Deep Blue Sea: Hockey is for everyone

The National Hockey League (NHL) and NHL Players Association (NHLPA) have taken another step in growing the greatest game on the planet.

As the NHL and NHLPA’s admirable, year-long Hockey is for Everyone diversity and inclusion celebration (recently highlighted by the newly minted Gender Equality Month initiative) continues, we’ve been given yet another reason to applaud their efforts (and on International Women’s Day, no less):

As part of the year-long celebration of #HockeyIsForEveryone, the NHLPA and @NHL have announced the establishment of the NHL & NHLPA Female Hockey Advisory Committee, introduced amid the first-ever Gender Equality Month campaign. https://t.co/ehTfGQOyrJ #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/S7dkeOmF30

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 8, 2019

The NHL and NHLPA have established a Female Hockey Advisory Committee, which they describe as being “dedicated to accelerating the growth of female hockey in North America while also ensuring more women and girls have the opportunity to experience the benefits that hockey offers.” (Thankfully, yes, the committee is comprised solely of women.)

This news, coupled with the recent inclusion of the first woman to ever participate in the NHL All-Star weekend, (five-time International Ice Hockey Federation and 2018 Olympic gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield), are incredibly welcome steps towards making hockey, a sport long plagued with a glaring lack of diversity, truly for everyone.

News & Notes

• Nikita Kucherov scored his ridiculous 109th point of the season, breaking the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise record for most points scored in a single season. He went on to score his 110th in the same contest.
• Mark Stone scored his first goal as a Las Vegas Golden Knight in a 6-2 rout of the Vancouver Canucks.
• Las Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury claimed sole possession of the number eight spot on the NHL’s all time wins list.
• The San Jose Sharks claimed the top seed in the Western Conference with their overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues.
• The Ottawa Senators became the first team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.
• David Lombardi contributed a fantastic piece to The Athletic centered on three Czech San Jose players: ‘Tomáš Hertl, Radim Šimek and Lukáš Radil: On the Czech hockey legacy and an American life for the three Sharks.’ /

Scores & Recaps

• Buffalo Sabres 0, Colorado Avalanche 3 [Die By The Blade, Mile High Hockey recap]
• St. Louis Blues 2, San Jose Sharks 3 [St. Louis Game Time recap, Fear The Fin recap]
• Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Edmonton Oilers 2 [Pension Plan Puppets recap, Copper and Blue]
• Ottawa Senators 2, Boston Bruins 3 [Silver Seven Sens recap, Stanley Cup of Chowder recap]
• Detroit Red Wings 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 3 [Winging it in Motown recap, Raw Charge recap]
• Philadelphia Flyers 5, New York Islanders 2 [Broad Street Hockey recap, Lighthouse Hockey recap]
• New Jersey Devils 2, New York Rangers 4 [All About The Jersey recap, Blueshirt Banter recap]
• Pittsburgh Penguins 1, Columbus Blue Jackets 4 [Pensburgh recap, Jackets Cannon recap]
• Los Angeles Kings 2, Arizona Coyotes 4 [Jewels From The Crown recap, Five For Howling]
• Carolina Hurricanes 5, Nashville Predators 3 [Canes Country recap, On The Forecheck recap]
• Chicago Blackhawks 2, Dallas Stars 1 [Second City Hockey recap, Defending Big D recap]
• Las Vegas Golden Knights 6, Vancouver Canucks 2 [Knights on Ice recap, Nucks Misconduct]/