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.
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WEEKLY RECAP: Friday, January 12, 2024
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Israel to sue int’l hockey federation over ousting of Israeli team from ch’ship
Knesset Sports Committee to meet Wednesday on “arbitrary” decision of hockey league to oust Israel from championship
Tamar Uriel-Beeri, The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 11, 2024
The Ice Hockey Federation of Israel (IHFI), with the support of the Israeli Olympic Committee, is filing a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over Israel’s expulsion from the ice hockey world championships, which was announced on Wednesday night.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decided to oust the Israeli team from all competitions due to concerns over “safety and security,” the organization announced Wednesday night.
Engineers Freeze Camera Below Ice Hockey Rink to Capture ‘Impossible Angle’
Pesala Bandara, PetaPixel, Jan. 11, 2024
A team of engineers froze a camera underneath the ice in an ice hockey rink to film the sport from a once-impossible angle.
In a new experiment, Axis Communications, a Swedish manufacturer of network cameras for the physical security and video surveillance industries, wanted to demonstrate how its camera can withstand all kinds of conditions by freezing it below the ice in a hockey rink.
Black History Month 2024: Celebrating Black Canadian Hockey Players
Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Jan. 11, 2024
Black History Month is a time to celebrate and reflect on the important contributions of Black people to various fields. One of these fields is hockey, where Black athletes have significantly contributed to the sport. Despite facing significant barriers, Black hockey players have persevered and excelled making their mark on the game.
Before the NHL and even before the Canadian Amateur Hockey League, there was the CHL, the Coloured Hockey League, founded by Black community leaders in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1895. Four hundred young Black players from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI competed in a dozen teams including the Dartmouth Jubilees, the Halifax Eurekas and the Amherst Royals. They played mainly on frozen lakes and outdoor rinks. They could only play in arenas after the White leagues had finished their seasons. The League was in operation – except for during World War I – until the Great Depression got bad in 1930.
The CI Summit 2024 Coming to Toronto
Hundreds of hockey’s leaders and influencers to convene at The Carnegie Initiative’s 3rd annual conference that precedes NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto
CarnegieInitiative.com, Jan. 10, 2023
The Carnegie Initiative (The CI) will hold The CI Summit 2024 on January 30-31, 2024 in Toronto. The third annual conference, themed “For the Love of the Game,” will take place at the Hilton Downtown in advance of the NHL All-Star Weekend.
“We have an amazing two days planned for our guests at The CI Summit. It’s such an exciting feeling to know that our organization is in contact with so many people who like to think a little out of the box,” The CI Co-Chair Bernice Carnegie shared. “They want to do something that’s meaningful in their lives. So, attending our summit is one of those ways in which they can share ideas that are so important to helping us move forward, not only in the sport of hockey, but in life itself.”
How a gay hockey star is fighting homophobia when not in the rink
Brock McGillis is on a “Cultural Shift Tour” speaking to over 100 high school and minor league teams about LGBTQ+ acceptance.
John Casey, Advocate, Jan. 10, 2024
If it wasn’t for Brendan Burke, former professional hockey player Brock McGillis might be sitting at home right now rather than boldly undertaking a rigorous LGBTQ+ speaking tour across Canada. “There was a time in my life when I was so apprehensive about my sexuality, and coming out,” McGillis remembers. “I was narrow-mindedly focusing on one door of the process, and when I eventually did come out, I found that lots of doors opened up.”
During his period of uncertainty, McGillis made a friend in Brendan Burke, son of Brian Burke, former general manager of the NHL’s Toronto Maple and Anaheim Ducks. The younger Burke made news in 2009 when came out as gay while a sophomore at Miami University when he was the manager of the college’s hockey team.
“Brendan became a friend, and in February of 2010, he texted me one day and said, “I can’t wait for the day that you’re out to your family,’ and I ignored the text,” McGillis regretfully recalls. “Two days later, he died in a car accident. I then came out to my family to honor him, and I hope he’d be proud of me for this tour I’m on right now.”
Ovechkin of Capitals hosts ASHA hockey clinic for 7th time
Forward enjoys giving ‘smile and a memory’ to players with disabilities
Tom Gulitti, NHL.com, Jan. 10, 2024
ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin held a reunion with some old friends and made some new ones when the Washington Capitals forward hosted a hockey clinic for about 50 players from the American Special Hockey Association at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday.
This is the seventh season Ovechkin has hosted ASHA players for an ice hockey or street hockey event since he became an ASHA ambassador in 2014, but the first since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s always nice to see smiles on the faces,” Ovechkin said. “I think the kids remember that and they enjoy it, and the parents, everybody appreciates it, and it’s fun. … I think the community is growing up so fast hockey-wise and I think it’s important for us to give fans and kids and people a smile and a memory.”
Women’s hockey getting the reception and treatment it deserves
Appreciation for record crowds, professional coverage of PWHL
Shireen Ahmed, CBC Sports, Jan. 9, 2024
On the first day of 2024, I was sitting on my sofa watching hockey. When I say this, it might not come across as impactful as I intend, because what I mean to say is I was sitting on my sofa watching a Women’s Professional Hockey League game.
After much ado, the puck dropped magnificently for the PWHL, like an opening leading us to a new galaxy from which new stars will be born.
I didn’t expect to get emotional watching Jayna Hefford, the league’s vice-president of operations and a Hockey Hall of Famer, do the ceremonial puck drop with sports legend and PWHL advisory board member Billie Jean King. I didn’t expect any of that to make me emotional as tears welled in my eyes.
Victoria prepares to host Hockey Day in Canada
The events will be held in B.C.’s capital city from Jan. 17 to 20
Brendan Mayer, Vancouver Island Free Daily, Jan. 9, 2024
Many well-known NHL alumni and voices will make their way to B.C.’s capital city this month.
A variety of family-friendly events are taking place for Hockey Day in Canada in Victoria from Jan. 17 to 20.
“Hockey Day in Canada will bring vibrancy to downtown, feature activities that will bring all members of the community together and show the entire nation that Victoria is a fantastic place to live, visit, work and play,” said John Wilson, chair of the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society, at an announcement in June 2023 that Victoria would host the event.
Ship Point will host hockey for all community rink clinics every day of the event, and snipers will get the chance to shoot at targets in the fan zone from Jan. 17 to 20.
Attendees will be able to see the Stanley Cup and NHL alumni and a hot stove hosted by broadcaster Ron MacLean at the event’s gala on Jan. 18 at the Victoria Conference Centre.
Livingston continues as a leader in officiating
Liz Montroy, IIHF.com, Jan. 8, 2024
Behind the scenes of every IIHF tournament are officiating coaches. Just as the teams competing at each tournament have their own coaching staff, the team of officials has coaches as well, who mentor and lead the referees and linespersons to help them perform at a high level and provide a safe and fair competition.
“It’s a thing that people don’t recognize,” said Stacy Livingston, who has officiated at all levels of the game, including the Olympics and multiple World Championships, and currently coaches officials with the IIHF and USA Hockey. “We had five referees, five linespersons, so a total of 10, plus two coaches—we’re a team. We have to coach as a team. We have to develop as a team, and we have to take positives and negatives as a team as well.”
Celebrating 50 years of the Little NHL
After five decades, the Little Native Hockey League tournament continues to thrive as the largest Indigenous youth tournament in Ontario
Sam Laskaris, Canadian Geographic, Jan. 8, 2024
More than half a century has passed, but Terry Abotossaway still has vivid memories of his pre-teen hockey years. And not all of those recollections are positive ones. Abotossaway, of Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ont., recalls some of the challenges that Indigenous youth from his community faced just to have an opportunity to play hockey.
Since many adults had other priorities and, in some cases, no way to get their children to games, Abotossaway and his friends often found themselves hitchhiking half a dozen kilometres to nearby Little Current, the island’s largest town. “We would get all of our equipment on, except for our skates,” Abotossaway says, “and we wouldn’t take our sticks with us. Nobody wanted to pick up somebody with a stick in their hands. When we would get to the arena, we would ask to borrow a teammate’s stick so we could play. Sometimes we got picked up when we were hitchhiking and went to the games. And sometimes we didn’t.”
On those fortunate days that a ride was offered into town, Abotossaway and his Indigenous friends often encountered another issue. Racism. Indigenous players were not always welcome on hockey teams. Regardless of their abilities, non-Indigenous players would frequently see the bulk of on-ice action.
Color of Hockey: Wheeler to be inducted into ECHL Hall of Fame
Former player, 1st Black coach in history of league ‘shocked’ to learn of honor
William Douglas, NHL.com, Jan. 8, 2024
Shawn Wheeler didn’t see it coming.
The 57-year-old retired forward and coach said he was surprised when he received the call in November informing him he had been elected to the ECHL Hall of Fame.
“Shocked, really,” Wheeler said. “Never thought about it. Never knew I was in consideration. I was, like, ‘Wow, really?’”
It shouldn’t shock anyone that Wheeler is among the five inductees who will be honored at a luncheon in conjunction with the 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic in Savannah, Georgia, on Jan. 15, selection committee co-chair Joe Ernst said.
Wheeler averaged 1.11 points per-game with 325 points (152 goals, 173 assists) in 294 games in seven ECHL seasons with Greensboro, Hampton Roads and Charlotte from 1990-97. He scored at least 30 goals in four of his five full ECHL seasons, including a league career-high 36 with Greensboro in 1991-92.
Hershey re-establishes Teddy Bear Toss record
TheAHL.com, Jan. 7, 2024
The Hershey Bears have once again established a new hockey record, collecting 74,599 stuffed toys during Sunday’s annual Teddy Bear Toss.
This surpasses the club’s previous hockey world record of 67,309 collected in 2023.
Bogdan Trineyev sent the fur flying with his goal 4:15 into the second period. The Bears would go on to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, improving their AHL-best record to 29-7-0-0 this season.
“Carnegie Corner”
The Carnegie Initiative, Issue No.11, Jan. 7, 2024
The CI”s monthly newsletter including thoughts from Bernice Carnegie, news about the PWHL, an inspiring Q&A with Karina Villegas among much more.
Hockey legends provide big assist to young players
City News, Jan. 7, 2024
Hayley Wickenheiser and Angela James hit the ice at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday, helping to grow the sport of hockey and make it more accessible for families across Canada. CityNews’ Rob Leth reports.
PWHL showcases physicality of women’s game, with full approval from players
New league aims for consistency in officiating to match increased physicality of game
Karissa Donkin, CBC Sports, Jan. 6, 2024
Extremely physical.
That’s how Montreal head coach and former professional player Kori Cheverie described the game play after her team completed three Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) exhibition games in Utica, N.Y., last month.
The games still showed off speed and skill, which have long been hallmarks of women’s hockey. But it was obvious early on that they were not going to be called the same way as a game at the international level.
That’s carried into the first three regular-season games of the inaugural PWHL season, and for casual fans of women’s hockey who only follow the sport at the Olympics or world championships, the physicality in this league might come as a surprise.
Son of Flyers GM put in probation program for wheelchair push
Carson Brière pushed unoccupied wheelchair down bar’s stairs
Andrew Foote, CBC News, Jan 6, 2024
Carson Brière, the son of Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Brière, will enter a Pennsylvania program for first-time offenders after being charged for pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
Police in Erie, Pa., filed charges of criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy to commit mischief and disorderly conduct against the son of the retired Gatineau, Que., NHL star in March 2023.
Earlier that month, Carson Brière was seen on a surveillance video at the top of a staircase of a local bar, alongside another Mercyhurst University athlete, pushing the wheelchair down the steps.
High school hockey players ‘incessantly’ bullied, sexually harassed teammate, suit says
Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, Jan. 5, 2024
A student-athlete was “incessantly” bullied and sexually harassed by his hockey teammates for months at a Catholic high school in Illinois, according to a lawsuit.
His parents reported the physical and verbal abuse of their son more than 50 times to those in charge at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox — but the school didn’t intervene, the lawsuit filed Dec. 28 said.
Instead, school officials are accused of characterizing the hockey players’ actions toward their son as “chirping,” not bullying.
Players beaming as physical play, new rules and historic moments highlight PWHL’s 1st week
2.9 million viewers watched first PWHL game on CBC, Sportsnet and TSN
Karissa Donkin, CBC Sports, Jan. 5, 2024
Hayley Scamurra had chills even before the puck dropped inside TD Place for PWHL Ottawa’s first game on Tuesday.
When the team went out for warm-ups, Scamurra said the crowd was cheering as if they’d just scored a goal.
“I just couldn’t believe the energy they were bringing, and you could just tell they were so excited to have us and to see us play hockey,” she told CBC Sports.
It’s been more than 13 years since Ottawa was home to a professional women’s hockey team, and Ottawa gave women’s hockey quite a welcome back.