Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins The Foundation, in collaboration with the NHL and NHLPA, announced the creation of the Pittsburgh Pennies women’s hockey program, which aims to provide more access and inclusiveness to hockey and promote equity within the sport.
The namesake is in honor of the Pittsburgh Pennies women’s hockey team, formed in 1972, which was the first women’s hockey team in the city of Pittsburgh. The team has since disbanded, but through the efforts of the Penguins Foundation and youth programs such as Sidney Crosby’s Little Penguins, girls’ and women’s hockey has boomed in western Pennsylvania.
According to Ladd Wagner of USA Hockey, women’s hockey tripled in the Pittsburgh region since the creation of the Little Penguins program. Girls’ hockey and the number of girls playing at higher levels of girls’ hockey are also experiencing similar growth in Western Pennsylvania as traditional hockey hotbeds like New York, Minnesota and Boston.
The Pittsburgh Pennies program itself will feature a $300,000 investment from the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund and the Pens’ Foundation for the next two seasons. The hope is to grow the sport among segments of the population of young girls who previously did not have access to participation and to continue to promote diversity within the sport of hockey.
The Pennies had their kickoff event Monday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
