NHL/NHLPA Launch NHL Player Inclusion Coalition

The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) today announced the launch of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, a group of current and former NHL Players and women’s professional hockey Players who work to advance equality and inclusion in the sport of hockey on and off the ice.

The NHL Player Inclusion Coalition was first formed in 2020 as the NHL Player Inclusion Committee, where members met regularly to inform and develop recommendations for the NHL’s Executive Inclusion Council. It is co-chaired by NHL alumni Anson Carter and P.K. Subban and now has 20 members with a range of perspectives across Players of color, LGBTQ+ Players, and allies.

“Every member of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition shares a passion to bring diversity and inclusion to the forefront of the hockey community. It has been incredible to work together to amplify the role of Players as advisors, ambassadors, and catalysts for real change, which benefits underrepresented groups in the game,” said Anson Carter, who played in 674 NHL games. “As we enter the coalition’s next phase, we are excited to grow our impact by sharing more of our work with fans to invite everyone who loves hockey to join the movement with us.”

A new website, NHL.com/Player-Inclusion-Coalition, is now live with more information. Coalition members have contributed to initiatives that accelerate social change through hockey. These initiatives include conducting inclusion experiences and educational sessions for NHL on-ice officials, NHL rookies and minor professional hockey; bringing voice to diversity and inclusion issues impacting hockey on personal platforms and networks.

“The Industry Growth Fund is committed to building the future of hockey by engaging a new generation of diverse hockey participants and fans,” said Rob Knesaurek, NHL Senior Vice President, Youth Development and Industry Growth. “We are proud to support the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition as they collaborate with local community leaders who champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in everyday hockey programming.”

“Current Players, NHL alumni, and women’s professional hockey Players in the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition are strengthening the game through new activations focused on inclusive outcomes,” said Chris Campoli, NHLPA Divisional Player Representative and former NHL Player who played in 440 NHL games. “The NHLPA looks forward to working with the coalition to facilitate continued progress and growth throughout hockey.”

The CORE program, Nashville Predators Creating Opportunities for Racial Equality (CORE) program, introduces the game of hockey to new players ages 4 to 9 at no cost and will receive a $10,000 USD grant from the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition Action Fund.

Additionally, throughout the 2022-23 season, each coalition member selected an organization that supports diversity and inclusion in hockey to receive a $5,000 USD grant from the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition Action Fund. Here are a few snippets of current members and their grant selections:

• Cam Atkinson: Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education, a non-profit that uses the sport of hockey to educate and empower under-resourced youth of Philadelphia to prosper in the game of life.
• Ethan Bear: Little Native Hockey League, an annual hockey tournament that brings together First Nation youth in Ontario for community-building and empowerment.
• Anson Carter: The Atlanta Jr. Thrashers, a program that offers girls in the South opportunities to play hockey and develop into strong female leaders; and the Atlanta Sparks, a program that provides a fun and safe environment for athletes with special needs to play hockey.
• Sarah Nurse: Seaside Hockey, a program that provides assistance to visible minority youths in the Greater Toronto Area to help more diverse children play hockey and gain life skills
• Kevin Shattenkirk: Anaheim Family YMCA Youth Street Hockey League. Shattenkirk’s grant is being used to cover the registration fees for participants to help the program grow.
• P.K. Subban: HEROS Hockey, an organization that uses the game of ice hockey to teach life-skills and empower marginalized youth by providing free hockey programming to youth across Canada.
• Zach Whitecloud: Dakota Nation Winterfest Minor Hockey Tournament, an annual tournament that coincides with celebration of Indigenous culture. Whitecloud’s grant will be used to subsidize entry fees to reduce the cost for participating youth teams.