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, October 27, 2023
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These women kick ice: Why the Lucky Pucks are the hockey team you should be following
Sherrilyn Cabrera, Alyssa Ramos, Carlos Frías, Leslie Ovalle Atkinson, Elisa Baena, WLRN, Oct. 26, 2023
If you follow sports at all in South Florida, you know the Florida Panthers hockey team just had one of their best seasons in nearly 30 years.
But as the new NHL season kicks off this month, there’s another ice hockey team you should know about — one that’s having arguably a bigger effect on South Florida culture. The Lucky Pucks.
They are an ice hockey club for women and girls of all ages based in Fort Lauderdale.
Their teams swept the state championships on every level of competition right around the time the Panthers were playing for the Stanley Cup.
Brian Burke says Sedins wouldn’t have been Canucks with decentralized draft
“A lot of the work that goes into the draft is impossible to do remotely,” said former Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke.
Daniel Wagner, VancouverIsAwesome, Oct. 26, 2023
The NHL is reportedly planning to move to a decentralized draft format where each team would stay in their own home city for the draft rather than travel to a central location.
The draft has been centralized since 1963 apart from remote drafts conducted in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each NHL team sends a score of staff to the event, including the general manager, assistant general managers, and various scouts, as well as communications staff and other support staff.
According to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and echoed by other reporters with their own sources, a “vast majority” of teams voted in favour of decentralizing the draft …
… Both the NBA and NFL run decentralized drafts and there are various reasons why the NHL is planning a similar format, including the travel and lodging costs, as well as privacy concerns with the teams’ tables so close together.
But one former Vancouver Canucks general manager is staunchly opposed to the plan: Brian Burke.
“I think it’s a really important place and a lot of business gets done there.”
Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Appoints Amy Scheer its SVP of Business Operations
Sports industry veteran brings more than 35 years of experience to PWHL role
thePWHL.com, Oct. 26, 2023
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that Amy Scheer has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President of Business Operations. Scheer has spent over 35 years in the sports industry with leadership roles across multiple teams and leagues in the New York / Tri-State area over the course of her award-winning career. Her experience in women’s sports includes the WNBA and PHF, in addition to working in the NBA, MLS, and NFL.
“Amy is a proven leader with incredible energy and a passion for women’s sports that will benefit the entire PWHL,” said Stan Kasten, PWHL Advisory Board member. “She knows how to build, and her experience establishing new teams and engaging in new markets both creatively and adaptively with a high degree of success is essential for our growth.”
3 vs. 3 Blindness Awareness Hockey Tournament
Hatboro-Horsham Local Event Calendar, Oct. 26, 2023
First Annual 3 vs 3 Blindness Awareness Tournament 10/26/2023 Colmar, Pennsylvania– Philadelphia Blind Hockey invites you to Hatfield Ice Arena on Thursday, October 26, 2023, for the First annual 3 vs 3 Blindness Awareness Tournament. Starting at 6 PM 9 local high school teams; Central Bucks South, Father Judge Crusaders, Haverford Fords, Holy Ghost Prep, Malvern Prep Friars, North Penn Knights, Penncrest Lions, Pennridge Rams, and Springfield Cougars; will be playing under low vision simulators to bring awareness to the community about blindness and visual impairments.
“We look forward to hosting the local community to showcase what it is like for our players to get out on the ice and bring awareness to blind hockey,” said Kelsey McGuire. “Our goal is to help educate the hockey community and bring awareness about blind hockey.”
Philadelphia Blind Hockey’s program, with the support of the Flyers Cup and Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association, AAHA, and among others, is designed to provide hockey associations with a platform to introduce blind hockey to the greater community of disabled hockey.
Project Jade hosts charity hockey game
Stephen DeLadurantaye, WLUC, Oct. 26, 2023
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Project Jade hosted its second annual charity hockey game on Thursday.
The 906 Miners took on the IBEW electricians’ union at Lakeview Arena in Marquette. There were also games like Chuck a Puck and a raffle.
All proceeds from the game went to Project Jade. The nonprofit donates communication boards to schools, hospitals and parks nationwide so that children with special needs can better communicate with their peers.
Backlash Swift And Decisive In Response To Proposed PWHL Team Names
When six potential names for PWHL franchises surfaced in the US Trademark Database…it took almost no time for fans, media, and onlookers to react with near consensus, and it was not good for the PWHL.
Ian Kennedy, The Hockey News, Oct. 26, 2023
There are iconic sports names and logos that will forever pass the test of time. In women’s hockey, we can find many of these.
From the former CWHL, there were the Toronto Furies, Calgary Inferno, Markham Thunder, and Les Canadiennes de Montreal. In the PHF, the Metropolitan Riveters name and logo remains one of the best in all of sport, and few could argue with the appeal of the names and logos of the Boston Pride, Connecticut Whale, and Buffalo Beauts. And we can’t forget women’s hockey’s longest standing franchise, the historic Minnesota Whitecaps.
When the new PWHL’s potential team names slipped into the public realm via the USPTO, however, fans reacted almost instantly, and with near consensus, and it was certainly not the response the PWHL would hope to see.
The proposed names of the Toronto Torch, Minnesota Superior, Montreal Echo, Boston Wicked, Ottawa Alert, and New York Sound were met with wide spanning criticism from fans, media, and onlookers.
Neumann University teams up with Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation to build ice hockey arena
Cherise Lynch, NBC Philadelphia, Oct. 26, 2023
Neumann University President Dr. Chris Domes and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education President Scott Tharp announced plans to build a multi-million-dollar ice hockey arena on the Neumann campus.
This arena will be named in honor of Ed Snider, the late Philadelphia Flyers founder and Comcast Spectacor chairman who died in 2016 after a two-year battle with cancer.
The Snider Foundation has pledged $15 million to the project which the university plans to match within the next two years. The gift will be the largest that the university has ever received.
Wild’s Jon Merrill was going to break NHL rule on rainbow stick tape, but now he won’t have to
After banning specialty jerseys and gear before the season, the NHL walked back its stance on stick tape. Players will be able to support social causes with their choice of tape.
Sarah McLellan, Star Tribune, Oct. 25, 2023
Jon Merrill was going to use rainbow-colored stick tape on the Wild’s Pride Night later this season anyway, but now the defenseman won’t be breaking league policy.
After banning specialty jerseys and gear from warmups, games and practices before the season, the NHL walked back its stance on stick tape, announcing on Tuesday that players will have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their tape.
This reversal came after Arizona’s Travis Dermott recently became the first NHLer to go against the league rule and use Pride tape on his stick.
NHL backs down on ban, allows Pride-themed stick tape
Bailey Johnson, The Washington Post, Oct. 24, 2023
The NHL changed course on its decision to ban players from displaying support for social causes with the tape on their sticks. The controversy around the ban centered primarily on Pride-themed tape, a rainbow-colored stick tape that players primarily used on Pride nights.
“After consultation with the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, players will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season,” the NHL said in a statement Tuesday.
Hockey Canada President hopeful her outsider mentality helps revive organization
Sports Business Journal, Oct. 24, 2023
Hockey Canada President & CEO Katherine Henderson believes that “being an outsider to the sport” is “exactly what the governing body of hockey in Canada requires in order to undergo a complete overhaul,” according to Ian Mendes of THE ATHLETIC. Henderson, who was the CEO of Curling Canada previously, said that Hockey Canada “needed to go with an external hire to fully embrace change within the organization.”
She said that when she made her presentation to the selection committee, she “emphasized the importance of Hockey Canada paying attention to what people were saying to them.” She added that Hockey Canada “needed to shatter its reputation of being an insular organization that only paid attention to a small handful of powerful people.”
GTHLcanada.com, Oct. 24, 2023
The Greater Toronto Hockey League is proud to announce a home-and-home exchange with Whitefish River First Nation for a second consecutive season. For the 2023-24 exchange, the Under-13 ‘A’ George Bell team will participate alongside youth from Whitefish River First Nation.
The exchange program strives to provide opportunities for GTHL and First Nations players, parents, and other participants to develop relationships, fellowship, and a cultural understanding through a shared passion for the game of hockey. For younger recreational-level players and players who have not previously played hockey, the exchange aims to provide introductory skill development opportunities (both on and off the ice) in order to encourage further participation in the game of hockey, while fostering new learning experiences and relationships.
The first leg will welcome Whitefish River First Nation youth aged nine through to 13 years old of various skill levels visiting Toronto on October 27-29. The weekend will include on-ice sessions, a visit to MLSE LaunchPad, a visit to the University of Toronto, as well as the chance to take in a University of Toronto Varsity Blues hockey game.
Innu hockey player aspires to go pro after earning engineering degree
Sam Laskaris, Windspeaker, Oct. 24, 2023
“More kids, not only in hockey but more kids in general, need a role model to inspire them to go higher in society, in sports or just in life in general.” — Mikisiw Awashish
While Mikisiw Awashish continues to make his education plans, the 22-year-old Innu hockey player maintains his boyhood aspirations of becoming a pro player.
And, yes, he still is hoping to one day make it to the National Hockey League.
Awashish is from Mashteuiatsh, an Innu community near Chicoutimi, Que. He’s a forward with the Montreal-based McGill University Redbirds.
Though he’s in his second year with the McGill squad, Awashish is actually in his third year of the school’s civil engineering program. He was able to transfer the credits he earned during his first year of post-secondary studies at Laval University in Quebec City, where he was finishing off his junior hockey career.
Professional Women’s Hockey League unveils new logo
Primary logo for the league includes 6 elements for 6 original teams
Karissa Donkin, CBC Sports, Oct. 24, 2023
The new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) now has a league logo.
The league unveiled the new branding on Tuesday, after a player from each of the league’s six teams each teased a portion of the logo on their social media posts over the last few days.
The primary logo is a stylized W, representing women, with two sticks crossed and a puck to create a visual of a faceoff.
“This element was chosen to illustrate a new beginning in women’s hockey, in the same way a face-off takes place at the beginning of every game,” the PWHL said in a news release.
The logo includes six pieces, representing six players on the ice during a game and the league’s “original six” franchises, which are located in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Minnesota and New York.
10 scholarships for local girls team
The Detroit News, Oct. 24, 2023
Paige Cline scored a team-leading six goals for the U19 girls hockey team at Little Caesars during a third-place finish on the weekend at the Minnesota NIT Tournament in Blaine, Minn.
Cline (Lindenwood) is one of 10 players with U.S. scholarships with the Little Caesars team, coached by Tom and Jordan Forgione. The other players are:
▶ Addison Spitz, Colgate
▶ Taylor Senecal, Colgate
▶ Maggie Kime, Merrimack College
▶ Tricia Piku, Boston College
▶ Ella Lucia, Harvard
▶ Kelsey Joiner, Western New England
▶ Maeve Casey, Yale
▶ Ellie Muscedere, Lindenwood
▶ Crosby Wildfong, Long Island University
CHL allows teams to continue on-ice support for groups, causes
Matthew Moore, CBC News, Oct. 23, 2023
Amid controversy over the NHL’s decision to ban the use of themed equipment, the Canadian Hockey League has reaffirmed its stance that organizations across the country can continue to support outside causes and organizations.
CHL president Dan MacKenzie said in an email that some CHL clubs have already worn special jerseys during the 2023-24 season, which got underway last month. Teams have worn special jerseys during pre-game warm-ups and during games to raise awareness for “underserved or underrepresented groups.”
“Decisions regarding on-ice support for community causes really rests with our teams and we don’t plan on changing that,” MacKenzie said. “The CHL will continue to support those efforts made by our member leagues, affiliated clubs and players, along with whatever else they believe they can do to both raise awareness for important causes and help make games more inclusive for all fans.”
MacKenzie points to teams recently honouring Indigenous communities during games held on The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
How 5 to Watch: Canada’s Sports Business Awards is shaping the future
The Globe and Mail, Oct. 23, 2023
Women’s sports have changed dramatically in recent years. The three winners of the Nathalie Cook – Canadian Women & Sport Disruptor Award, presented by TSN/RDS, are being celebrated as Canadian leaders who are courageous gender equity champions in their sports careers and for taking bold action for the greater good of the sports community.
“We are excited to celebrate the recipients of this award,” says Mike Fenton, co-chair of 5 to Watch: Canada’s Sports Business Awards, an event that recognizes five Canadian sports business professionals under 40 who have achieved remarkable success.
“It represents the significant growth taking place in women’s professional sport in Canada. Congratulations to Diana, Jayna and Leah – all leaders who are creating change and opening doors for the next generation.”
Hockey trailblazer Willie O’Ree to be honoured with new Canadian postage stamp
Bruins legend to be in Edmonton on Saturday for Heritage Classic festivities
The Canadian Press, Oct. 23, 2023
Canada Post is issuing a stamp to honour Willie O’Ree, the NHL’s first Black player.
O’Ree is scheduled to be in attendance when the stamp is unveiled Saturday in Edmonton as part of the Heritage Classic festivities. The stamp will be officially issued Monday.
O’Ree made his NHL debut with Boston on Jan. 18, 1958 and played two games with the Bruins that season …
…The 88-year-old from Fredericton received the Order of Canada in 2008 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2018. His No. 22 jersey was retired by the Bruins on Jan. 18, 2022, on the 64th anniversary of his NHL debut.
The team will be coached by Traverse City native and former ACHA D1 University of Michigan women’s hockey forward, Taylor Lundberg.
Kennedy Broadwell, 9and10News.com, Oct. 23, 2023
“It’s been a long time coming,” Lundberg said.
As a Traverse City native, she would have loved for this opportunity to have existed in her high school years. Instead, she ended up with a billet family in Lansing to chase her hockey dreams during her junior and senior years of high school.
She then went off to play NCAA Division III hockey at Colby College, before transferring to the University of Michigan to play her remaining years at the ACHA Division I level.
In the 2023-24 MHSAA hockey season, Traverse City will roll out their first-ever varsity girls’ program.
Like the boys’ co-op team in TC- they will also be known as the Bay Reps.
The girls’ team will be made up of members from seven different schools: Traverse City Central, West, St. Francis, Cadillac, Elk Rapids, Kalkaska, and Mancelona.
Valleyfair Selected as Host Site for Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 in Shakopee
Minnesota Wild, Oct. 23, 2023
The Minnesota Wild, along with Bally Sports North and Minnesota Hockey, today announced that Hockey Day Minnesota 2025, presented by UnitedHealthcare, will take place at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee.
“This is becoming so much more exciting!,” said Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 Chair Matthew Underwood. “To be able to announce that Valleyfair, an iconic Shakopee destination, will be our hosts for Hockey Day Minnesota 2025, and to see our official 2025 brand emerging, adds to the growing anticipation of our community.”
Open in 1976, Valleyfair is home to over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters and their Soak City water park. Valleyfair is the Twin Cities’ amusement park where families and people of all ages can go play during the summer months.
Shakopee’s festivities will be part of a day-long television event broadcast on Bally Sports North, designed as a celebration of the game from peewees to pros. Proceeds from the 19th annual statewide hockey celebration will be used to grow the game of hockey in the Shakopee community.
Oilers nutritionist helping provide team, staff with healthy food options
NHL.com, Oct. 23, 2023
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 Edmonton Oilers team nutritionist Tina Johnson:
Name: Tina Johnson
Job title: Team nutritionist
Education: MSc, CISSN, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CEP
Years of hockey experience: 18 years
Describe your job in 2-3 sentences
I have the privilege of working for a first-class organization where I help some of the best athletes in the world with their nutrition needs. I’m one of many professionals who make up our sports and performance team, specifically working closely with our performance chef to provide the team and staff with nutritious food options at the rink and on the road while aligning training and injury recovery needs throughout the year. I focus on in-season and off-season individuality to help players feel their best both on and off the ice to optimize performance and career longevity.
Alex Reimer, Queerty.com, Oct. 23, 2023
We love a rebel!
Arizona Coyotes player Travis Dermott defied the NHL’s ban on Pride tape over the weekend, wrapping his stick in rainbow colors anyway. The Coyotes defeated the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in their home opener.
Neither Dermott nor the Coyotes have heard from the NHL regarding punishment, according to ESPN. A spokesperson for the league told ESPN it had no announcement regarding Dermott’s use of the barred accessory.
The co-founder of the company that makes Pride tape called Dermott’s defiance “incredibly powerful.”
Color of Hockey: Black Girl Hockey Club helping collegiate players thrive
Flexible scholarship funds being used for everything from tuition to hot cocoa at rink
William Douglas, NHL.com, Oct. 23, 2023
Dayton O’Donoghue says the Black Girl Hockey Club helped get her into college.
The 18-year-old Toronto native used money from $6,000 in scholarships she received from BGHC in 2022 and 2021 to travel to Florida and attend a hockey recruiting showcase.
“That was a really big moment in my recruiting process,” said O’Donoghue, a freshman forward at Dartmouth. “I got to see a whole bunch of coaches, I saw the Dartmouth College coach in person, they got to see me play. None of that would have happened without money from the scholarship.”
O’Donoghue is one of three BGHC scholarship recipients playing NCAA women’s hockey this season; each credits the financial support for making that happen.
Sydney Merritt, a $5,000 BGHC scholarship winner in 2022, is a sophomore forward for Saint Anselm College, a Division I program in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Willow Poppleton is a sophomore defenseman at NCAA Division III Lake Forest College in Illinois, who received a $1,000 BGHC scholarship recipient in 2021.
Abhilasha Aditi, Sportskeeda, Oct. 22, 2023
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott made a bold statement during the team’s home opener against the Anaheim Ducks by using pride tape on his stick, despite the NHL’s ban on such displays this season. Dermott, 26, became the first known player to defy the league’s directive and wrapped a few strands of rainbow-colored tape around the top of his stick, showing his support for the LGBTQ+ community.
This act of defiance came in response to the NHL’s decision to prohibit players from using rainbow-colored stick tape during Pride nights and other theme celebrations. The ban has sparked controversy, with former NHL executive Brian Burke expressing strong criticism of the league’s stance.
Burke, who also served as a former Penguins President, may come to Travis Dermott’s aid regarding his pride tape violation fine, according to his earlier statement expressing deep disappointment in the NHL’s ban on on-ice support for community causes.
Ostrom enters first head coaching role with high hopes for women’s hockey
Leo Woods, Suffolk Journal, Oct. 17, 2023
Abby Ostrom is no stranger to the ice. The Carlisle, Massachusetts native took over as the second-ever head coach of Suffolk University’s women’s hockey team for their sixth season, with major goals for the program.
Ostrom joined the Rams following her time in various roles at Boston University, most recently as assistant coach for the women’s hockey team. She is replacing former head coach Taylor Wasylk, who was named head coach of Lindenwood University’s women’s hockey team during the off-season after she led the Rams to win the CCC championship in March.
With almost a decade of coaching experience, Suffolk is Ostrom’s first head coaching job. She served as an assistant coach for the women’s hockey team at her alma mater, Trinity College, for four years before she joined the Terriers in 2019.
Ostrom credits her time at Trinity and BU for shaping her coaching style.