Preds, Ford Ice Centers Continue to See Impressive Growth of Girls and Women's Hockey in Nashville and Beyond

Since their start, the Ford Ice Centers across Middle Tennessee have been home to the Nashville Predators youth grassroots programming and amateur leagues inviting locals to either try the sport of hockey or play with friends and teammates.

The Ford Ice Center has also maximized efforts to grow the game for girls and women through programming and hosting tournaments throughout the last year.

“Investing in girls’ and women’s hockey is essential to the long‑term growth of our sport,” Ford Ice Center Bellevue Youth Coordinator Riley Calhoun said. “By expanding programming and competitive opportunities, we’re not only strengthening the hockey community but also creating a place where everyone can play and belong.”

YOUTH PROGRAMMING

G.O.A.L! | Try Hockey for Free

Through the introductory hockey course, Ford Ice Center Bellevue hosted a girls-only Try Hockey for Free session where little ones could hit the ice with experienced coaches and learn the very basics such as how to hold a stick, getting up and puck handling. This session saw 22 girls play for the first time.

Little Preds Learn to Play

The next step after Try Hockey for Free is Little Preds Learn to Play presented by CAT Financial. Ford Ice Center Bellevue, Ice Sports Complex-Huntsville & Atlanta Ice Forum hosted girls-only six-week sessions last spring and added over 100 new girls to the region. In this program, girls focus on moving on the ice with a stick, stick handling skills and working with pucks. Each participant also received a full set of equipment, included in the price, to continue their hockey journey.

Girls Hockey Camp

Taking place over the summer, Ford Ice Center hosted a Girls Hockey Camp for 21 players. This camp featured some familiar faces at the rink including Delaney Collins (former Team Canada Hockey Player), Jacki Munzel (National and World International Figure Skating Competitor), Kristi Kehoe (NCAA Division I Hockey Coach), Kaylee Harnen (Assistant Hockey Coach NCAA Divison III) & Kelly Hobbs (founder, Camp Ultraviolet). This camp focused both on the physical side of the game such as on-ice drills, curated workouts and fun with our Preds & Pixels Gaming Experience, as well as the mental aspect with a curriculum from Camp Ultraviolet, a program designed to grow confidence and belief for young athletes.

ADULT PROGRAMMING

Women’s Learn to Play | Women’s League

As we moved into the summer, Ford Ice Center Bellevue held an eight-week women-only Learn to Play due to previous demand from a prior session in Spring 2024. Players had the opportunity to learn hockey basics, get comfortable on the ice and move as a team. There were 40 new players in the program including eight Nashville Predators staffers. At the conclusion of the program, participants joined Women’s Rookie League as the next step and in preparation for the Fall/Winter season of Women’s League. The Women's League moved from 53 to 82 participating players in its fourth season, growing in large part to Women’s Learn to Play and Rookie League. Along with the growing league, there has been a growing community of new and veteran women players coming together to form a unique bond.

“I have made such great friendships and connections through [Women’s Learn to Play and Women’s League], and every week when I go to the rink, I am excited to see my teammates, watch the other teams in the league play, and just connect with the other women in a community like this,” Preds Senior Marketing Coordinator Caitlin Donoghue said. “My friends, family, Nashville Predators staff, and other women's league players are nothing but supportive and excited for me every time I talk about it. I definitely feel very lucky to be able to be a part of something like this here in Nashville.”

TOURNAMENTS

Honky Tonk Showdown

Our annual adult tournament, Honky Tonk Showdown, a USA Hockey Adult Classic presented by the Nashville Predators, took place at Ford Ice Center Antioch, Bellevue & Clarksville and featured a Women’s Only division with teams from our Women’s League and others across the country.

The SMASHVILLE Women’s Collegiate Hockey Showcase

For a fifth year, Ford Ice Center Bellevue hosted the SMASHVILLE Women’s Collegiate Hockey Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend. The tournament welcomed three NCAA Division I teams, including the No. 1-ranked and reigning nation champion Wisconsin Badgers, the Mercyhurst University Lakers and Stonehill College Skyhawks. Mercyhurst made its second appearance in the Showcase after first competing in 2021.

There were a few notable women featured in the tournament, including homegrown Sydney Russell, who competed in the Nashville Jr. Predators program and currently captains the Skyhawks. Wisconsin’s Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Ava McNaughton and Kristen Simms who made the 2026 Olympic Roster for Team USA at the Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, also skated during the tournament.

Preds Girls Classic

Over this past weekend, Ford Ice Centers Antioch and Bellevue hosted its annual Preds Girls Classic featuring 27 teams from all over the country playing in this three-day tournament. This tournament is unique from others held at the Ford Ice Centers because of the skills competition. It gives players from all the teams participating the opportunity to mingle with one another and form friendships that carry over. Also, with some teams being in Nashville for the first time, it gives them the opportunity to explore all the city has to offer.

The tournament kicked off Friday, with games continuing into Saturday and championship games taking place on Sunday. Saturday also saw the skills competition with winners in categories including fastest skaters, shootout goals and most saves.

The 2026 Preds Girls Classic Champions: 12UA | Carolina Jr. Canes, 12UAA | Nashville Jr. Predators, 14UAA | Nashville Jr. Predators, 16UA | Carolina Jr. Canes, 16UAA | Chicago Hawks, 19UAA | Nashville Jr. Predators.

Nashville Jr. Predators have found a home at the Ford Ice Centers with a predominant presence and focus in girls hockey. They have a Girls Tier II hockey program featuring teams in the 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U divisions. It also features a female coaching staff with Kahlie Singletary head coaching the 14U/19U teams, Amanda Lupo head coaching the 16U team, Allie LaCombe head coaching the 14U/12U teams, and Delaney Collins as the Player Development Coach.

The Girls Tier II 16U and 19U have won USA Hockey National Championships as well as multiple bronze finishes across all age divisions in the past five years.

We are also proud of our full-time women hockey staff, including Director of Amateur Hockey & Fan Development Jennifer Boniecki and Youth Coordinator Riley Calhoun, as well as our female part-time coaches that truly make our hockey world go round.

“When I was growing up, girls’ hockey barely existed. The growth since then has been incredible. Today, we even have a professional women’s league in the PWHL,” Calhoun said. “Giving young girls the chance to be part of something meaningful, and to see opportunities that extend beyond college, opens up a bigger and more inspiring world of hockey for them.”

We continuously work to grow the game of hockey for girls and women in our community and are thrilled for what's to come for our programming in 2026.

“Growing hockey in Nashville goes beyond participation numbers or skill development,” Boniecki said. “It’s about fostering a welcoming community where girls and women of all ages and abilities can come together to enjoy the game, support one another and build meaningful connections that last far beyond the rink.”