“WickFest gives girls a place where they can develop confidence in themselves, self-esteem and skills that will last them a lifetime,” said Hayley Wickenheiser, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Hockey Hall of Famer and founder of WickFest.
The WickFest girls’ hockey festival is an event started by Wickenheiser in 2010 after her Vancouver Olympic appearance. WickFest has drawn thousands of young female athletes annually, making it one of the biggest all-girls hockey events in the world. Wickenheiser wanted to create the festival to grow the sport, create a legacy and leave her mark on the game of women’s hockey.
“We have worked with over 40,000 female hockey players from around the world,” said Wickenheiser. “We've had teams like the Czech Republic, teams from India, Ukraine, different parts of Europe, as well as across the US and Canada.”
From Feb. 5 to 8, WickFest made its first appearance in the United States at rinks around the Las Vegas valley. Over 600 participants and 35 girls’ teams from across Canada and the United States, in the age brackets of 10u, 12u, 14u and 16u, participated in the festival. The multi-day experience was more than just another hockey tournament, it was an event that focused on the development of the whole athlete and person.
“We believe in the holistic development of the player and person,” said Wickenheiser. “While the kids sign up for five games guaranteed, plus playoffs in the tournament, they also sign up for off-ice sessions. In Vegas, for example, we had hockey agility with Cirque du Soleil, Olympic athletes and NHL guest speakers and self-defense. You name it, we've probably done it.”
The four-day festival included an opening party at the ARIA Resort and Casino, autograph sessions and over 20 different clinics and workshops at City National Arena and Veterans Memorial Community Center. Multiple Olympians and world-level athletes, including Wickenheiser, Meghan Agosta, Jillian Dempsey, Kendra Fisher, Angela James, Amanda Pelkey and Haley Skarupa, taught the clinics and inspired girls throughout the weekend. The group has a combined total of 11 Olympic Medals, including nine gold.
“An all-girls all-ages event like this is a great step towards helping girls’ hockey grow in Nevada,” said Sheri Hudspeth, Director of Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development. “We had all our Jr. Knights teams participate, and all girls under our VGK programming umbrella were invited to the festivities. What sets WickFest apart is empowering the whole athlete, the clinics, workshops and interactions with prominent female athletes, inspiring them to continue their hockey journey.”
Girls’ hockey participation in Las Vegas has grown 600% since the Golden Knights joined the league almost 10 years ago, according to USA Hockey. When Wickenheiser decided to expand WickFest beyond Canada, she felt Las Vegas would be the perfect destination for the first United States festival.
“The Golden Knights have done a great job with developing hockey with Sheri Hudspeth's leadership, and I really felt supported,” said Wickenheiser. “We thought if we're going to the U.S., it has to be in Las Vegas for the first time. Who doesn't want to go to Las Vegas?”
On Saturday at City National Arena, a brand-new all-girls NHL Learn to Play program launched, and 45 skaters participated in the inaugural session. Although coed sessions have been offered in the past, this marks the first time that an all-girls NHL Learn to Play has been held. Through this program, skaters aged 4 to 11 learn a strong hockey foundation and the basics of the game.
“This is the first step in building a girls-only pathway in-house for our girls to participate in hockey without having to join a travel team or play in coed programming,” said Hudspeth. “We are focusing more on the younger ages to develop a strong base of girls, with the end goal of offering all girls programming from ages 4 to 19 in the future.”
Through the weekend, the focus was on shaping the person first, the athlete second and the hockey player third. Wickenheiser believes that it is important to be the best you can be in your craft, but some amazing opportunities and paths do not have to involve the Olympics or the PWHL. Wickenheiser wants female athletes to understand that hockey and other sports help them grow in many unique ways, giving them a strong skill set on and off the ice.
“Hockey is extremely important, but it's not the most important thing,” said Wickenheiser. “I would like the girls to walk away saying, I learned something off the ice that's really going to help me in my life or in hockey. I want the girls to take away the learnings, the passion, and maybe it will inspire them to keep playing. We need to keep more girls in sports.”
