As a legacy to the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™, the National Hockey League (NHL) and Columbus Blue Jackets officially broke ground at the Liberty Township/Powell YMCA for a brand-new outdoor street hockey rink, scheduled to open later this summer. Made possible through a $250,000 commitment announced by the Blue Jackets Foundation last fall, this collaborative project with the NHL and the YMCA of Central Ohio will provide more kids with affordable access to hockey.
The YMCA of Central Ohio operates 13 community centers, and the Liberty Township/Powell YMCA will be the first with a street hockey rink. This location serves more than 11,000 people every year with youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility programming.
“An investment in the Y is an investment in the community of Central Ohio. We’re proud to nurture the potential of our youth and create opportunities for them to grow, play, and thrive,” said Tony Collins, CEO & President of YMCA of Central Ohio. “This new street hockey rink is more than just a place to play—it’s a space where kids can build confidence, learn teamwork, and develop lifelong skills. We are excited that our partnership with the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation can support Central Ohio and the community of Liberty Township, ensuring that every child has access to the benefits of sports, connection, and healthy living.”
The new outdoor rink will feature durable boards, a high-quality playing surface, and structured programming to introduce, and develop, hockey skills in young athletes. The Blue Jackets will provide hockey programming support and resources including ‘Try Hockey for Free’ clinics, hockey curriculum, staff training, and equipment. The Blue Jackets also will work with the Olentangy School District to provide free education resources that address literacy and STEM learning, academic achievement and provide a hockey-themed wellness curriculum in their schools.
“The Columbus Blue Jackets and the NHL are committed to making hockey more accessible for anyone who wants to play. This investment is an extension of our shared mission to keep kids active, healthy, and provide safe spaces to play,” said Andee Cochren, Executive Director of the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. “The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation is thrilled to continue its partnership with the YMCA of Central Ohio who is helping us bring hockey to more girls and boys throughout our community.”
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from Collins, Cochren, as well as City of Powell Mayor Tom Counts, Shyra Eichhorn, Chairman of the Board for Liberty Township, and Kim Davis, NHL Sr. Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Blue Jackets alumni Rick Nash and Andrew Cassels were joined by mascot Stinger in a street hockey clinic for the 40 girls and boys in attendance.
As part of an ongoing commitment to youth hockey, the NHL, Blue Jackets, ESPN and Ohio State University (OSU) have been hosting several youth hockey community events this week. Events included a VIP screening of Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2 with nearly 100 girls and boys from OSU’s LiFEsports program and Columbus Ice Hockey Club participants. The week also included multiple Learn to Skate and Learn to Play clinics with NHL Foundation U.S. ambassador and Olympic gold medalist Haley Skarupa.
Tomorrow, the NHL Foundation U.S., Blue Jackets, ESPN and OSU are hosting a VIP luncheon to celebrate girls hockey and to recognize the tremendous work by the Columbus Ice Hockey Club, one of the NHL’s ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ programs which serves more than 3,000 girls and boys in the Central Ohio area each year. Since 1999, the Columbus Ice Hockey Club has been providing year-round skating and hockey instruction. Off the ice, the organization provides programming focused on health and wellbeing, academic support, violence prevention, and community service. At tomorrow’s luncheon, the Columbus Ice Hockey Club will be officially announced as the inaugural recipient of the NHL Foundation U.S.’s ‘Empowerment Grant for Girls Hockey.’
Also at tomorrow’s luncheon, ESPN will announce a grant for OSU’s LiFEsports program. Since 2009, the program has been supporting the ever-changing needs of the community’s youth by providing quality sport-based positive youth development programming. The program supports girls and boys of all ages, from elementary school through to high school.
The NHL and its 32 Clubs are committed to building healthy, vibrant communities. The Legacy initiative is a long-term philanthropic endeavor in which the League and its Clubs support community organizations in the host city of an NHL event. This is the second Legacy project this season, following the opening of a new ball hockey rink in Chicago as part of the NHL Winter Classic. Since 2003, the NHL, its Clubs and partners have invested more than $8.3 million in Legacy projects.
For more information on other community initiatives from the Blue Jackets Foundation, visit **BlueJackets.com/Foundation**.
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