On November 2-3, the Greater Toronto Hockey League brought together the League’s Club and House League leaders with other community leaders for the 2024 GTHL Breakout Summit at Scotia Plaza. The two-day Summit celebrated champions in the community, recognized leadership, and focused on continuing to build the path forward for hockey and youth sport.
With over 200 guests over the two-day event, the Summit featured special guest speakers such as Hockey Canada’s President and Chief Executive Officer Katherine Henderson, speaker and Higher Unlearning founder Jeff Perera focusing on keeping discriminatory slurs offside, and multicultural marketing and advertising professional Bobby Sahni, among others.
The Summit also included five panel discussions focusing on a variety of significant topics:
- Inclusive Tactics for Implementation (Part 1) featuring Soroya Tinker, Brandon Nolan, Brock McGillis, and Luca DeMontis
- Financial Support for Community Initiatives with Donna Lampieri (Hockey Canada Foundation), Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network (Lysa Lowe), Sara Restani (KidSport Ontario), and the GTHL Legacy Fund (Scott Oakman)
- The Advantage of Inclusion with Steve Allmen (CAA National), Rane Carnegie (Carnegie Family), Bryan Heal (MLSE LaunchPad), and Kurt Weaver (You Can Play)
- Highlighting Successful Community Initiatives in the GTHL with Abu Bakr Hafejee sharing the Scarborough Hockey Association’s collaboration with the Scarborough Muslim Ball Hockey Association (SMBHA), Kirk Brooks and the progress of Seaside Hockey, Ross Bitove and the efforts of Humber Valley Hockey Association, and Barry Harte highlighting the City of Vaughan Hockey Association’s (CVHA) Muslim Hockey program’s prosperity, and
- Inclusive Tactics for Implementation (Part II) featuring Chad Soon, Faraz Hadi, Rabbi Scher, and Anthony Stewart.
“The GTHL and our Members are continuously working to improve the culture in sport. This event allowed for a celebration of the work that has been done so far, while gaining an understanding of what approaches need to be taken for the future,” said Scott Oakman, GTHL Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. “The top priority remains ensuring that we are creating the safest of spaces for the young people we serve while at the same time, being innovative in our approaches so that everyone feels welcome and wants their children to be involved with this great game.”
With a focus on celebration as well as the continued work ahead, the Summit also included impactful announcements. Rane and Bernice Carnegie shared the new Herbert H. Carnegie Award set to recognize a forward-thinking GTHL organization that has demonstrated leadership in creating and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a commitment to community development and outreach. Additionally, Graham McWaters announced the return of the Indigenous Equipment Drive to the GTHL’s I Play in the G Festival on January 25-26.
The GTHL extends a special thank-you to sports broadcasting professional Rob Pizzo for acting as the event’s moderator.
Notably, the 2024 GTHL Breakout Summit would not have been possible without the support and commitment of many:
- Aird & Berlis
- Blaney McMurtry
- Canlan Sports
- The Copy Connection
- Gatorade
- Gitch Sportswear
- Hockey Against Hate
- Nothers The Award Store
To view the photos from the 2024 GTHL Breakout Summit, click here.
ABOUT THE GREATER TORONTO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Founded in 1911, the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) is a non-profit organization, home to more than 30 community recreational programs and the largest minor hockey league in the world. The GTHL registers more than 30,000 annual participants in Markham, Mississauga, Toronto, and Vaughan. The purpose of the GTHL is to empower, innovate, and provide hockey experiences that foster growth, inclusion, and excellence for all participants, while providing an enriching, equitable, and inclusive environment that benefits all members and the broader community.
For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Coratti
Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing
Greater Toronto Hockey League
SCoratti@GTHLCanada.com
