Hockey Is For Everyone unites Blue Jackets community

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the annual Hockey Is For Everyone game, presented by Vorys, Monday vs. the Vancouver Canucks to celebrate diversity and inclusion in the sport. The matinee game, which took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was commemorated by Hockey Is For Everyone lapel pins for the first 5,000 fans in attendance. 

Much of the focus of this year’s event was on the Black experience in the sport of hockey. Before the game, members of the National Society of Black Sports Professionals met for a panel discussion and meet-and-greet, with more than 200 tickets sold to those who wanted to take part.  

Speakers included Adrian College hockey player and Columbus Ice Hockey Club alumnus Ayo Adeniye, former Blue Jackets defenseman and current team broadcaster Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, CIHC president LaKesha Wyse, and documentary filmmaker Kwame Mason.

As Adeniye has moved up the ranks, the Columbus native said he’s become used to being one of the few minority players on his team, but he’s been able to find a support system in the sport as he’s gotten older.  

“I was always the only African-American player on my team, and there would be some instances where things would go on and I wouldn’t really have anyone to talk to about it with,” said Adeniye, who won an NCAA championship with Adrian two years ago. “As I’ve grown up, I’ve linked with all the African-American and African players that are playing NCAA Division I right now.

“We have our own chat we can go to help ourselves and center ourselves a little bit, but it is kind of difficult sometimes because you don’t have a whole lot of people to be with culturally that know what you’re going through.”

So why has Adeniye, who had to move to Canada to play junior hockey and has played at two NCAA colleges, stuck with it?

“Love of the game,” he said.

Both Adeniye and Grand-Pierre discussed their journeys of making it into the upper levels of the hockey world, and increasing Black participation in the sport was one of the key parts of the discussion.

Before the 1 p.m. puck drop, fans also had the opportunity to visit the United by Hockey mobile museum outside of Nationwide Arena. Inside the museum, fans had the chance to learn about some of the sport's most influential people, the development of hockey equipment over the years, and even play around with virtual reality. The mobile tour travels around North America to help educate fans on the history of diversity in hockey and bring people together through the sport.

The tour manager, Eric Knight, discussed what got him into the sport and inspired him to work for the United by Hockey mobile tour.

“For me, there's never been any other sport,” Knight said. “I played, I taught, I coached, and it's the only sport I've ever cared about.” 

This is Knight’s second tour with the United by Hockey mobile museum. His favorite part is being able to travel across the United States and Canada while meeting hockey fans and sharing stories about his favorite sport.  

“It’s to highlight the achievements of black players in hockey, women in hockey, indigenous and LGBTQ+ players, former players and NHL firsts,” he said. “We highlight the trailblazers, the changemakers, the business leaders and voices. And at this time, we're highlighting adaptive hockey, which is sled hockey, Paralympic hockey and blind hockey, which shows you how the game has been changed for those people.”

This was on display during the second intermission when players from the Columbus special hockey and sled hockey teams took to center ice to showcase their talents.

Before the game, the Blue Jackets introduced a starting lineup of honorees from local hockey organizations to share the ice with the players during the national anthems. The starters included Landon Bush from Ohio Blades Sled Hockey, Geo Gonzalez and Zoey Redmond from Columbus Ice Hockey Club, Jackson Harris from Columbus Ohio Gay Lesbian Ally Hockey Association, Elaine Gooch from Ohio Warriors Sled Hockey and Dana Worth from the Chiller Adult Women’s League.  

During the first intermission, Hockey Is For Everyone partner Vorys announced a donation of $10,000 to the Columbus Ice Hockey Club to continue to grow the game here in Columbus. The club serves more than 4,000 youth per year, with more than 65 percent of participants being minorities and more than 30 percent female.

The Ohio AAA Blue Jackets Girls U-14 team was also recognized at Monday’s game on behalf of Bread Financial and had the opportunity to take a postgame photo on the ice.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation also continues to host an auction and jersey raffle for special Hockey Is For Everyone memorabilia. To participate, text CBJAUCTION to 76278 or visit cbjauction.givesmart.com.