NHL, NHLPA announce creation of Player Inclusion Coalition

NASHVILLE -- Anson Carter spoke like a proud hockey coach Tuesday, boasting about his team's depth.

"We've got current and former NHL players, some of the top women's players, Olympians, some of the best players in the world right here," Carter said.

The TNT analyst and retired NHL forward was talking about the League's new Player Inclusion Coalition at its first events, an on-ice clinic and panel discussion with players and parents from the Nashville Predators' Creating Opportunities for Racial Equality (CORE) youth hockey program.

"What the coalition is all about, players using our platform and our perspectives to promote inclusion for everyone connected to hockey from youth hockey players who deserve to grow up without doubting whether hockey is for them to professional players and future professional players who can influence locker rooms so every individual is empowered to bring their full selves to the game," said Carter, who is the coalition co-chair with retired NHL defenseman-turned ESPN hockey analyst P.K. Subban.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association announced the creation of the coalition of current and former NHL players and women's professional hockey players to advance equality and inclusion in hockey on and off the ice.

As part of the launch, the NHL and NHLPA have earmarked $1 million to support the coalition's programs through contributions to grassroots organizations, player-perspective storytelling and other special projects.

The coalition's 20 members include Carter and Subban, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud, Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Reaves, Olympic women's players Sarah Nurse, Brigette Lacquette, Meghan Duggan and Julie Chu, Los Angeles Kings scout Blake Bolden, and retired NHL players JT Brown, Georges Laraque, Al Montoya and Mark Fraser.

"The commitment is to provide the NHL with insights regarding equality and inclusivity that only the players can give us and, with support and funding from the League and Players' Association, to develop and execute action plans to grow the game that we love," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "This is more than about recommendations. This is about specific action plans to grow the game and to make sure it is even more welcoming and inclusive."

The coalition donated $10,000 to CORE, a program presented by Bridgestone that introduces hockey to new players of all backgrounds ages 4-9 at no costs. Some coalition members shared why they felt it was important to join the group.

Reaves, who grew up in Winnipeg, said he was told that he didn't fit the profile of a typical hockey player.

"So, a lot of people were telling me that I couldn't," he said. "But I think as I grew older, I used that as motivation to prove people wrong. So, you kids out there, don't let anybody tell you [that you] can't do something."

Chu, a four-time Olympian who won silver medals with the U.S. women's Olympic teams in 2002 (Salt Lake City), 2010 (Vancouver) and 2014 (Sochi) and a bronze medal in 2006 (Turin), said after the event that joining the coalition was personal.

Chu is married to Caroline Ouellette, a four-time Olympic hockey gold medalist in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Ouellette was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this month.

"For me, personally, and my family it's huge because not everyone has had experiences with the LGBTQ+ community," she said. "And so for us to be able to share with our fellow coalition members more of what we go through and the great things that we experience, because the majority of our life is great, and what are our challenges and what are the things that are coming along that worry us for our kids or not necessarily just for our families, but for others to feel welcome in their own skin. I think we've already had some good conversations about that at the coalition already and we're excited to continue that."

All 32 NHL clubs hosted Pride events this season, helping raise more than $1.1 million in June from auctioned items, the sale of rainbow-colored Pride tape, 50-50 raffles and donations.

Those funds will benefit 39 LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations and businesses, NHL officials said.

In addition, the You Can Play Project, which works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans, received more than $145,000 in donations from NHL Clubs.

CORE participants and their parents said they were impressed by what they saw and heard from coalition members on Tuesday at Nashville's Ford Ice Center Bellevue.

Antoine Smith of Nashville was nearly brought to tears after he and his son, Justus, spoke with Bolden, who played for Boston College and teams in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and National Women's Hockey League (now the Premier Hockey Federation), and in Switzerland before joining the Kings organization.

"I'm originally from Detroit and, of course, you have the stereotypical mindset of 'person of color, he'll be great at football, basketball, maybe baseball, maybe soccer,'" Smith said. "For us to move to Nashville and for Justus to be 6 years old and hockey be his first organized sport and to see this coalition, it's so incredible and inspirational."