Issue 7: Sept. 14, 2023

Welcome Message

Last week I celebrated my 78th birthday. My sister Goldie always tells me that we should treat every day as if it’s our birthday. That’s rather good advice in my opinion.

Recently, I have felt like every day is my birthday! I’m so grateful for the gift of good health, a loving family, great friendships, and my work with The Carnegie Initiative. It brings me tremendous satisfaction to know that my father’s legacy lives on through the efforts being made to make hockey more supportive, inclusive, and welcoming for all.

I’ve been busy lately spreading the word of the principles my dad established decades ago. I was honoured to be on hand for the Youth in Policing graduation ceremony where 85 high school students from the Durham, Ontario region completed leadership and community initiatives. It was an honour to present the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Character Award to two deserving students. They were chosen by their peers for best living up to the values of the Future Aces Creed my father created years ago.

I thank Joe Tilley for inviting me on his “Great Canadian Sports Show” to talk about my father’s life, my journey, and the great work we are doing at The CI.

(Watch: Part 1 | Part 2)

Then, it was off to Calgary on my birthday to represent The CI at the “Beyond the Boards” Summit hosted by Hockey Canada last weekend. This event, with more than 150 invited guests, provided an upbeat and positive atmosphere that was crucial to allowing for open and honest discussions.

Also, The CI is developing special programming around the “Beyond Their Years” documentary that tells the story of parallel lives lived by my father and baseball legend Buck O’Neil. The film will serve as a catalyst for the difficult conversations that need to take place in order to spur change. Details are coming soon.

I could not be more energized to keep pushing forward while continuing to create opportunities for others.

Warm Regards,

Bernice Carnegie

Co-Chair

Photo Caption: Sarah Hasbi and Daniyal Naqvi receive Herb H. Carnegie Future Aces Character Awards from Bernice Carnegie at Youth in Policing Initiative Graduation ceremony on Aug. 24, 2023.

In the News

The CI Participates in “Beyond the Boards” Summit 

The CI’s Co-Chair Bernice Carnegie and Executive Director Shelley Nicholls attended the “Beyond the Boards” Summit hosted by Hockey Canada last weekend. They were among nearly 160 invited guests who participated in the two-day event in Calgary.

A wide range of individuals and organizations gathered on Friday and Saturday to take in panel discussions and engage in thoughtful, yet often uncomfortable, conversations about the current state of hockey culture in Canada.

The theme for Hockey Canada’s first summit of this kind focused on the manner in which masculinity is defined. The agenda centered around how men’s elite hockey dominates hockey’s culture in Canada through glorifying toughness and violence, the “bro culture,” and the “code of the locker room.” 

The full agenda and list of speakers can be found here.

https://beyondtheboardssummit.ca/

The CI's Shelley Nicholls (standing far left) and Bernice Carnegie (seated) at "Beyond the Boards" Summit in Calgary last weekend.

Brian Burke Named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023

The CI’s Board member Brian Burke was named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last week. The longtime NHL executive and current Executive Director of the Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association was elected as part of the five-person Class of 2023. Joining Burke are two-time Stanley Cup champions Dustin Brown and Jamie Langenbrunner, Boston College women's hockey coach Katie King Crowley, and retired NHL official Brian Murphy.

The induction ceremony is set for Dec. 6, 2023 in Boston.

Brian Burke (left) being interviewed at the Hockey Hall of Fame Induction last November.

Hockey Indigenous Adds Two Board Members 

Hockey Indigenous announced last week the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors. Winnipeg Jets scout and former women’s professional star Sydney Daniels and AHL alum Ryan Francis will join Reggie Leach on the organization’s Board.

Daniels, who was a U.S. Junior National Team member and NCAA standout then coach at Harvard University, played professionally for the Boston Pride of the now defunct NWHL. Daniels currently serves as an advisor to The Carnegie Initiative’s Spirit Project, an academic study to explore solutions to establish a pro hockey team led by First Nation owners.

Francis, who spent the 2022-23 season with the Laval Rocket of the AHL and the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL, was nominated for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award in 2022 for his work with indigenous hockey youth in Nova Scotia.

The composition of the Hockey Indigenous Board of Directors now includes members of several different First Nations from across Canada. Indigenous Hockey Co-Founder Abigail Linklater shared that Daniels' experiences in women's hockey brings added diversity.

“Sydney runs hockey camps for youth in the Saskatchewan region,” said Hockey Indigenous Co-Founder Stephane Friday. “She also knows and understands what governance is, and has a family with tremendous experience.”

Friday added that Francis, who works with the Government of Nova Scotia, initiated the “Red Dress” girls program.

“Ryan has given Indigenous girls and youth learn-to-skate programs and understands their experience,” Friday commented. “He has given them the space and opportunity to elevate themselves as girls, empowering indigenous girls.”

Hockey Indigenous Co-Founders Abigail Linklater (center) and Stephane Friday (far right) attended Hockey Canada's "Beyond the Boards" Summit last weekend. They posed for a photo with (L-R): Shelley Nicholls (The CI), Stephanie Jackson (USA Hockey), and Bernice Carnegie.

Q&A: Renee Hess

Renee serves on The CI’s Board of Directors. She is an adjunct professor, community organizer, freelance pop culture writer and the Founder/Executive Director of the Black Girl Hockey Club, an organization that works to build an inclusive space for Black women in hockey.

CI: Was there a moment of exigence – a spark that lit the fire – that made you start the Black Girl Hockey Club (BGHC)?

RH: When BGHC held our first meet-up in Washington D.C. with the Capitals, I saw how talented and passionate Black women hockey fans really are. I knew that there was a potential to come together, create community, and do something to build the sport we love for a demographic that is traditionally ignored by hockey culture. 

CI: What do you think needs to happen to give female, youth BIPOC players more pathways into the highest levels of the sport?

RH: In all levels of hockey, we need to create safe spaces for Black players to express their needs, concerns, and authentic selves. This summer in Toronto, BGHC Canada's Executive Director, Saroya Tinker and BGHC U.S. Board Member, Sophie Jaques, hosted a hockey camp that not only addressed on-ice skills, but nutrition and hair care. For Black women, our hair is so important and it takes intentionality to have those types of outside-the-box conversations unique to Black communities. By creating authentic connections, hockey has the opportunity to help young women of color hockey players thrive in a space that hasn't always made room for them. 

CI: What do you consider the BGHC’s greatest success?

RH: BGHC's greatest success is our scholarship program and the opportunity to help young Black girl hockey players build community with their peers. Our winter applications are due by December 31st, and we are always so excited to read the essays and get to know some of the Black girls playing hockey all across the world. We have given away scholarships from California to Kenya and have been able to help build a thriving community in hockey for BIPOC players.

CI: What is the BGHC’s biggest priority at the moment?

RH: Currently, BGHC is focusing on fundraising! We are still a young nonprofit, established in 2019, and we've been so busy participating in grassroots organizing, we haven't had much time to fundraise. This season, we are hoping to hold community events and raise some money, so we can continue to fund our programming and grow the game of ice hockey.

CI: Was there a particular instance in your life you recall as the moment you fell in love with hockey?

RH: I often talk about discovering my love of hockey in Pittsburgh through the fan engagement there, but in reality, I fall in love with hockey more so these days through the eyes of the kids we serve at BGHC. They are passionate about the game; these girls love to play and to be on a team and they refuse to let race or gender be a barrier for them. I get inspired by each story I hear and I fall in love with ice hockey all over again!

CI: What do you deem as the most immediate challenges The CI must focus on to see more progress in making the sport more inclusive and welcoming to all?

RH: The most immediate challenge the CI and all organizations doing equity work in hockey lies in the changing of the old guard. There are too many leaders in hockey spaces who are unwilling to challenge the status quo and stand up for marginalized folks. We need to start holding our leaders accountable from the top down and reimagine what hockey leadership can look like. 

Renee Hess shared her thoughts about The Carnegie Initiative at the 2023 CI Summit earlier this year:

By the Numbers

As the NHL gets ready to drop the puck on a new season, here is a look at the breakdown of active players by country at the start of last year. 

Calendar

January 2024 - The CI Summit in Toronto, Ontario.

Help Blaze the Trail

Last week, the incredible Bernice Carnegie turned 78! She posted this birthday wish.

78 AMAZING years and counting!

And if you’re anything like me (no matter what YOUR age) you love to pay it forward.

That’s why I’m using my special day to ask you to support a cause that I truly believe in.

I was fortunate to work with my father, the late hockey trailblazer Dr. Herbert H. Carnegie for more than 30 years.

Six decades ago, he started the first hockey school in Canada introducing the character values and creed of Future Aces.

And what a journey it has been.

So how am I celebrating my birthday?

I’m on my way to City of Calgary to participate in Hockey Canada “Beyond the Boards Summit” to help find solutions for social justice inequities.

It’s heartwarming to know that I can share the values set out in my father’s Future Aces Creed.

That’s why I’m asking you for this special gift.

Here’s what you can do now.

Donate $78 today (one time for my Birthday age)

Your generous donation will be used to further the work of The Carnegie Initiative for acceptance and inclusion in hockey and become a societal game changer.

Thanks for your continued support and friendship. It is truly appreciated.

There’s probably no better birthday gift than having your friends walk the journey with you.

Thank you!

Please consider honouring Bernice with a donation in the amount of her new age or an amount of your choice!

Nina Rodgers made that statement in July 2021 when she was hired as an assistant coach at Dartmouth becoming what is believed to be the first Black woman to coach Division I hockey. 

Rodgers recently was named as an assistant coach at the University of Maine. She played college hockey at Boston University before spending three seasons in the National Women’s Hockey League with the Connecticut Whale and Minnesota Whitecaps.