The New York Islanders today announce a significant expansion of the franchise’s commitment to youth hockey, with a specific focus on increasing opportunities for girls. As part of the team’s ongoing efforts to make hockey more accessible and inclusive, the Islanders will implement new initiatives aimed at fostering gender equity within the sport.

The investment will more than double participation numbers this season to 1,100 and seek to ensure more girls and women have access to play and coach the sport throughout the region. The Islanders are dedicated to fostering a thriving girls hockey community by expanding access, elevating the game, and celebrating the achievements of female hockey players.

The Islanders have received tremendous support from partners JetBlue, Global Industrial and Xerox in bringing this commitment to fruition.

“The entire Islanders organization is committed to growing girls hockey in our community. We believe that every child deserves to play the sport they love,” said Janet Duch, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications for the Islanders and UBS Arena. “We’re also grateful for the support of our partners JetBlue, Global Industrial and Xerox, who share our passion.”

The Islanders will apply comprehensive, long-term girls’ initiatives to increase hockey participation and generate excitement for the sport. These programs include:

• Try Hockey for Free events

• Learn to Play programs for beginners

• Continue to Play programs as a transition between Learn to Play and existing Travel Hockey programs

• Girls Advance Clinic Series for female players in existing travel hockey programs

• Girls Tournament Team to complement the Quebec Peewee Team

• Women’s Coaching & Leadership Summit to recruit, support, and provide more opportunities for women in the sport

Throughout the season, the Islanders will host several key events to celebrate and support girls hockey. These include:

Girls Hockey Weekends: The puck will drop on October 19-20, when the season’s first Girls Hockey Weekend presented by Global Industrial takes place at Northwell Presents The Park at UBS Arena. This will be a celebration of all levels of the game in conjunction with the International Ice Hockey Federation and USA Hockey. Another weekend will take place in January.

By investing in these programs and events, the Islanders are committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable hockey community for all.