Ian Kennedy examines the Canada-USA Rivalry Series and Marie-Philip Poulin's latest accomplishment, Larry Kwong, the Respect Group and the PHF Riveters.

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.

Marie-Philip Poulin Joins Elite Club

During the concluding games of the 2023 Rivalry Series, featuring the Canadian and USA national teams, Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin joined an elite club. 

Poulin scored the final goal of a Team Canada 5-1 win at 18:55 of the third period on Monday. Her point was No. 200 with the Canadian national team, which made Poulin only the fifth player in women’s national team history to score 200 points. She joins joined Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Danielle Goyette, and Caroline Ouellette.

Poulin completed the feat in Quebec in front of family and friends.

“It’s hard to put it into words,” Poulin told the media. “Standing on the blueline, seeing my parents and my brother... It was a very special moment. Not only because my family was here, but knowing my teammates were beside me as well. They’re friends and family, and it was a dream tonight.”

Monday's Canadian victory evened the series at 3-3 after Canada was 3-0 down. Both teams faced off in Game 7 Wednesday night, where Poulin added another goal in a 5-0 Canada win.

Is Larry Kwong the Next Pioneer Destined For The Hall of Fame?

Larry Kwong was the first Asian Canadian to play in the NHL. Now, there are increased calls to have Kwong inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside Herb Carnegie and Willie O’Ree, pioneers who have recently been enshrined in the Hall. The New York Rangers signed Kwong in 1946. In 1947-48, Kwong led the New York Rovers, the Rangers’ top affiliate, in scoring by notching 86 points in 65 games.

The performance earned Kwong a call-up to the Rangers, but the barriers for athletes of color were still overwhelming in the NHL. Kwong suited up for the Rangers against the Montreal Canadiens but was given only one shift, the final of the game. It would be the first and last shift of his NHL career, lasting less than a minute. 

After watching many of his teammates from the Rovers called up to play meaningful minutes with the Rangers, Kwong would sign with the Valleyfield Braves of the Quebec Senior Hockey League (QSHL) the following season. In 1951, Kwong led the Braves in scoring, being named the QSHL's most valuable player and leading his team to a national championship. The next season, Kwong’s 38 goals in the QSHL were topped by only one player, Jean Beliveau.

Kwong went on to play and coach in England and Switzerland. In Switzerland in 1958, Kwong served as a player-coach for Ambri-Piotta, where he not only led the team in scoring but also became the first person of Chinese descent to coach a professional hockey team.

Already a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, there is growing interest from media, fans, and supporters, including via online petitions garnering several thousand signatures, to see Larry Kwong enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame – recognizing his impact as a pioneer of the game.

Hockey Canada Looks To Enhance Protections

Under Hockey Canada’s new board of directors, the first announcement of new programming related to safety came this week. 

According to Hockey Canada, they’ve extended their partnership with Respect Group, in order to show their “renewed and expanded commitment to preventative education in safe sport…to make hockey safer at all levels of the game.”

Respect Group, which is led by abuse survivor and former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, will develop and implement new training programs across Hockey Canada while continuing to deliver their existing online courses.

“Age-appropriate, player-centric education is the next logical step in the enhancement of our Respect in Sport curriculum, and we are very excited to be partnering with Hockey Canada as a contributor in the development of these tools,” said Sheldon Kennedy, co-founder of Respect Group, in a Hockey Canada news release. “This demonstrates how committed both of our organizations are to creating change in hockey.”

Added Hockey Canada's chair of the board of directors, Hugh Fraser: “Hockey Canada is thrilled to be working with Respect Group in pursuit of our common desire to effect meaningful change in hockey by advancing a safe, respectful and inclusive experience for all participants.”

Hockey Canada is calling the partnership an “investment in preventative education” and promised further announcements in the near future. According to Hockey Canada’s news release, the new board of directors has spent more than 80 hours in meetings during the first two months of their tenure. The goal is to help guide the future direction of the organization.

Riveters Connect With Ice Hockey in Harlem and Celebrate Rosie

In Central Park at the famed Wollman Rink, the PHF’s Metropolitan Riveters hosted a clinic this week for youth involved in Ice Hockey in Harlem, a community organization providing educational and recreational opportunities to youth in Harlem, N.Y. 

The group has been operating since 1987, with a mission “to support and develop determined, resilient, and confident youth by offering high-quality ice hockey programming, as well as off-ice programming that exposes young people in Harlem to educational experiences that improve their academic engagement, grow and strengthen their character and prepare them for their future.”

Earlier this month, the Riveters also honored the 80th anniversary of ‘Rosie the Riveter.’ Rosie the Riveter, the namesake for the team, is a depiction of the women who worked in factories and shipyards in the Second World War, as displayed on the famous “We Can Do It” posters. 

Last year, the Riveters introduced new “Black Rosie” jerseys to represent the many women of color who aided in these wartime efforts.

“Playing for the Riveters is an absolute honor,” said Riveters forward Leah Marino of the team name and logo. “It’s one thing to just have a team logo, but to have your logo represent such a big legacy makes it that much more motivating to play the game and continue to work towards equality.”