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On Sunday, March 7, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Penguins Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual Her Hockey Day, presented by 84 Lumber.

Her Hockey Day recognized the incredible passion of the women who are fans during the NHL's Gender Equality Month. From girls stepping onto the ice for the first time to women supporting the Pens from home to those who are trailblazers for our great game, we proudly celebrated YOU on March 7.

Further, thanks to 84 Lumber, local women will be recognized throughout March for their community engagement and empowered to continue to make Pittsburgh a city of equality. Check out these initiatives occurring throughout Gender Equality Month that highlight that the game of hockey is certainly one that is 'hers' too.

L.I.F.T. Women's Panel | March 22, 6:30 PM

The panel featured a list of accomplished women professionals throughout several industries about overcoming adversity during their rise to leadership. The discussion focused on how they've taken traits of successful teams and instituted these elements, along with an emphasis on goal-setting and accountability, throughout their companies.

Welcome remarks:

Jenny Darling - Pittsburgh Penguins, Chief Financial Officer

Amy Smiley - 84 Lumber, Vice President of Marketing

Panelists:

Jen Bullano Ridgley - Pittsburgh Penguins, Vice President of Communications
Cindy Donohoe - Highmark Health, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer
Malesia Dunn - PPG, Executive Director, PPG Foundation & Global Corporate Social Responsibility
Laura Karet - Giant Eagle, Inc., President & CEO

Moderated by Michelle Crechiolo, Manager of Team Content for the Penguins.

All L.I.F.T. programming is focused on providing resources and information related to leading and inspiring females to thrive. Presented by 84 Lumber.

L.I.F.T. EmpowerHER Grant

In honor of Women's History Month in March, the Pittsburgh Penguins and 84 Lumber are joining forces to give back to a woman-owned business within our community and provide them with a $25,000 grant to support their business.

Nominations for a business were collected from March 4th until March 18th. Then, a panel reviewed all submissions to determine the finalists based on the impact they are making in their local community. Thank you to everyone who nominated many deserving businesses. This year's EmpowerHER Grant finalists are Curly Tail Coffee, Hannahtopia and Treasure House Fashions. Click here to learn more about each of the remaining local woman-owned businesses. Voting is now open through April 13.

84 Lumber is a proud nationally certified woman-owned and -operated business through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the Penguins embody giving everyone an equal chance to succeed and thrive. The EmpowerHER Grant is a part of 84 Lumber's L.I.F.T. (Leading & Inspiring Females to Thrive) program with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Click here to view the rules.

Her Hockey Auction | March 7-March 14

The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and DICK'S Sporting Goods hosted a Her Hockey Auction during the NHL's Gender Equality Month. This specialty auction featured unique Penguins memorabilia, Team USA women's items and more in support of the Penguins Foundation's girls hockey initiatives. With the help of our generous fans and donors, over $16,000 was raised to support the growth of girls hockey in our region!

Try Her Hockey for Free | March 7

Local girls hit the ice on March 7 with the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, DICK'S Sporting Goods and Allegheny County Parks for the first-ever Try Her Hockey for Free event. Skating and hockey instruction was provided by female coaches to girls ages 5 through 13 as part of Her Hockey Day presented by 84 Lumber and the NHL's Gender Equality Month. Keep an eye out for future clinics with the Pens as we show that hockey is 'hers' too!

#HerHockey Social Media Contest | March 7

On Her Hockey Day presented by 84 Lumber, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation gave away autographed jerseys from your favorite members of the Penguins through our #HerHockey contest. To enter, fans were encouraged to share their own #HerHockey story on social media on March 7. Whether it related to teaching your daughter to skate, receiving support from your own hockey mom, or just making memories at a Penguins game, the stories shared were incredible. Check out the #HerHockey hashtag to see these stories plus ones from the Pens!

PensGear Donation

In support of the NHL's Gender Equality Month, PensGear will be donating 10% of all ladies and girls item purchases to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. Proceeds will support the Penguins Foundation's girls hockey programming in our region. To give back with PensGear and help grow the great game of hockey, shop throughout the month of March at PensGear.com.
Pens Elite Product Chayla Edwards Wins NCAA National Championship

The University of Wisconsin women's ice hockey team recently won the NCAA National Championship after defeating Northeastern in overtime, 2-1, on March 20.

Among the victorious Badgers is sophomore Chayla Edwards, who spent six years playing for the DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program while attending Shadyside Academy.

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Little Penguins Graduates Reach for the Stars

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby teamed up to create the Little Penguins program for the 2008-09 season; and, to say that it has been a huge success or that it has had a positive effect on local youth would be a vast understatement.

The program focused on introducing both boys and girls to the sport; but, it significantly opened a new world to many young girls who never envisioned themselves playing hockey.

Over 13 seasons, the Little Penguins program has seen nearly 2,000 young girls participate. Meanwhile, according to USA Hockey membership data, female players have grown overall in western Pennsylvania by 70.2% since 2008; a testament to the Little Penguins program helping to grown the sport for girls.

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A Community Hero Serving Her Special Needs Community

Over the past year, so many people have had their daily lives change due to COVID-19. In January, the Pittsburgh Penguins created a new PPG Community Heroes program to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in our community helping others as essential workers.

Also, the National Hockey League celebrates March as Gender Equality Month. The Penguins have designated their home game on March 7 as Her Hockey Day presented by 84 Lumber; and we are beyond proud to honor Julia Konitzky this Sunday as one of our PPG Community Heroes!

Julia is an advocate for the special hockey and autism community, as she serves on the Steel City Icebergs Board of Directors as Treasurer. She is also a proud hockey mom, former nurse with UPMC and a future Certified Autism Specialist.

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Women's Hockey Landing Page

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation are committed to growing the game of hockey for everyone.

Did you know that...

  • Girls drop out sooner, and in greater numbers, than boys in youth sports? In fact, by the age of 14, girls quit sports at two times the rate of boys.
  • 73% of girls have concerns about their body while they are playing a sport.

These issues should be addressed, and our goal is to provide you with some resources that may help yourself or a young woman that you know.

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