Ian Kennedy shares a story he wrote on a bustling hockey community in the Falkland Islands and discusses PHF's strong message of Pride and a new CTE study.
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.
PHF Sends Strong Message of Pride
June is Pride month, a time for the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate who they are, to showcase the incredible contributions of LGBTQ+ people to society, and to acknowledge the continued fight for equality and rights that are currently being threatened across North America.
Many players and the PHF sent messages of support and showcased the celebration of Pride throughout the month. Most notably, the PHF this week posted a video message from Metropolitan Riveters captain Madison Packer stating the league’s unwavering support for the LGTBQ+ community.
“This year more than ever, it’s important that we come out and we celebrate loud and proud,” Packer said. “Currently all across our country, dangerous legislation is threatening the lives of trans youth…kids, they are kids, who are afforded and deserve the same right to love, happiness and life as every other human on this planet.
“At the PHF, we believe in inclusivity and acceptance of all people, at all times, and you are always welcome in our arenas.”
Meet Hockey’s Most Remote Community, the Falkland Islands
Located off the tip of South America near Antarctica, the Falkland Islands are a remote but growing hockey community. The Falkland Islands Hockey Association features 22 teams, both men’s and women’s, despite the Islands having a population under 4000.
"We're the smallest and remotest national ice hockey in the world, and our players are so dedicated and determined to give it their all, play their hearts out," said Marvis Chipunza, a women's hockey player in the Falkland Islands. "For a population so small, it is honestly the biggest sport on the islands."
The nation has sent multiple players overseas to play and have also competed in events, including the LATAM Cup in Miami, and tournaments in Chile and Costa Rica. Currently, hockey in the Falkland Islands consists of DEK and Inline, but the nation is hoping to plan for an ice rink.
To read more about hockey in the Falkland Islands and to watch a conversation with Marvis Chipunza, visit The Hockey News’ women’s site.
Ouellette to Become 10th Woman in the Hockey Hall of Fame
Women’s hockey legend Caroline Ouellette will become the 10th woman to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame this year as part of the class of 2023.
One of the most decorated Canadian women to ever play the game, owning four Olympic and six World Championship gold medals, along with multiple accolades at the NCAA and CWHL levels, Ouellette’s entrance to the Hall of Fame was long overdue.
While women’s hockey fans and media were quick to celebrate Ouellette, they were also quick to point out that there are two places allocated annually for women to be inducted. Women were first allowed entrance into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010, but the only time the Hall has used those two spots was in that inaugural class in 2010. Since then, the Hall chose not to induct a single woman four times and has only used one spot the other years.
New CTE Study Finds Concussions Aren’t the Only Determinant
A new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, and Boston University of 631 deceased football players has found that concussions alone are not the lone risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Instead, the new study suggested that “repeated non-concussive head injuries are a associated with CTE.”
This means any hit impacting the head, or in the case of hockey fights, any punch to the head, increases the risk of CTE, even if it does not result in a concussion.
While the study focused on men in football, researchers were clear, since the results examine head impact, it does not matter what sport or action generates the impact, only that the impact occurs.
“Although this study was limited to football players, it also provides insight into the impact characteristics most responsible for CTE pathology outside of football, because your brain doesn’t care what hits it,” said study lead author Dan Daneshvar. “The finding that estimated lifetime force was related to CTE in football players likely holds true for other contact sports, military exposure, or domestic violence.”
The NHL, including commissioner Gary Bettman, has repeatedly denied the link between CTE and the impacts and head injuries incurred playing hockey.