Ryan Reaves, Knights receive donation for ball-hockey rink
Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves is doing his part to try to help hockey grow in Las Vegas.
Bridgestone, the title sponsor of Saturday’s outdoor game between the Knights and Colorado Avalanche at Lake Tahoe, is donating $200,000 to the NHL Foundation. Half of that money will go to Reaves and the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation to build a ball hockey rink at the James Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada.
“The main goal is to bring hockey to a community that has not been exposed to it before,” Reaves said in a statement. “By doing this, we can educate and then integrate these communities into the sport within the city of Las Vegas through various programs.”
Reaves, who is biracial, has promoted hockey for years. He’s held ball hockey clinics in Las Vegas before trying to expose hockey to younger generations.
The new ball hockey rink will also house additional sport programs, Knights watch parties and community events.
The other half of Bridgestone’s donation will fund the Nashville Predators Youth Hockey Diversity Program in its first year.
“The brand new ball hockey rink in Las Vegas and Nashville Predators Youth Hockey Diversity Program are two powerful examples of the movement for inclusion that is accelerating across the hockey community,” said Kim Davis, the NHL’s senior executive vice president for social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
