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Accessibility in hockey and society, Chris Snow's legacy & All eyes on the University of Michigan

Your all-in-one innovation + positive impact + culture news in hockey.

Dear Hockey of Tomorrow member,

Thank you for being a part of our relatively recent 12,350+ community of engaged readers.

As a kind reminder: we’re all about hockey and its potential, whether that’s across innovation, tech, culture, positive impact & inclusiveness.

Our concept is simple: we provide a platform to those who didn’t traditionally get access to one.

We’ve vetted and curated over 25+ diverse contributors that never really got a chance to speak up in hockey and share their points of view.

But enough about us, let’s start sharing fresh content.

FEATURED PIECE

Our featured piece this week covers accessibility, not only in sport, but in society also.

People with disabilities constantly have to break down barriers due. Resistance for change is constant.

One of our contributors, Clayton Theriault, lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder that leads to progressive muscular degeneration.

He uses a power wheelchair and a wheelchair-accessible van to get to places.

His condition has never stopped him from living the life he wanted, and hockey has been a key factor in it.

Read all about it below.

MUST READ

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made waves this off-season, by hiring former Toronto Maple Leafs GM, Kyle Dubas, as their new General Manager and President of Hockey Operations. He made some significant moves, like adding a Norris trophy winner, so our contributor Gary Mok decided to review the impact of bringing Dubas to Pittsburgh in his recent piece.

....+ two stories that haven't been covered yet on our digital platform

  • RIP Chris Snow, but your legacy will live forever.

  • University of Michigan player kicked out after horrifying act.

Gone but never forgotten

After a long and courageous fight with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Calgary Flames’ assistant general manager, Chris Snow, unfortunately passed away from complications of the disease on September 30th.

The whole hockey community is mourning this tragedy.

He leaves behind his wife and their two children.

When Snow was diagnosed with ALS in June of 2019, doctors weren’t even sure if he would last 12 months. He lived with the disease for over four years, while showing extreme courage along the way and finding hope through hockey.

Calgary Flames GM Craig Convoy even offered Snow to work less to focus on his health. Snow refused.

Even at his worst and until the very end, he just always wanted to be a positive force.

In life and in death, he never stopped giving. The donation of his kidneys, liver, and lungs has already helped four people.

If you want to help the Snow family, here’s where you can donate to his family fundraiser.

Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow, wife Kelsie, and their children, son Cohen and daughter Willa. Photo from Postmedia Network

University of Michigan player kicked out for horrifying act

The University of Michigan hockey team announced this past week that sophomore defenseman, Johnny Druskinis, had been kicked out following a violation of team rules.

What’d he do?

The 19-year-old was caught on camera spray painting swastikas onto the Jewish Resource Center in Michigan, during the welcome week.

Yikes.

Having played NCAA myself, I can’t fathom one of my teammates acting out this way.

Do players today need more guidance? Or do programs need to pick better humans as their players?

Or both?

This is a touchy subject, but one that continuously needs to be aired out and reviewed. The more we talk about it, the better we can progress.

What do you think? As always, don’t be shy, I’m all ears when it comes to your feedback and opinions.

See you next week, friends.

That’s it for this edition of the Hockey of Tomorrow newsletter. As we continue to highlight the best, most diverse, and most interesting, off-ice hockey stories, let us know if you want to be helpful in our journey.

Tom Sychterz, Founder

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