Inclusive ball hockey tournament helps spark positive conversations year-round
A hockey tournament helped celebrate Pride by promoting inclusive conversations and community.
Pride Tape, an organization that aims to promote diversity and inclusion in sport so that one day there won't be a need for special tape highlighting equality, helped organize the event with the Oilers Entertainment Group.
Two inclusive hockey teams, the Calgary Pioneers and Edmonton Rage took on each other Saturday in the inaugural Pride Cup, a ball hockey tournament at the Ice District Plaza.
Jeff McLean, co-creator of Pride Tape, told CTV News Edmonton that the organization has partnered with the Oilers for the past six and a half years, with this new event being the latest collaboration.
"We are a made-in Edmonton initiative," McLean said. "It's so fitting (today) it's another Battle of Alberta."
The pair of teams have played friendly games at West Edmonton Mall in the past, but McLean says the ball hockey tournament will hopefully become an annual tradition.
"It's just the start," McLean added.
McLean hopes other NHL teams take notice and follow suit to help promote Pride and inclusion throughout the year.
"We always say, we just make the tape, you make it powerful," McLean said. "So it's really the people that put it on their sticks as a sign of support to the LGBTQ community. They deserve all the thanks."
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