Colorado Avalanche launch their inaugural Colorado Girls Hockey Night

Colorado Avalanche showcased girl’s and women’s hockey in their inaugural Girls Hockey Night on Saturday.

You never forget your first hockey game, and I will never forget mine. It was the start of a road trip where a couple of friends and I were going to travel around parts of the US and Canada, catching games at most of our stops. First on the agenda was a National Women’s Hockey League game in Northford, Connecticut where we would watch the Connecticut Whale take on the Boston Pride.

I was excited. I knew it wasn’t going to be as huge as the NHL games I’d seen on TV up until that point, but I was genuinely shocked when we pulled up outside a small family rink. There were no arena seats, no roaring crowds, just a few bleachers and less than a hundred supporters. Instead of glass along the boards there was netting filled with holes. At one point the puck left play, went through one of the holes and nearly hit a toddler who was in front of us.

I honestly couldn’t believe it. Hilary Knight was on the roster. A women who had two Olympic silver medals under her belt and who would later go on to win a gold. She deserved better than this, and that was when I realized just how little financial support women’s hockey received. It was a good game. It was fast and skilled with very few stoppages. The fans who were there were clearly passionate about their teams.

Afterwards the home team came out and signed autographs. They were all smiles, laughing and joking with the fans as they signed posters, pucks and jerseys. Once again I really couldn’t understand why these teams weren’t getting more support.

Thankfully things are already starting to move in the right direction. The Connecticut Whale have since moved to a new, larger rink which is properly equipped to host their home games. The league has expanded to bring in another team, and two of the existing teams have now officially partnered with NHL teams. The Metropolitan Riveters have re-branded from the New York Riveters and partnered with the New Jersey Devils, and the Buffalo Beauts are now affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres. Slowly, but surely, women’s hockey is getting the support it needs to grow and thrive.

When the Colorado Avalanche announced they were hosting their first Colorado Girls Hockey Night I was thrilled. Not only was the team hosting a women’s game and making it free to the public, they were also providing a Hockey 101 clinic for girls and their parents who might be interested in getting involved in the sport. These are the sort of initiatives that are so important in growing the game. It not only bringing in new fans, but it’s showing girls that they can play and that’s vital for developing the sport at a grassroots level.

Colorado has seen a surge in girl’s and women’s hockey since the Avalanche was founded in 1995 and it’s only continuing to grow thanks, in part, to events like this.

Just seeing how a few hours of hockey aimed at girls and women inspired those who attended really lifted my heart and I hope that this is an event that continues to develop and grow over the coming years.