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.

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.