RALEIGH, N.C. – With a new season comes new opportunities. Sunday was an opportunity for the Carolina Hurricanes to allow girls in the Raleigh area to try the sport of hockey and celebrate all females who make the game great.

Approximately 100 female players made their way to Lenovo Center for on-ice activities ranging from beginner level to elite level hockey, including a Try Hockey for Free event and a high-level high school hockey game. The high school hockey game involved participants from the 14U, 16U & 19U AAA Junior Hurricanes teams and when the on-ice activities concluded, the players enjoyed an ice cream social and pumpkin painting in the spirit of the fall season.

Putting together the event as a part of IIHF Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend, celebrated nationwide October 11-13, smiles were abundant and an event simultaneously growing the game was a success.

“With the girl’s and women’s game growing so rapidly, it’s not often that we all get to celebrate under one roof,” Canes Girls & Women’s Hockey Specialist Sarah Swingle shared. “This weekend, we were able to bring together a large group of girls ages 5-18 to celebrate the special weekend and kick off the hockey season.”

From just getting involved to having girls advance to the college game, Swingle and the Canes have it covered for female players.

Beginning with the team’s First Goal Program, a league-wide initiative and partnership between the Canes, the National Hockey League, and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, the initiative introduces over 750+ players to the game each year, with 100-150 of those participants being female.

“The First Goal program sells out nearly every summer, and the girls-only sessions continuously sell out as well. In collaboration with the NHL and NHLPA, we are providing as many opportunities as our ice resources allow,” Swingle continued. “We’re always ideating different ways to maximize ice to continue to allow more girls to participate in the sport.”

Those graduating from the First Goal program then transition to the Lil’ Lady Canes League, which provides players ages 6-10 the opportunity to practice and play each week. From there, female players ages 11-14 can join the Canes Girls Hockey League, the Polar Hurricanes House League (co-ed), or the Carolina Junior Hurricanes (all-girl travel options). To view the Carolina Hurricanes Girls Hockey Pathway, click here.

Serval Carolina Junior Hurricanes Girls Alumni have advanced to the college level, many have represented at USA Hockey National Development Camps, and some have even won gold medals for Team USA.

“In the majority of interviews you hear from grown women who played hockey, they will say that there were not all-girl opportunities accessible to them nor did they have female mentorship growing up. I’m so glad that is no longer the case for our young female athletes. Here in Raleigh, we have learn-to-play programs, recreational programs, travel programs, women’s programs, and female mentors and coaches all along the way.” Swingle finished with.

“A few years ago, the Carolina Junior Hurricanes would travel to tournaments in the North or Northeast and people would be surprised to see our logo. Nowadays, people recognize our logo, no longer see us as an untraditional hockey market, and know we are a force to be reckoned with.”