Black Girl Hockey Club opens location in Toronto

Dec 2, 2022 | Sports

The Black Girl Hockey Club (BGHC) opened up a location on Nov. 20 in Toronto to mark the launch of Black Girl Hockey Club Canada.

According to the mission statement posted on their website, BGHC aims to “inspire and sustain a passion for the game of hockey within the Black community, specifically with our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends.”

The Black Girl Hockey Club (BGHC) is creating a more inclusive space for Black women and girls in the sport. ​​It’s a non-profit organization founded in October 2018.

“The whole point of the organization is to unify Black girl hockey players all over the world. So many Black girl fans, players and execs are the only ones on the ice, on their team, in the stands or in the office,” said Renee Hess, a co-founder of BGHC, freelance writer, community organizer, and a Penguins fan.

“BGHC reminds these women of all ages that they can have other Black women supporting them, even when it feels like they’re all alone in this very white sport,” she said.

The organization supports women and girls in the Black community who are interested in the sport by offering scholarship opportunities.

Girls between the ages of nine and 18 around the world are able to apply. These scholarships can be used to help cover the cost of playing in tournaments, buying equipment or attending summer camp for hockey. This allows players who may not have the same financial stability as others to find alternative ways to be able to get involved with the sport.

Saroya Tinker, who plays defence for the Toronto Six as well as co-founder and executive director of BGHC Canada, believes there are many different ways allies can show their support for the organization.

“I think our allies can show their support by coming out and showing their support in our community events and donate to our programs to show that they are willing to make hockey a more inclusive spaces,” Tinker said.

“Additionally, by making themselves accountable and continuing to educate themselves we can see a better space in hockey being formed but we still have a lot of work to do,” she said.

Aside from monetary aspects such as scholarships and donations, BGHC leans into creating a community through their mentorship program.

The mentorship program is open to all adults interested in various industries. This includes marketing, photography, journalism, social media, operations player personnel, coaching and play-by-play broadcasting.

Chanel Keenan, who has worked as an intersectionality consultant for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, said she encouraged people to donate to the organization.

“Their inclusion in this game is paramount to its success,” she said.

“Representation is so important so not only does BGHC provide opportunities for Black female athletes, they provide a warm and safe place for fans, the hockey community has grown because of this, and it further eliminates stereotypes within the fanbase,” Keenan said.