NHL Cultural Celebrations/Community Theme Nights blog

The NHL is proud of the work its teams devote to the communities they serve. From the special nights all 32 teams will be having all season long, to the frequent outreach beyond the rink, NHL.com will provide all the details on the players, coaches and staff who are such admirable ambassadors for our sport.

March 10

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks celebrated CHOC Night on Sunday at Honda Center.

CHOC (Children’s Hospital of Orange County) provides care to children with pediatric illnesses and injuries.

Before the Ducks game against the New York Islanders, the team invited CHOC’s longest tenured employee to participate in the ceremonial puck drop with Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas and Islanders captain Anders Lee.

During walk-ins, Ducks players wore special T-shirts and even brought teddy bears (dressed in Ducks gear) to the arena.

During the first intermission, CHOC employee Jessica Miley joined the broadcast crew.

Kara Nguyen – the CHOC ambassador for the upcoming CHOC walk – also joined the broadcast. The CHOC walk will take place in July at Disneyland Resort to raise funds for CHOC.

March 9

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks celebrated their "Women of Teal" night in a plethora of ways, including bringing in highly-decorated United States women's player Megan Bozek.

Bozek, a defenseman for Team USA, is a four-time world champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist and two-time NCAA champion. Before doing the honors of dropping the puck, Bozek led a panel discussion and youth clinic for young players.

The Sharks also displayed a specially-designed women's logo from artist Berni Prado, who spoke to the team about her inspiration for the design.

March 7

Tampa Bay Lightning

Amalie Arena was the site of the team's Pride Night as the Lightning welcomed some special guests.

Before the game, singer John Carlos Arcos of the Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay did the honor of performing the national anthem.

The ceremonial first puck was dropped by Nicole Berman, the executive director of St. Pete Pride.

St. Pete Pride is Florida's largest non-profit LGBTQIA+ organization and aims to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community through cultural events, educational programs, and advocacy actions.

February 29

Tampa Bay Lightning

For Black Heritage Night, the Lightning hosted Leon Jackson, a pioneering member of the groundbreaking "Courageous 12" of the St. Petersburg Police Department who won a landmark discrimination lawsuit striking a blow for equality back in 1965.

Prior to the lawsuit, Black police officers in St. Petersburg were only allowed to patrol Black neighborhoods and were only allowed to arrest Black citizens.

Jackson tells the story of the "Courageous 12" eloquently in a video shared by the Lightning on social media.

The team invited Jackson to drop the puck on Thursday as part of the team's celebration.

San Jose Sharks

For their celebration of Black history, the Sharks commissioned specially designed jerseys which the team wore into the SAP Center ahead of their game against the Anaheim Ducks.

The unique sweaters will be auctioned off by the team for charity.

Artist Corbrae Smith was behind the design, which was inspired by hip hop culture of the 1980s.

Smith spoke about in a social media post from the team.

February 22

Carolina Hurricanes

It was Pride Night in Raleigh as the Hurricanes lit up PNC Arena in rainbow colors outside.

The team shared the photo of the festive building on social media.

In addition to the special decor, the Hurricanes commissioned special jerseys designed by Chelsea Amato, a Raleigh-based artist, graphic designer and energy worker.

The jerseys featured beautiful arrangements of various types of flowers inside the Hurricanes logo.

"The opportunity to meld queerness and sports sounded right up my alley," Amato told the team's website. "What makes this design specific to me is that this pride design was inspired by plants, their inherent queerness, their resilience and strength, and their ability to heal," Amato shared. "I focused on plants that are representative of myself and the queer community."

Read more about Amato's unique design and what it represents on the Hurricanes official website.

St. Louis Blues

On Pride Night at Enterprise Arena, the Blues hosted a special auction that featured sticks used in warmups decorated with Pride Tape.

In addition to the sticks the auction included Pride-themed autographed pucks in addition to other specially signed items like hats, gloves and nameplates.

February 21

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks rang in the Lunar New Year with a special celebration during their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Honda Center.

Before the game, the Ducks sported special red warm up jerseys as they arrived to the arena. A dragon was featured on the crest of the jerseys in nod to the "Year of the Dragon:"

The Ducks are auctioning off autographed Lunar New Year jerseys until Thursday, with the proceeds benefiting the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance.

January 29

Ottawa Senators

Canadian Tire Centre was the sight of the Senators Indigenous Culture Celebration during a game against the Nashville Predators.

The team welcomed a group from Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO), the province's only organization dedicated to Indigenous tourism. The group works to establish a platform for Indigenous cultural expression and preservation.

The group representing ITO performed the ceremonial first puck drop between Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and Predators captain Roman Josi.

January 18

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers celebrated Pride Night at Rogers Place before a game against the Seattle Kraken

The team shared a special video of players, including captain Connor McDavid, taping up their stick in rainbow patterns using Pride Tape.

The team also went full rainbow during their walk out to the ice, lighting up the hallway in pride colors.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks celbrated their Pride Night before a game against the Aizona Coyotes at Rogers Arena

The team shared some photos of players in the locker room taping up their sticks using Pride Tape.

The team also shared a fun video of fans showing off their pride.

January 10

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers celebrated their annual Pride Night during their game against the Montreal Canadiens at Wells Fargo Arena.

During warmups, the Flyers sported rainbow tape on their sticks.

Scott Laughton continued his Pride initative by inviting his Pride guests from the last three seasons to the game. He met with his guests after the game.

January 6

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils hosted Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Night on Saturday and as part of the celebration had some stunning themed jerseys designed for the occassion.

Artist Teena Soni of Somerset, New Jersey came up with the design. The crest of the jersey reflects the rich tapestry of Indian heritage with a verdant landscape.

“This masterpiece is a symphony of elements—Ayurvedic greenery intertwining with the purity of the lotus and the vibrant energy encapsulated in the Devils logo," Soni told the Devils website. "It's a testament to the fusion of traditions, a bridge connecting the New Jersey Devils to the timeless wisdom of Indian culture. The trees symbolize resilience and growth, with the fish representing fluidity and adaptability. The lotus in the outer circle embodies purity and enlightenment, drawing parallels to the team’s pursuit of excellence. The blue, a reflection of water, signifies the boundless potential, echoing the depths of determination within each player. In every stroke, find the heartbeat of a team rooted in tradition, flourishing in the present, and poised to conquer the future.”

December 21

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils celebrated their Pride Night during their game against the Edmonton Oilers at the Prudential Center on Thursday.

The Devils walked into the arena sporting special colorful jerseys designed by local New Jersey artist Kathryn Kennedy. The sweaters were put up for auction after the game with the proceeds benefiting Hyacinth, a local AIDS foundation.

During warmups, players wrapped their sticks with rainbow pride tape. Oilers captain Connor McDavid also taped his stick with pride tape.

December 9

Seattle Kraken

As Climate Pledge Arena hosted Indigenous Peoples Night on Saturday, Kraken players arrived to the game in stunning orange jerseys in celebration of the event.

The unique sweaters were designed by Bethany Fackrell, an artist and member of the Snoqualmie Tribe and Naval veteran.

Each player autographed their jersey, which are set to be auctioned off by the Kraken's One Roof Foundation to benefit Lushootseed Research and the Na'ah Illahee Fund, two charities focused on preserving Indigenous culture, traditions  and language.

December 6

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks celebrated First Nations Night on Tuesday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

The night started with a pregame ceremony which highlighted the next generation of First Nations youth on the ice.

They then participated in the ceremonial puck drop.

Later in the night, three women performed a Coast Salish Prayer Song.

December 3

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins celebrated Hockey Is For Everyone Night on Sunday at TD Garden.

The team had on rainbow tape during warmups to celebrate the night.

The Bruins then welcomed a special starting lineup featuring six hockey players representing a variety of diverse communities.

December 2

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames celebrated Indigenous culture and tradition at Scotiabank Sattledome on Saturday.

The celebration began with a beautiful rendition of "O' Canada" performed by Dilayna Blackhorse sang entirely in the native language of Blackfoot.

The Flames had a special guest PA announcer, Eldon Weasel Child from the Siksika Nation, and welcomed seven drummers to provide music for the celebration - one representing each nation from the Treaty 7 Territory of Southern Alberta.

During the music, each nation had a selected youth ambassador of each nation carry their flag out on to the ice.

Former Flames forward Rene Bourque, who played four of his 12 NHL seasons in Calgary, was also welcomed to the ice. Bourque has dedicated much of his retirement to creating and supporting charitable initiatives to help break down barriers between Indigenous youth and hockey.

Bourque, a native of La Biche, Alberta, represents the Metis Nation. He dropped the ceremonial puck between Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and Flames captain Mikael Backlund.

November 20

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks hosted their fifth annual Autism Acceptance Night on Monday during their game against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena.

Players wore Canucks Autism Network sweatshirts during their pregame routines to show support for the organization.

The Canucks Autism Network, founded in 2008, is a non-profit that provides programs to individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, while promoting acceptance and inclusion through community engagement.

Members of the Canucks Autism Network participated in many of the pregame festivities, including singer Miriah Reitmeier performing “O Canada” and the father and son duo of Shawn and Ethan Saran ringing the Community Hero Siren.

November 18

Winnipeg Jets

At Canada Life Centre, the Jets hosted their Pride Night, complete with special auction of autgraphed player jerseys to benefit Pride Winnipeg and Rainbow Resource Centre.

November 13

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers were joined by special guests during Monday’s Indigenous and Native American Heritage Night at Rogers Place.

After a performance from an Indigenous band on the ice, the team recognized seven special guests, all representatives of the Indigenous community.

Desmond Bull, Arthur Noskey, Andrea Sandmaier, Edna Elias, Jessie Morin, Cody Thomas and Willie Littlechild all walked out on the ice during a pregame ceremony before puck drop against the New York Islanders.

Rogers Place was also decked out in fesitve colored lights and designs in celebration of the night.

After the pregame ceremony, The Bearhead Sisters – an Indigenous musical trio – performed a special Indigenous Celebration Night rendition of the Canadian national anthem in the Stoney Nakoda language.

November 9

San Jose Sharks

With a burst of color and help from artist Malti B. Lee, the Sharks celebrated Diwali.

In a video interview shared by the team, Lee said she wanted to bring the energy of Indian festivals to her unique design which incorporates the Sharks logo as well as various traditional Diwali themes.

"It's a time when families and communities come together," Lee said. "It's just a really positive time of year and I think the Sharks putting something on for the community is really exciting. It just speaks to the fact that the Sharks are for everyone and everyone is celebrated in their own ways. I think that's really powerful from a sports team.

The team also had a special group of dancers, music from DJ Heer, henna artists and more.

November 2

Arizona Coyotes 

The Coyotes celebrated Hispanic Heritage night with some gorgeous-looking jerseys worn on the way into Mullett Arena on Thursday.

The black jersey featured a colorful and fearsome-looking take on the Coyotes logo, complete with a helmet patterned in the vein of a sugar skull on Dia De Los Muertos.

The Coyotes planned to auction off the special edition jerseys, one for each player which also features stylized nameplate and numbers, on the team foundation's website.

Vegas Golden Knights

The defending Stanley Cup champions celebrated their Hispanic Heritage Night with a pregame party outside T-Mobile Arena that featured the Mariachi Band from Las Vegas Academy.

Fans on the concourse were able to get Dia de los Meuertos-themed face painting done to celebrate the night.

November 1

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks celebrated Hispanic Heritage Night on Wednesday at the Honda Center.

The players wore special “Patos de Anaheim” shirts walking into the arena before their game against the Arizona Coyotes.

The team put up a mural outside the area at Puck Drop Patio to help celebrate the special night.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher native Patrick Sandoval showed up to celebrate the night.

They are also giving out special T-shirt to fans who make a food purchase that includes guacamole.

October 30

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins kicked off Hockey Fights Cancer month early with a celebration at TD Garden on Monday.

The Bruins filled out their “I Fight For” cards and showed up to the arena wearing the signature purple jerseys.

The Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys were raffled off by the Bruins Foundation.

Tickets to the game were donated to Boston area cancer patients.

During warmups, Charlie Coyle brought a fan to tears after tossing her a puck. The fan had a sign that read "I fought for my mom, world's biggest B's fan."

Read here for more details from the night.

October 28

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings celebrated Hispanic Heritage night on Saturday with incredible jerseys inspired by Dia De Los Muertos.

The black jerseys featured gold numbers, skulls on both shoulders and a giant centerpiece logo that was bright and colorful. The traditional crown in the kings logo was replaced by a skull wearing a crown and two hockey sticks adorning each side.

The design was done by Mexican-American artist Daniel Marquez Kuhlken, a lifelong Californian.

"Having the opportunity as a Mexican-American artist to create a piece celbrating Dia de Los Muertos but also getting to celebrate my hom of Los Angeles by making this for the Kings made it even sweeter," Marquez Kuhlken told NHL Espanol in a post shared on social media. "I hopw the art resonates with both the Latino and Latinx community in L.A. and Kings fans alike."

October 27

Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes players wore specially designed jerseys on their way into Mullett Arena when they hosted Pride Night on Friday.

The jerseys were stunning white with the Coyotes famous Kachina logo inside a rainbow circle. Numbers and nameplates were also done up in rainbow colors in celebration.

The team was set to auction the unique sweaters on the Coyotes Foundation website.

Mystery pucks featuring the Coyotes rainbow logo were also available through the Coyotes Foundation website.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights celebrated Nevada Day with some unique jerseys.

The jerseys featured a beautiful logo in the mold of the Nevada State flag, but displayed the Golden Knights' alternate logo and the phrase "Battle Born" on top.

Nevada Day celebrates the state's admission into the union on Oct. 31, 1864.

Fans were able to bid on each player's jersey, which was not game-worn but was autographed, with the proceeds going to benefit the VGK Foundation.

October 25

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils celebrated Hispanic Heritage Night when they hosted the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

Here are all the details on the night.

Also on Wednesday, the Devils announced that U.S. Olympic gold medalist hockey player Amanda Pelkey as their female hockey ambassador.

Read here for all the details.

October 21

Florida Panthers

It was Pink at the Rink night at Amerant Bank Arena where the Florida Panthers went full fuscia with the support of The Promise Fund and Baptist Health Cancer Care.

The Panthers teamed up with artist Diana Contreras, who designed a stunning special pink jersey featuring a rendering of a fierce woman with claws wearing a Panther head. The claws held a pink ribbon with the word "fight" written on it. Roses adorned each side and the Panthers alternate logo sat in place of where a necklace would be.

The team shared a video of Contreras talking about her inspiration, a team employee.

The Panthers also switched their social media profile picture to Contreras' design for the night.

Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg , who said his mother survived two bouts with breast cancer, spoke of the importance of the night.

"I think it's important," Lomberg said in a video posted by the team. "We're in the spotlight, so anytime we can raise awareness for causes like this and other causes that help people it's important to us."

The Promise Fund of Florida aims to prevent the unnecessary progression of breast and cervical cancer in women. Baptist Health is the largest cancer treatment center in South Florida including the Miami Cancer Institute and the Lynn Cancer Institute.

October 19

New York Rangers

The Rangers held their Hispanic Heritage Night on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. The team invited Bronx Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr. to join the celebration and recieve the Community Captain Award.

The team donated $10,000 to the Latino Youth Outreach, a nonprofit organization that offers workshops for Latino students looking to enroll in higher education. The organization also offers mentoring and educational programs in STEM, as well as scholarships.

Before the game, members of the Puerto Rican Ice Hockey Association (PRIHA) skated on Madison Square Garden ice with former Rangers forward Boo Nieves and then stayed for the game.

October 17

New York Islanders

The Islanders hosted Hispanic Heritage Night against the Arizona Coyotes. The team employed the food services of the popular Miguel Flores Restaurant on Long Island, serving up authentic tacos and pupusas.

The team highlighted the Latina Sisters Support Inc., an organization that provides medical and emotional support for those facing breast cancer.

The Islanders also sold special collectible pucks, adorned with a colorful Sugar Skull wearing a team helmet, with the proceeds benefitting the New York Islanders Children's Fund and the team's aim to grow the game in Hispanic communities, something the team spoke of doing in a video clip shared earlier.

October 15

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks started their home season with an annual tradition, introducing their 21st Duck.

This year it was Trent Sullivan. Read all about his big night here.

October 14

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks held their Hispanic Heritage Night, auctioning off Los Tiburones jerseys.

Here are all the details:

Boston Bruins

The Bruins held Teacher Appreciation Night. During the 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators, the Bruins recognized Doug Scott, Jedediyah Williams, Marissa Ramos and Shannon Sheldon as the 2023 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year semifinalists.

Additionally, Ashley Puopolo, a STEM specialist at Stoneham Central Middle School, was honored as the Community All Star for her commitment to teaching students about the importance of STEM inside and outside the classroom. In November 2022, Puopolo was selected as the Bruins Future Goals Teacher of the Month.