In honor of Women’s History Month and gender equality, the NHL and NHLPA are celebrating women from all parts of the hockey world, both on and off the ice, through their Hockey is for Everyone™ initiative.
Under the theme “Celebrating the Women Who Make Hockey Happen Every Day,” over 200 women, including Zamboni drivers, referees, and players, are being highlighted on the league’s social media and a special microsite. With this initiative, the NHL emphasizes that hockey is a sport for everyone, promoting inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms, and stands.
Two special video features spotlight women who have paved unique paths to professional hockey. The first features Blake Bolden, a professional player and current scout for the Los Angeles Kings.
Bolden has achieved many “firsts,” such as being the first Black professional hockey player in both the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) and the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). She is also one of the first female scouts in the league.
The second video highlights Chie Chie Yard, the NHL’s Vice President of Events, who shares her journey from being an intern to becoming a key member of the NHL Events department. Yard, who is Japanese American, played for Team Japan in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, the first year women’s ice hockey was included in the Winter Games.
She now works behind the scenes at major NHL events such as the NHL Winter Classic®, NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Awards™, and outdoor games.
The league also shared a list of over 200 women in senior leadership positions at the NHL, NHLPA, and its 32 member clubs. More than 25% of these women hold C-Suite roles, at least six are owners or part of their team’s ownership group, and about 14% are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color).
“Our celebration of women leaders on and off the ice is a year-round initiative, but we’re excited to shine a special spotlight during Gender Equality Month,” said Kim Davis, NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs.
The NHL & NHLPA Female Hockey Advisory Committee, which was created in 2019, continues to work towards growing female hockey in North America and providing more opportunities for women and girls to enjoy the sport’s benefits.
Since its formation, the committee has created resources for each NHL club to better engage with the female hockey community. They also launched the Female Ambassador Program, which is supported by the Industry Growth Fund, Hockey Canada, and USA Hockey, to increase the visibility of female players and ambassadors at events.
On March 23, the NHL and NHLPA will host an ‘NHL Women in STEM’ event for hundreds of middle school boys and girls across North America as part of the Future Goals™ Hockey Scholar program, where they will learn about various STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) career opportunities in hockey.
“The diversity of talent leads our sport into the future every day. We know these storytelling efforts will inspire women and girls across the hockey world to continue bringing their true selves to all parts of our sport,” said Davis.
