McConnell Education Foundation to award grants to 37 HSH teams tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced the McConnell Education Foundation will award grants tonight to 37 Columbus-area high school hockey programs for the 24th consecutive year. The Foundation has a mission to support the cultivation and growth of youth and high school hockey. A group of more than 900 players, coaches and families will attend tonight's Blue Jackets game against the Anaheim Ducks to celebrate High School Hockey Night.

For the past 23 years, the McConnell Education Foundation has donated more than $1.6 million in support of high school hockey in greater Columbus. Grants will support clubs from the Capital Hockey Conference and the Ohio Scholastic Hockey League.
This year's programs receiving grants include high school varsity and junior varsity teams in the Capital Hockey Conference representing Bishop Watterson, Columbus Academy, Dublin Coffman, Dublin Jerome, Dublin Scioto, Gahanna Lincoln, New Albany, Olentangy, Olentangy Berlin, Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, St. Charles Preparatory School, St. Francis DeSales, Thomas Worthington, Upper Arlington and Worthington Kilbourne.
Additional varsity and junior varsity programs in the Ohio Scholastic Hockey League awarded grants include the Athens Bobcats, the Columbus Ice Hockey Club (representing Columbus City Schools and Columbus Recreation and Parks Department), Hilliard Wildcats, Newark Generals, Northeast Storm (representing Bexley and Johnstown), PHA Prowlers (representing Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Pataskala, Canal Winchester) and Westerville Warcats.
Tonight, high school varsity captains representing the recipients' respective teams will be recognized in-game during the third TV timeout of the first period.