Growing the Game is Ian Kennedy’s weekly feature examining the global game, how social issues impact the sport, and how hockey’s important cultural shift continues to evolve.
Is the NHL Headed To Australia?
The NHL is looking at potentially playing Global Series games in Australia in the coming years. The process, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, is still in the exploratory stages.
“Some time over the next week or two, the NHL is going to be having a site survey in Australia,” Friedman said on Oct. 22. “It’s nothing firm, but I do believe the league is looking at playing a couple of games there.”
One possible destination for a game could be in Victoria at the roughly 1,500-person capacity O’Brien Icehouse that opened in 2010. The arena is currently home to the Melbourne Ice, who play in both the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) and Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL), and the AIHL’s Melbourne Mustangs.
While it would be the NHL’s first appearance in Australia, the sport itself is not new to the nation. Hockey was first played in Australia back in 1906 at the country’s second indoor arena, the Melbourne Glaciarium, and today, the AIHL is the Southern hemisphere’s largest league. The AIHL, which serves as Australia’s top men’s league was formed in 2000, while the AWIHL was established in 2005.
This past season, the AIHL featured players from nine countries, including former New York Islanders blueliner and first-round pick Ty Wishart, as well as former Florida Panthers forward Scott Timmins. Currently, only St. Louis Blues forward Nathan Walker is from Australia. Walker’s represented Australia internationally and played in the AIHL in 2009-10 with the Syndey Ice Dogs.
Will the NHL play in Australia? It seems like the next step in the league’s global growth.
Iran and Uzbekistan To Make IIHF Debuts
New nations continue to make their International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) debut, with Iran (women) and Uzbekistan (men) slated to appear for the first time in 2023. The addition of these nations signifies the IIHF’s focus on growth in the Asia and Oceania continents.
“We need to use every single opportunity in the Asia and Oceania region to ensure the growth and to unfold the potential,” said IIHF vice-president and committee chairman Aivaz Omorkanov.
Iran will debut a women’s team for the first time at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia and Oceania Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. The tournament will also include teams from India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Uzbekistan became a member of the IIHF back in 2019 but will make its first tournament appearance this year at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U-18 Asia and Oceania Championship.
With Iranian women and men from Uzbekistan joining the IIHF for the first time, the IIHF also steps into the conversation of ongoing human rights violations and discrimination and violence against women in both nations. As the game grows globally, hockey’s role in combatting inequity does as well. How the IIHF chooses to address or ignore these issues will continue to define the sport worldwide.
Vancouver Canucks Acknowledge Diwali
The Vancouver Canucks recognized Diwali, one of the major holidays in India and across the globe celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. It is a festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, that typically is celebrated over five days. The Canucks held events inside the arena celebrating Diwali, and also wore custom-designed pregame jerseys to celebrate the holiday.
“The ability to connect around a sport, around a celebration, around art, it’s really just a coming together of people,” said Sandeep Jahal, the artist who created Vancouver’s jerseys.
This off-season, the Canucks signed Arshdeep Bains, whose father immigrated to Canada from India settling in Surrey, B.C. For Bains, who is currently playing for the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, the celebration of Diwali has been important in his family.
“Diwali to me kind of means celebrating with your family, enjoying sweets, enjoying lights, candles, it’s just a happy time being with your family and friends, it’s just a joyful time,” Bains said.
It is the sixth year the Canucks have celebrated Diwali.
Brock McGillis Combats Hockey Culture
With discussions surrounding Hockey Canada and the culture of the sport, work must be done from the grassroots up to enact change. One of those changemakers is former professional hockey player and LGBTQ+ advocate and educator Brock McGillis. Last weekend, McGillis spoke to Hockey Calgary coaches at their 2022 Leadership Day Coach Edition, giving what the organization called an “impactful presentation. An amazing journey with some crucial takeaways for these coaches.”
Days prior, he took part in a panel discussion in Ottawa on safe sport at OSN Sport Speaks and has been presenting to junior hockey teams across Canada this season. As hockey organizations begin the daunting task of shifting culture, McGillis’ voice and experience will remain important for the future of the sport.
‘We Are Hockey’ Showcases Diverse Experiences
The We Are Hockey exhibit, on display now at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), in Brampton, Ont., aims to challenge racism in hockey while showcasing the experiences of people of color in the sport.
Recently, a panel involving hockey scholar Dr. Courtney Szto, who was the brainchild of the exhibit, Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi’s Amrit Gill, and Black Girl Hockey Club Canada executive director Saroya Tinker took place to launch the exhibit and highlight the importance of diverse representation in the sport.
As hockey continues to address oppressive practices and systemic racism, educational opportunities like We Are Hockey provide the opportunity for the game to grow as an inclusive and safe space for all.
