The Utah Mammoth held camps throughout the state of Utah during an event called Mammoth Week. On Wednesday, the team hosted a Girls’ Hockey Day. The Mammoth, which is focused on trying to grow the game of hockey, hosted the event with a focus on introducing girls to the game. Almost 250 girls attended, and for many, they were trying the sport for the first time.
Helping out with Wednesday’s event were Alex Kerfoot from the Utah Mammoth, Hilary Knight, and Hannah Bilka from the Boston Fleet in the PWHL, as well as two-time Walter Cup champion Mellissa Channell-Watkins. For all the girls between the ages of 6-14 who attended, to have Watkins, future Hockey Hall of Famer Knight, and Bilka teach them about the game of hockey was an amazing opportunity.
Knight, who trains in Salt Lake City during the summer, said that when the Arizona Coyotes moved to Utah, it was incredible to have more growth in the mountain region. She also stated that having someone like Kerfoot be dedicated to working in the community and developing girls’ and women’s hockey is so outstanding. She is referring to the Kerfoot Family’s Program, where they donate their personal tickets to young female hockey players for each Mammoth home game. The girls also get to hang out on the bench during warmups.
When asked about his program and the event held on Wednesday, Kerfoot said that “we really wanted to allow for more exposure for more of the girls, and you can only have so many girls out to games.” “To be able to get on the ice with them and do a day like this, it allowed us to reach more people.” Utah Mammoth director of amateur hockey and fan development Kristen Bowness stated that there are so many opportunities available for girls now, and that events like the one on Wednesday are great for them to see and learn all about the wonderful game of hockey.
