By Stretch Jenkinson

NHL Public Relations

NEW YORK (June 25, 2024) – The National Hockey League (NHL) and Vegas Golden Knights are celebrating the rapid growth of youth hockey in Southern Nevada with on-ice and ball hockey clinics across the Las Vegas Valley ahead of the 2024 NHL Awards and 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft in Las Vegas.

Since the Vegas Golden Knights’ first season in the NHL in 2017-18, the state of Nevada has seen growth in hockey participation, increased hockey programs and expansion into new communities, and new facilities to meet the high demand. The arrival of the Golden Knights resulted in a 268% increase in total number of hockey players, with 8U players seeing the biggest increase. To date, the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund has invested $3.6 million to support the Golden Knights’ youth hockey programs. The team introduced extensive learn-to-skate and NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play programs, and built strong community partnerships with Clark County School District, the City of Las Vegas, and the Boys and Girls Club to create greater access to ball hockey. The Golden Knights also created LosVGK, a Hispanic/Latino community outreach program introducing hockey to people of all ages who are new to the game.

In 2016 when the Golden Knights were granted a franchise, Southern Nevada had three community ice sheets. Today, with the addition of City National Arena and America First Center, there are seven sheets of ice, more than doubling the access to ice for the community.

Community events and initiatives include:

NHL Top Prospects and Learn to Play On-Ice Clinic

Wednesday, June 26 (2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

City National Arena, Rink B (1550 S Pavilion Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89135)

NHL Top Prospects Zeev Buium, Macklin Celebrini, Artyom Levshunov, Tij Iginla, and Zayne Parekh; Vegas Golden Knights alumnus Deryk Engelland; and NHL Player Inclusion Coalition members Anson Carter, Julie Chu, Georges Laraque, Al Montoya, and Anthony Stewart will join approx. 45 youth hockey players, ages 5-10-years old, for an on-ice clinic. The youth hockey players are from the NHL/NHLPA’s Learn to Play program, 10U Girls Jr. Knights, and Bauer Empowered Girls teams. Media RSVP: Jasmine Ghafour (jghafour@nhl.com)

Vegas Golden Knights Youth Ball Hockey Clinic

Wednesday, June 26 (4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

Veterans Memorial Community Center (101 Pavilion Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89144)

Vegas Golden Knights alumnus Deryk Engelland, mascot Chance, and youth hockey coaches will host a clinic for approx. 50 girls and boys ages 7-12-years old. This youth hockey group is supported by the NHL/NHLPA’s Industry Growth Fund. Media RSVP: Nate Ewell (newell@vegasgoldenknights.com)

NHL Player Inclusion Coalition Ball Hockey Clinic

Thursday, June 27 (11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

James Boys and Girls Club (2530 E Carey Ave, North Las Vegas, NV 89030)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman and NHL Player Inclusion Coalition member Zach Whitecloud will be joined by fellow members JT Brown, Anson Carter, Julie Chu, Mark Fraser, Jordan Harris, Georges Laraque, Al Montoya, Abby Roque, Anthony Stewart, and P.K. Subban. The group is donating $20,000 on behalf of fellow coalition member Ryan Reaves to provide 10 Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada with street hockey equipment and staffing for two months of hockey programming. The group will also donate to provide a 500 square-foot mural at the James Boys and Girls Club, leaving a long-lasting memento that will be a tribute to youth hockey. This will be the 11th community event hosted by the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition this season, celebrating hockey with hundreds of boys and girls across North America. Media RSVP: Jasmine Ghafour (jghafour@nhl.com)

These clinics are open to the media but closed to the public.

COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS & NHLmedia.com