The Chicago Wolves announced on Wednesday afternoon they will be hosting their inaugural Pride Night on Oct. 19 at Allstate Arena against the Rockford IceHogs in honor of October being National Coming Out Month.
IceHogs to face Wolves on Chicago’s inaugural Pride Night
While it is not customary that The-Rink focuses on the Chicago Wolves, this is a different case.
I try not to get too “political” when it comes to writing on this site, but the “political issue” of LGBTQ+ rights has nothing to do with politics, but rather human rights and basic human decency toward your fellow man and woman. The AHL and NHL have done an alright job of making it known that the LGBTQ+ community has a home within the sport, but the culture of the sport needs to catch up as a whole. This is another step toward achieving that from the Wolves. I will step down from my soapbox now.
From the Chicago Wolves on Pride Night:
October marks National Coming Out Month and, to support the LGBTQ+ community, $5 from each ticket purchased specifically for Pride Night will go to Center on Halsted in Chicago—the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ+ community center that helps more than 1,000 people each day.
Molly Pinta, a 13-year-old from Buffalo Grove, (Illinois), will be recognized before the game as a Hometown Hero. Together with her parents, Molly founded the Pinta Pride Project that created Buffalo Grove’s inaugural pride parade and brought together more than 80 groups and 1,800 marchers on June 2. Molly also served as the youngest Grand Marshal in Chicago Pride Parade history on June 30.
The Wolves and IceHogs have a long history in the AHL as fierce rivals in the Illinois Lottery Cup Rivalry series. Chicago and Rockford will square off 12 times this year, with the first matchup of the year coming on Oct. 18 in Rockford. The second matchup of the year, the second night of a back-to-back, will be the Oct. 19 Pride Night in Chicago.