Photos: Girls try hockey during IIHF World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend

By Staci Burlingame –

EAST LANSING– A group of young girls took the ice for the first time on Saturday afternoon to try their hand at something new.

Suburban Ice Arena East Lansing is one of many arenas that hosted a free hockey event for girls in honor of Girl’s Hockey Weekend. The World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend, put on by the International Ice Hockey Federation, was a global event to raise awareness for girls’ hockey.

Each girl was helped into shoulder pads, pants, shin pads, a pair of skates, and all of the other appropriate equipment. After choosing a stick and securing their helmets, the new hockey players headed to the ice

The 50-minute on-ice clinic provided the girls with time to skate, pass and shoot. With full equipment loaned out to each girl, they were able to learn the basics of what it takes to be a hockey player.

Beyond the fundamentals, the girls were told to have fun. Whether they were falling down or shooting a puck, the smiles never left their faces.

Girls’ hockey is a continuously growing sport as more and more opportunities are available to them each year.

These girls proved on Saturday afternoon that hockey is not just a sport for boys. Watch out Pavel Datsyuk, in a few years these girls might be coming for your spot.