The NHL: A Family in Sports
- Ryann Smith
- Mar 24, 2020
- 4 min read
The National Hockey League (NHL) runs massively effective community relations initiatives, programs, and events in the sports industry. Not only does the league itself develop and host community relations campaigns, but teams, coaches, and players also do as well. While this can be said for other sports leagues in the industry, the NHL is able to create more of a family environment with its efforts than other teams. This can be attributed to the fact that hockey while one of the top five major sports, is still emerging in the US and gaining popularity. With that, they have a smaller fanbase that allows for easier accessibility. Compared to sports such as football and basketball, players in the NBA and NFL seem less approachable, even untouchable, but the image that the NHL and its players have been able to cultivate makes them seem more human. Looking into their community relations efforts, you can find the top five league initiatives: Future Goals, Hockey is for Everyone, Hockey Fights Cancer, Learn to Play, and NHL Green.
Future Goals
This program teaches children important skills using a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum that focuses on the STEM aspects of Hockey. To enact the program, they’ve partnered with EVERFI to teach the youth about different STEM topics within hockey, such as the engineering behind their equipment, examining mass, velocity, and kinetic energy and more (NHL Future Goals, 2020). This program gets all children more involved in healthy sports while supporting learning in new, exciting ways.
Hockey is for Everyone
When the Hockey is for Everyone initiative launched it was originally a month-long celebration of diversity in the game of hockey. Though over the past year and a half it has launched into a full-time initiative to use the leagues' global influence to promote and enact positive social change while fostering more inclusive communities (NHL Hockey is for Everyone, 2020). As hockey has grown so have their fans and the diversity of fans. The league takes a firm stance on inclusivity for all meaning they are accepting of all people regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation, etc. Throughout the season, they will celebrate and participate in Black History Month, Pride Month, Gender Equality Month, and more, under the umbrella of their Hockey is for Everyone Campaign.
Hockey Fights Cancer
The NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer program was launched in 1998 in conjunction with the NHL Players Association, and Hockey Fights Cancer to support those in the hockey community being affected by this disease in some way. Across the NHL, November is their Hockey Fights Cancer Month in which each of the 31 teams in the league hosts a Hockey Fights Cancer Night. During these games, players and staff wear lavender uniforms and use lavender in any way they can to show support for anyone and everyone fighting cancer. Their partnership with the American Cancer Society, Canada Cancer Society, and Movember, they are able to use donations received on their Hockey Fights Cancer Night to support those fighting cancer, their families, and their caregivers by providing lodging, transportation, vital programs, and symptom management support (NHL Hockey Fights Cancer, 2020).
Learn to Play
Learn to play is all about the development of hockey’s youth. The program works to teach children responsibility, respect, and teamwork on and off the ice (NHL Learn to Play, 2020). They are aiming to develop not only great hockey players but great people as well. This is part of what makes the NHL seem more like a family rather than just a community.
They are aiming to develop not only great hockey players but great people as well.
NHL Green
The NHL Green initiative launched in 2010 and it is their commitment to promote more sustainable business practices across the league as well as preserving the environment, such as the frozen ponds that inspired and cultivated the game over a century ago (NHL Green, 2020). Under NHL Green that has launched other programs that assist in bettering the environment such as Gallons for Goals which was their promise to restore 1000 gallons of water for every one goal scored during the regular season. They continue to work towards more sustainable solutions to their business practices including using new eco-friendly technology to run and power ice rinks and supporting local pond hockey rinks across America.
Team and Player Contributions
Along with participating in league-wide initiatives, programs, and events, each team runs its own foundations and community relations effort the vary across each team. Something that they all incorporate is school and hospital visits. This is where some (or all) players from a team go to a local school or hospital to meet with fans and to brighten their day. For school visits usually, the players will discuss the importance of eating healthy, focusing on school, and participating in physical activity. For hospital visits, players meet fans who are usually fighting diseases and provide a once in a lifetime experience for them, hanging out with their favorite players, and discussing their favorite sport.
While these two community relations programs are great, teams have countless more that connect them with the community and some players have even created their own foundations. Many have done this because they believe in a cause and want to support it and they also want to give back to the communities that have supported them. Players that have developed foundations focus on varying issues they support from fighting debilitating diseases to supporting those putting their lives on the line for their community or country.
Altogether, the community relations effort put forth by the NHL is not completely comparable to the efforts made by other sports leagues. They have cultivated not only a community but a family that supports one another, which shows their humanity and wears it on their sleeve. For these reasons, the NHL’s community outreach efforts are one of a kind and display that individuality can be developed in the community relations field by any organization.
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