The annual Girls Have the Edge event continues to grow and introduce the sport of ice hockey to more girls (and now women) in Oregon. We are happy to share that the event is moving onto the next chapter under the leadership of the dedicated staff at the The Pavilion in Bend and enthusiastic volunteers from this amazing Central Oregon hockey community and beyond.
The 3rd annual (March 17) has an amazing lineup! It will be led by BPRD’s Learn to Skate and hockey coaching staff alongside the Bend Rapids youth hockey club, USA Hockey, Seattle Kraken staff and Megan Bozek. Megan is a two-time Olympian and four-time world champion for the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team.
Beginners will be introduced to basic hockey skills in a positive and fun environment. Girls & Women Have the Edge will share opportunities to play ice hockey, learn about fair play, sportsmanship and teamwork and develop a lifelong love of sport.
In 2021 the Bend Rapids Steering Committee, with the goal of growing the sport in Central Oregon, applied for a grant from USA Hockey and Oregon State Hockey Association. The grant was approved and the inaugural Girls Have the Edge event took place on April 2, 2022. Rebecca Johnson from the Canadian National Team headlined the event sharing her love for the sport and introducing it to nearly 40 girls. Read the press release.
Thank you to the following people who were instrumental in getting this project off the ground.