LAS VEGAS — Former NHL all-star PK Saban was all smiles Thursday afternoon as he took part in the one-year anniversary of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition's ball hockey clinic at the historic James Boys & Girls Club in West Las Vegas.
Then his team, made up of young dreamers, conceded a goal with under five seconds left.
Saban walked quietly to the edge of the gym, changed from his designer knit polo shirt into a purple Boys & Girls Club T-shirt and regained the competitive spirit that earned him the Norris Trophy as defensive player of the year in 2013.
His attitude towards the game is as always, smiling.
The 35-year-old player-turned-analyst was having just as much fun as the kids who attended the 11th grassroots event the coalition has hosted this season.
“It's great. This is really important,” Saban said. “This is important for the growth of the sport. Anytime you're dealing with kids, this is always number one priority. They're the future and we've got to continue to be there for them.”
“I think we have an opportunity to impact this community and set the direction for a lot of other communities in the league.”
Anson Carter, who co-chairs the coalition with Saban, said the event was a small sample of the organization's efforts to continue growing the sport.
In addition to Carter and Saban, members Mark Fraser, Georges Laraque, Jordan Harris, Al Montoya, Abby Roque, Zach Whitecloud, Anthony Stewart, Julie Chu and JT Brown also participated.
Whitecloud, a defenseman for the local Golden Knights, said the coalition will donate $20,000 on behalf of fellow former Knight Ryan Reeves to provide 10 Boys & Girls Clubs in Southern Nevada with street hockey equipment and staff for a two-month hockey program.
Carter said the organization has committed more than $100,000 in grant funding through various initiatives by coalition members over the past year.
The group works in various ways in the local community, and coalition members have participated in discussions with National Hockey League teams about inclusivity.
“This is an ongoing effort,” Carter said, “It's not going to happen overnight, but we're in it for the long haul.”
Carter said one of the coalition's priorities is to continue to speak to the NHL and voice its views to ensure all of the hockey ecosystem is intertwined so everyone feels included and safe, especially in light of the restrictions on Pride Nights on the ice and the criticism the NHL has received for being slow to respond to concerns.
“The key is working with the league,” Carter said.
“When we think about the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized communities, it's important that we make sure that people who are part of that community feel safe and welcome. It's OK to like someone because of a different skin color, it's OK to not like someone because of their religion or sexual orientation or whatever, but they need to be respected. And we need to make sure that people from those communities, all communities, can come to a hockey arena and feel like it's a safe place, a place where they can be participants and more importantly, a place where they can be fans.”
Carter said the coalition is enthusiastic about a professional women's hockey league after the success of its first campaign.
“Oh man, we're super excited,” said Carter, who proudly wore a PWHL hoodie during an appearance on Canada's TNT and Sportsnet. “We have a vocal group of women who understand the importance of women's hockey, and we're going to fight for that as a coalition, because it's about raising the level of our game. Not just raising the level of the men's game, but raising the level of the women's game. So we're super excited. Super excited.”
“(PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations) Jayna Hefford has been a tremendous contributor to moving the PWHL forward. We'll give them as much support as they need, as much support as they need because we believe they're part of the hockey ecosystem.”
