NASHVILLE - In celebration of the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™, the Nashville Predators and National Hockey League (NHL) will build a brand-new ball hockey rink at Nashville Inner City Ministry, a nonprofit that provides after-school and out-of-school programs, meals, and basic life skills classes, as well as shared amenities to approximately 600 children and their families each year.
Predators, NHL to build ball hockey rink as legacy to 2022 Stadium Series
Nashville Inner City Ministry, also known as the Mall of Hope, was the recipient of the 2016 NHL All-Star Legacy project. In 2016 the Predators and NHL renovated 30,000 square feet of its facility, transforming eight rooms including the pantry, two classrooms, the laundry room, and the nursery to better service the community 24/7. This year's project is an expansion of those efforts, focused on the Mall of Hope's activity center which helps promote an active lifestyle for boys and girls in the Nashville community. The ball hockey rink is expected to be ready this Fall.
"We are extremely excited to continue our longstanding partnership with Nashville Inner City Ministry and support the organization's mission of serving children and families in the community," said Rebecca King, Nashville Predators Vice President of Community Relations. "With the installation of a new ball hockey rink, we hope to introduce children in the community to a new sport and grow the love of hockey. In 2015, we built a KaBOOM! Playground at the Mall of Hope and completed the All-Star Legacy Project in 2016. The opportunity to work beside this great organization and the NHL again, through the 2022 NHL Stadium Series Legacy Project, shows our appreciation of the work the Mall of Hope is achieving every day."
Earlier today, 400 boys and girls ages 8-12 years old were invited to downtown Nashville to participate in free NHL STREET™ skills and drills programming organized by RCX Sports. Courtesy of NHL partner Enterprise, all 400 kids received a free NHL STREET equipment kit - two sticks, a ball, and a net - plus two free tickets to the outdoor game.
"What we saw today was the impact of providing children with access and opportunity to experience the game. They fell in love with it," said Kim Davis, NHL Senior Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs. "Working with the Predators, we are committed to building first-class infrastructure and sustained, credible programming for these kids to play and develop as Nashville's next generation of street hockey players."
Today's event was the second of six pilot programs in select cities in 2022, before the League expands NHL STREET to communities across North America. NHL STREET is a new era in street and ball hockey programming committed to creating accessible, affordable, and fun hockey programming for kids and their families, increasing opportunities for boys and girls to play hockey.
The Legacy initiative is an ongoing philanthropic endeavor through which the League and the local Club support community organizations in the host city of an NHL Event. Since 2003, the League, its Clubs and partners have donated more than $6 million to communities across North America. Legacy projects have aided thousands of hospital patients in recovery; helped at-risk youth and families gain better access to educational and vocational training; and provided greater access to people of all ages to learn and play hockey.
The Nashville Predators will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning outdoors in the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on TNT, SN360, and TVA Sports.
