In March of this year, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association relaunched the Women’s Hockey Advancement Committee to support growing the women’s game. Eight months later, the Committee met in Salt Lake City, Utah to continue planning and discuss the upcoming programs supporting this growth. The Mammoth were the first NHL club to host meetings for the group.
“The Utah Mammoth are proud partners in the movement to grow women’s hockey,” Utah Mammoth President of Hockey Operations, Chris Armstrong, shared. “Hosting such an impressive and passionate group of key stakeholders is a privilege, and we hope this event will foster continued progress.”
“It’s a huge honor that Utah was selected to host these meetings as the first NHL club to do so, as well as the only American team for the Learn to Play pilot as well,” Utah Mammoth Director of Hockey Development and Women’s Hockey Advancement Committee member Kristen Bowness explained. “It shows great confidence in our program and reflects the hard work driving our success.”
Last week, the Committee met with Armstrong and Mammoth Alternate Captain Alexander Kerfoot, and had a chance to discuss the Mammoth’s efforts to engage the local girls and women’s hockey community. Throughout his time in Utah, Kerfoot has held hockey clinics and brought local girls players on the bench for warmups of home Mammoth games.
“We are grateful to Alexander Kerfoot for taking time to speak with the committee and share his insights on girls hockey,” Armstrong explained. “He and his wife Marissa have been committed to growing the game since arriving in Utah, and they are incredible ambassadors for our organization and for the NHL. We look forward to continuing their efforts through our new Learn to Play program, which will increase exposure to hockey for girls at all levels.”
“The meetings were very beneficial,” Bowness recounted. “It’s always exciting to be in a room full of powerful women who have great ideas, are a strong support system and we only want each other to succeed. We share experiences of what’s worked, what hasn’t, and do our best to brainstorm next steps and where we want this committee to develop into.”
In addition to meeting with Armstrong and Kerfoot, the committee discussed progress on projects throughout North America, toured the Mammoth’s brand-new, state-of-the-art practice and training facility, and went to a Mammoth game. During an intermission break, members of the Learn to Play pilot program were on the ice participating in a relay race.
This visit was an opportunity to see the newest NHL franchise at work, and the progress the organization has made over the last year and a half.
“Utah is so engaged in growing the women’s and girl’s game,” the NHL’s Senior Director of Youth Hockey and Industry Growth Fund, Matt Herr, said. “It’s evident being at (a Mammoth game), the engagement of the fans, seeing the girls in the program on the ice, they’re doing everything they can to grow their sport in Utah.”
A key topic in these meetings was the brand-new pilot Learn to Play program. The Mammoth are one of two NHL teams in the initial testing as this program aims to grow interest with the 12-16 age range.
“We’re running pilots right now (for the 12-16 age group),” Herr explained. “For the longest time we’ve concentrated on that 5-9 age group. From the standpoint of the high school age group, we’re worried that we missed these girls and we want to make sure that we don’t miss them. They might be fans of the game, but how do you get them a deeper connection to the sport?
“Hockey is a sport that is about camaraderie, it’s about building friendships,” Herr continued. “That’s what we’re seeing in that 12-16 age group now that we might have missed when they were 5-9. Now we’re offering them the opportunity to learn and play hockey.”
By having support from the NHL and the Women’s Hockey Advancement Committee the Mammoth will continue to grow hockey throughout the state.
“When the NHL gets behind a program like this, it gives Utah instant credibility and momentum,” Bowness shared. “That kind of support shows families and young athletes that the girls’ game here is real, it’s valued, and it has a future. It also encourages local partners and sponsors to get involved, which means more resources, better coaching, and greater visibility. All of that adds up to a stronger foundation for growth and a culture where girls’ hockey can really thrive.”
In addition to the Learn to Play pilot program for girls between the ages of 12 to 16, the Mammoth have plenty of programming coming up for girls and women’s hockey players in Utah. *Learn more here*!
