Chicago Blackhawks forward Tommy Wingels has been named the team’s ambassador for this year’s Hockey Is For Everyone month, an annual celebration of inclusion and diversity in hockey, the NHL announced Thursday.
Wingels, who joined the Blackhawks over the summer, has been a longtime supporter of You Can Play, the NHL-backed project dedicated to eradicating homophobia from the sports world. Here’s a video he did for the campaign back in 2012:
The forward replaces former Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk as the team’s ambassador. TVR is now Carolina’s ambassador alongside his brother James, who is representing the Maple Leafs.
Last year, van Riemsdyk spoke about the importance of the program during the Blackhawks’ You Can Play night.
We’re hosting our @YouCanPlayTeam Night tomorrow! #HockeyIsForEveryone I’m proud to be an ambassador for this cause! #YouCanPlay
— Trevor van Riemsdyk (@TvanRiemsdyk6) February 18, 2017
It’s unclear what else the team ambassadors do, but this is still a good cause that’s worthy of players’ attention. Good on the NHL, the Blackhawks, and Wingels for continuing this initiative to make the hockey world a welcoming place for everyone.