Hockey is more than what happens on the ice. It is about confidence, communication, resilience, belonging, and the people who support our athletes along the way. Beyond the Bench is a new initiative for our hockey community, created to bring practical learning and meaningful conversations to players, coaches, parents, and volunteers. We're proud to share that we are a recipient of Sport Calgary's Play for all Program! This support has helped us make this initiative free to all Hockey Calgary members so more families can show up, play, and belong.
Through a series of sessions, we will explore topics such as confidence, pressure, and performance for players, leadership, communication, and team culture for coaches, productive conversations and support strategies for parents, and inclusion, well-being, and creating environments where everyone belongs.
We're thrilled to launch our first initiative with Brock McGillis and the Shiftmakers Tour on Friday, November 27. Brock will lead sessions for our U11–U13 and U15–U21 communities, sharing his story and practical tools for creating positive change in hockey. All are welcome to register.
U11–U13: 5:30–7:00 p.m. - REGISTER HERE
U15–U21: 7:30–9:00 p.m. - REGISTER HERE
About Brock McGillis
Brock McGillis, a former OHL and professional hockey player, is recognized as the first openly gay men’s professional hockey player and a leading advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in sports. His tireless work in shifting the conversation around inclusivity in hockey earned him a spot on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 most influential people in hockey for 2022. Now in its second year, The Shiftmakers Tour focuses on creating welcoming environments in hockey for all. Brock’s message is simple yet powerful: through real-life experiences, he helps players recognize the impact of their words and actions and inspires them to become 'shift makers' — players who foster a welcoming and inclusive environment in their locker rooms.
Brock shares his lived experiences and rallies players to be Shiftmakers. He then teaches them three easy ways to create shifts: Humanization, Creating welcoming environments and Embracing your uniqueness