academy, a training and enrichment program for Pittsburgh-area Black hockey players ages 10 through 17 that advances the athletes’ skills while developing a strong social support network for them and their families.
Women in Hockey: Blair Listino
Flyers executive VP, alternate governor oversees all financial matters for organization
NHL.com, Feb. 12, 2024
Name: Blair Listino
Job title: Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Comcast Spectacor, President of Flyers Charities, and Alternate Governor for Philadelphia Flyers
Education (Please list post-secondary institutions and degree/s): University of Colorado, Business Administration
Years of hockey experience (Include on- and off-ice hockey-related experience): 9 years
Describe your job in 2-3 sentences: I lead financial optimization and growth strategies, as well as oversight of all financial matters for the organization. In addition, I oversee key business functions including human resources, community relations, charities, administration, technology and overall business optimization.
NHL, Devils launch Jersey Girls Hockey Club
Recreational ice hockey league will provide inclusive environment for girls to play, practice
NHL Public Relations, Feb. 11, 2024
Earlier today, more than 40 girls were welcomed to Prudential Center to participate in an on-ice jamboree with a skills component run by Amanda Pelke, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist and Devils Female Hockey Ambassador, Shelly Picard, U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist and Assistant Coach of Long Island University’s women’s hockey team, as well as Devils alumni Travis Zajac, Bruce Driver, Grant Marshall, and Colin White.
“We are thrilled to announce the Jersey Girls Hockey Club and create an inclusive environment where young girls can practice hockey in a fun, yet developmental way,” said Jillian Frechette, Chief Marketing Officer, New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center. “This recreational league fills the void in the youth hockey space, allows them to play the game at a higher organized level, and aligns with the Devils’ commitment to supporting girls and women in hockey.”
“The Jersey Girls Hockey Club is another impactful way for the Devils Youth Foundation to provide support and grow the game we love,” said Kate Whitman Annis, Executive Director, Devils Youth Foundation. “This project reflects the Devils Youth Foundation’s mission of ensuring access to sports and creating meaningful opportunities for our youth throughout New Jersey.”
Picking the names of the PWHL awards: What’s in a name?
Tyler Kuehl, Daily Faceoff, Feb. 10, 2024
With the outstanding opening month of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, it is almost easy to forget that trophies will be handed out eventually.
Sources tell DFO that the league will be announcing what trophies, both team and individual, they will award at the end of the season. That will include any potential names as well.
With that, Tyler Kuehl and Hunter Crowther debated on who should be honored with their names on the awards for the new league. While many former players and people could easily have been selected, these are the ones they came up with.
CCM Hockey Partners with Scotiabank to Grow Women’s Hockey Français
Newswire, Feb. 9, 2024
MONTREAL, Feb. 9, 2024 /CNW/ – CCM Hockey, a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of hockey equipment, is thrilled to announce a new program in partnership with Scotiabank dedicated to increasing opportunities for girls and women in hockey.
CCM Hockey and Scotiabank will work together on Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest’s ‘Learn to Play’ program, designed to inspire the next generation of girls, and increase participation in the sport.
Defined goals of this partnership are to:
Make hockey fun and impactful by providing a positive experience for girls, and to grow the game at a grassroots level.
Work with local organizations to increase registration in girls’ hockey and make the game more accessible for girls of all ages.
Vicki Movsessian To Be Inducted Into The Rhode Island Hockey Hall Of Fame
Providence Friars, Feb. 9, 2024
PROVIDENCE, R.I.– Providence College women’s hockey alumna Vicki Movsessian ’94 was announced as part of the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 that was unveiled on Friday night (Feb. 9) during the Providence Bruins game at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Movsessian will join former alumni – Tim Army, Paul Guay, Lou Lamoriello, Brian Burke, Cammi Granato, Sara DeCosta, Chris Terreri and former coaches Tom Eccleston, Zellio Toppazzini and Dick Rondeau as honored members of the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame.
Laura Brown, CTV News Atlantic, Feb. 9, 2024
It may be Super Bowl weekend, but there’s another game that’s almost as popular in the city of Fredericton this weekend.
The city’s fire department will be facing off against its police force for the 10th annual Guns and Hoses(opens in a new tab) charity hockey game.
And while both teams are feeling the heat a day ahead of puck drop, they’re also feeling the pressure to show up for their chosen charity.
“People obviously nowadays are using the food bank more than they ever have before. So if we can give back to the community while having a fun community event that involves different organizations, it’s certainly fun,” said police Const. Brady Atwater, who’s co-organizing the event.
The game is scheduled for Saturday evening at Willie O’Ree Place and admission is free, but a food bank donation is encouraged.
“Not only does the game bring in much-needed food and funds for our food bank work, but it also serves to generate important awareness and conversation about the rising challenge of food insecurity,” said Greener Village executive director Alex Boyd. Greener Village is home to the city’s food bank.
The members are promising a good, competitive game of hockey.
Brock McGillis on changing hockey culture | The Social
The Social CTV, Feb. 8, 2024
The first openly gay men’s pro hockey player discusses how to make the sport more inclusive.