Hockey, not stereotypes, the focus of Jackets' Hockey 'n' Heels
When the Blue Jackets host their annual Hockey 'n' Heels event this Saturday, attendees aren't required to wear heels, but they are required to have a love and passion for the game of hockey.
"Hockey 'n' Heels" is a moniker that has been used by many teams for events focused on female fans. Some teams, including the Blue Jackets, have drawn criticism for a perceived segmenting of the female fan base, but for the Jackets, it's the diversity of women that is celebrated and serves as the driving force for the event.
Becky Magaw, partnership activation manager for the Jackets, has planned and hosted the event for the past four years with the team's director of communications, Karen Davis.
"I think there you're assuming that women are only at these events or hockey games to look good and we know that the women here in Columbus are so much more than that," Magaw said. "We're definitely not saying that women don't know hockey."
Attendees, about half of which return each year, submit topics and questions they want to discuss. Magaw and Davis turn that feedback into a list of topics for slated speakers. This year's schedule includes former Jacket and current FOX Sports Ohio broadcaster, Jody Shelley, assistant coach Brad Larsen, NHL referees, GM Jarmo Kekalainen and assistant GM Bill Zito.
"We try to make this event about what the women attending want to know and learn," Magaw said. "We get a lot of difficult questions, and women in general won't accept one-word answers. We tell our speakers 'we're going to throw some tough stuff your way.'"
The schedule usually includes one current Blue Jackets player, and this year center Brandon Dubinsky will be on hand. Magaw preps the speakers beforehand and said they don't come in thinking they have to talk down to a room full of women either.
"I would love for the people who say they don't like the event to attend and then ask them -- was it exactly as you thought it would be?" Magaw said. "Is it a forum where men stand up there and patronize women and dial it down to the bare minimum because the women here don't know anything about the game?"
One person who can answer those questions is Mike Ross, host of "Hockey This Morning" on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio. Ross and his wife came to Columbus last season and their visit coincided with Hockey 'n' Heels. Ross was one of a few men at the event.
"I've heard about (Hockey 'n' Heels), it's something that a lot of teams have pushed and there have been all kind of campaigns for female fans in all kind of sports, but I was really impressed," Ross said. "I had a bit of a picture of a room full of women who didn't know a lot but were interested, but the reality couldn't have been further from the truth."
Ross said the quality of the questions from the women in attendance was what impressed him the most.
"When they got to the real nuts and bolts of hockey, they weren't asking about just offsides. They were asking about specific power play situations," Ross said. "That tells you these people are familiar with the game."
Lexa Freshly of Zanesville is one of those women who attend the event annually with her niece. This year she is also bringing along a friend and her daughter. As part of Hockey 'n' Heels, attendees get a ticket to the evening's game. Freshly loves adding one more game to her calendar in addition to those in her quarter-season ticket package.
"I think I know a lot, but I always come out of the event learning something new," Freshly said. "If a woman comes to the event and may be confused about some hockey details, she should come out more excited about watching for things she learned as she watches a game."
But if women are already so knowledgeable about hockey, why hold an event just for them? Magaw doesn't see anything wrong with some female bonding.
"I don't know that you could really say the female fan of the Blue Jackets is 'X' just like you can't say the male fan is 'X,'" Magaw said. "Women aren't that different from men but there are still differences, and sometimes, for either group, being with one another can make it more comfortable asking that question you've always wanted to ask."
Ross, who believes female fans are just as savvy as their male counterparts, thinks it's important not to belittle the female fan base and was encouraged by what he saw in Columbus.
"I didn't find any of it negative. Everything there was positive," Ross said. "Hockey 'n' Heels was the type of hockey event that was inclusive and covered a wide spectrum."
As strong as the program has become, Magaw acknowledges that the name is both a blessing and a curse. She has contemplated changing it, but Hockey 'n' Heels has developed brand equity - people call asking about it every year. Magaw said she continues to focus on fine-tuning the event based on feedback every year because she wants people to know what it's all about.
"I saw it was sold out, so a lot of women must not think it is a gimmick," Freshly said. "Women are passionate and knowledgeable. Many know their stuff. Keep events like this coming."
Ultimately, Magaw hopes the event shares her love of the game with others. Born in Wyoming, Ontario, Magaw has been skating since she was two, played the game with boys and girls, and now can't wait until her daughter is old enough to put on her first pair of skates.
Running Hockey 'n' Heels falls outside of Magaw's job description, but it's something she and Davis advocate for every year because they believe it's important.
"I hope the event makes some of these women play or gives them a greater understanding of the hows and whys so they can enjoy watching, if not playing," Magaw said. "I hope too that women who come to this who have little girls at home are just as encouraging of their girls as of their boys to love, and perhaps even play, hockey."
This year's Hockey 'n' Heels event will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, from 4 - 6:30 p.m. at Nationwide Arena. Participants will also attend the Blue Jackets game that night against the San Jose Sharks (puck drops at 7 p.m.). The event is sold out.
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