‘Pride Night’ gives local hockey player a sense of belonging back on the ice
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) - Acrisure Arena is gearing up to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community with its annual Pride Night, bringing inclusion both on and off the ice.
For Matt Kenny, however, this year's event has a deeper meaning.
Kenny grew up playing hockey before having to step away. He says it became difficult to balance the sport he loved with his sexuality.
“I had to leave the game before going any further because I didn’t really think that the game would be able to love me back the way I loved it," he explained.
He thought he would never return, until watching Heated Rivalry, a popular Canadian show that follows a romance between two professional hockey players competing on opposing teams. That's when he found the courage to lace up again and hit the ice at the Berger Foundation Iceplex.
Kenny recalls, “I legitimately broke down, it cracked me wide open, I had a panic attack, I couldn’t breathe and like twenty years of memories and trauma came back and, I don’t know why, but my gut told me the only way that I could heal this was to repair my relationship with hockey." He adds, "For the first time in over a decade, I grabbed some skates and put them on. It felt amazing.”
Paul O’Kane, founder of Coachella Valley Pride Hockey, says Pride Night sends a message of hope to those facing similar challenges.
“When a young person sees someone like the Firebirds celebrate Pride, celebrate diversity in our community, it really means so much," O'Kane says. “It tells that young LGBT kid or that young female kid or even older adult who hasn’t played, that hockey is for me too.”
Since sharing his story on story media, Kenny has been able to connect with others who relate to his experience. He hopes he and events like Pride Night can help change the game.
Pride Night will feature special performances, LGBTQ+ youth initiatives, and a game-worn jersey auction to benefit Palm Springs Pride youth services programs.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds will face off against the Henderson Silver Knights, with puck drop set for 6 p.m. tomorrow at Acrisure Arena.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
