Last Updated 1 month by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
Indy Fuel hosting annual Hockey is for Everyone Night
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Friday evening marks the return of Indy Fuel’s annual Hockey is for Everyone Night – a night to emphasize that hockey is an inclusive sport.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Fishers Event Center, and as the name implies, everyone is invited.
Fuel President Larry McQueary tells News 8’s Colin Baillie that “Hockey is for Everyone” night, despite being a nationwide initiative, is incredibly important to the team.
“It’s a strong initiative, and it’s through the NHL all the way down,” he said. “We believe in welcoming anyone, including dragons, which happens to be our mascot.”
Last year, the team announced they would be making efforts to promote DEI, but this year, that specific phrase was not used when promoting the game.
When asked by Baillie if that was a conscious decision based on contention surrounding those words, at both a state and federal level, McQueary said the words might change, but the intentions are the same.
Joe Zollo, Indy Fuel’s director of digital media, says even with taking DEI out of the wording, everyone means everyone.
“It started with DEI and Pride, now it’s encompassing everything from income inequality and race. We know hockey is a ‘white man’s sport,’ but one of the teams in our division, Cincinnati, has a (Black) head coach, (so there are) a lot of Black players on the team. They actually had the first all-Black starting line-up in ECHL history last year, which was really cool.”
Zollo says they also want to promote income inequality, as “ice time is expensive.”
McQueary breaks down what they have planned for the game, from steady ticket prices to special entertainment at intermission.
“Part of (keeping it a special night) is keeping our prices the way they are so everyone can afford to come out,” he said. “One of the things we are doing in intermission is called sled hockey, where handicapped folks on sleds come out and play hockey. It’s really cool to see.”
Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information, visit their website.