Players Visit Lil' Lady Canes Practice

RALEIGH, NC. - The Carolina Hurricanes began their 12-day trek toward Western Canada and back on Sunday, a journey that starts after playing seven of their last eight games at PNC Arena.

Some much-needed time at home after 11 of their first 15 contests took place on the road, the team used the opportunity to do some good in the Raleigh area.

Almost every player on the roster appeared in at least one community event over the last two weeks, as the organization took trips to local hospitals, delivered turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving, and visited several youth hockey practices in the area.

Friday night Jalen Chatfield, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas took their turn bonding with younger players, taking part in a Lil' Lady Canes skate at Invisalign Arena.

The Lil' Lady Canes program is for girls ages 6-11 who have recently graduated from the First Goal Program or the Girls Continue to Play and are ready to give league play a try.

"When the players get out into the community like they have tonight, it makes the fans feel seen, appreciated and brings them closer to the team," Sarah Swingle, Girls & Women's Hockey Specialist for the Canes said. "It's exciting to see the girls engage with the players, be inspired to continue through their youth hockey journey, and become a life-long Canes fan."

"I think it's huge for us to go out there and participate," Chatfield shared. "A lot of people in the community support us and the young kids look up to us, so any time we have the opportunity to go talk with players, show our faces, and just be with them outside of our gear is big."

The Lil' Lady Canes is the fourth step in a five-step pathway that the Carolina Hurricanes Youth & Amateur Hockey program offers under their Girls Hockey umbrella.

Girls can start with a Learn to Skate Program and play on girls-only clubs with the Junior Hurricanes through 19U. The Junior Canes girls’ program has been ranked as one of the Top 50 best girls’ travel hockey programs in the United States.

"The youth hockey community has grown exponentially due to [the Canes] success," Swingle continued. "I’m excited for the Canes players to see how they’ve impacted [the youth hockey community] by increasing participation in North Carolina, inspiring young players, and acting as role models for our aspiring athletes."

"I got to play with Nicklas Lidstrom's son growing up, so just getting to see his presence and to hear him speak, I remember thinking that that was the coolest thing," Chatfield offered of an experience like this that moved him as a child. "We're all human at the end of the day, so just seeing him as a regular person was something I remember very clearly to this day and hopefully that's something we can do for these players."

To learn more about the Lil' Lady Canes and Hurricanes youth hockey, click here.

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