'Power' of Women in Hockey

Twitter represents all sorts of things to even more sorts of people. For Renee Hess and Black Girl Hockey Club, the social media platform was the starting point in 2018 for conversations with hockey fans of color feeling unwelcomed or excluded from hockey.

Four years later, BGHC is a strong, influential and upbeat force in the hockey community, touching youth, adult and professional hockey. Hess is a true leader in the important and now squarely established space of making the sport more inclusive for all.
All from Hess taking the simple action of connecting with several Black female fans, half-kiddingly calling their group chat, "Black Girl Hockey Club." Hey, when you come up with a good name that is both thought-provoking and fun, you stick with it.
Hess soon decided getting together in person for an NHL game was the right plan at the right time. She gathered her chat group for a Washington Capitals home game and three more meetups that season, two in New York and another in Nashville.
"At the first game in D.C., I realized this was more impactful than a bunch of fans getting together," Hess said. "It was community building, networking, getting to know the sport of hockey and seeing there are other Black fans, fans maybe we didn't know were out there."
This weekend, Hess is in our hockey town and the Kraken is thrilled to have her and BGHC members. Hess will be a special guest on Friday night's "Women of Hockey Power Panel" at Kraken Community Iceplex, 7 p.m., presented at the Starbucks Rink with plenty of seating available.
The BGHC founder and executive director will be in discussion with Kraken leaders Alexandra Mandrycky, director of hockey strategy and research; Kendall Tyson, vice president of strategy and business intelligence; and Fiona McKenna, business intelligence analyst. The panel will be moderated by Michelle Ludtka, former Fox 13 on-air reporter.
BGHC has evolved into an advocacy nonprofit organization focusing on "making hockey more inclusive for Black women, our families, friends and allies" while staying true to the original intent to inspire and sustain passion for the sport within the Black community, "especially with our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends."
The Kraken first partnered with BGHC in February 2021 on a winter hat collection to benefit the organization's youth hockey scholarships. That exclusive and highly popular piece of merchandise was followed by a sweatshirt launched last September to provide season-appropriate gear for fall weather and the Kraken's inaugural season.
To celebrate BGHC and the Kraken's "Women in Hockey Weekend," a third piece of the BGHC swag collection is available this week: a long sleeve T-shirt promoting the "Get Uncomfortable" campaign. "Get Uncomfortable" focuses on having more of those conversations that Hess and peers started aimed at "disrupting racism on and off the ice" and "making hockey welcoming for everyone." The Kraken franchise has taken the "Get Uncomfortable" pledge and fans can do the same
HERE
.
On Saturday, Black Girl Hockey Club will host a pregame meetup at Queen Anne Beer Hall before the Kraken host the Detroit Red Wings at Climate Pledge Arena (7 p.m. puck drop). Fans will want to arrive early for warmups to check out specialty jerseys designed by Stevie Shao, a local artist with "a love for color, nature and community."
Speaking of artists, there is a don't miss exhibit installed at Kraken Community Iceplex Friday through Monday. Professional goalie and artist-architect Kim Sass has created an 11-piece "advocacy art" exhibit to "spark needed conversation about gender equity in pro hockey."
Her "
Behind the Front
" show includes paintings, art installations and video. The exhibit, presented by Starbucks, is free to the public.
During the Saturday home game, the Kraken will highlight BGHC as the Starbucks community star. Hess will be joined on stage by youth hockey player and BGHC scholarship recipient Mihaila McField, 8, who plays with a top 'A' all-boys hockey team in Fargo, ND, as the only girl and Black. She is playing spring hockey in Vancouver, B.C., for the Kodiaks hockey school. She chose No. 20 for her jersey to represent international hockey star Sarah Nurse. She has big dreams to play in the NHL and her backup plan is becoming a doctor.
The Kraken and One Roof Foundation will donate the net proceeds of the specialty Women of Hockey and Black Girl Hockey Club merchandise lines to the BGHC scholarship fund. The fund supports young women of color pursuing their hockey dreams and helps to cover costs of registration, equipment, camps, clinics and more.