Hurricanes investing $215,000 in growth of girls youth hockey
The Carolina Hurricanes are making a sizable investment in a girls youth hockey program, announcing Wednesday that $215,000 would be spent as part of the NHL Industry Growth Fund.
Alyssa Gagliardi, the Hurricanes’ Girls’ and Women’s Hockey Specialist, will direct the program, which begins in March.
“I think it’s great,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said on a media call Wednesday. “Let’s face it, we’re a sport that attracts everybody. We have a lot of young women and older women who love the game of hockey and I think it’s great we’re including them.”
Brind’Amour noted that his youngest son, Brooks, plays on a youth hockey team with Jade Williams, the daughter of former Canes captain Justin Williams and said she was a “phenomenal” player.
“Any way you can include people to enjoy our sport, I think it’s fabulous,” Brind’Amour said.
Don Waddell, president and general manager of the Hurricanes, said expanding access to youth hockey was a priority for the organization.
“Girls’ hockey in the area has been expanding rapidly in recent years, and we want to do everything we can to support that growth and retention,” Waddell said in a statement.
The team said Canes Girls Youth Hockey will be the next step for its First Goal program, a starting point for youth hockey players in the Triangle. The program will further the on- and off-ice development of girls ages 6-12 who have previously played at the Learn to Play or Recreational levels.
“Making the game of hockey inclusive for everyone has always been at the forefront of the Hurricanes organization,” Gagliardi said in a statement. “The opportunity to create a program for young girls at the introductory and recreational levels of hockey to play with peers and develop not only hockey skills, but skills such as teamwork and self-confidence, is a game-changer for future generations.
“The goal of the Canes Girls Youth Hockey program is to provide an all-girls environment to continue to foster the love of the game, build friendships and help ensure young girls have female role models to look up to in the sport.”
