NHL cheerleading

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional hockey league with teams in the United States and Canada. Some of the teams have a squad of dancers, ice skaters, or promotional representatives called NHL Cheerleaders or NHL Ice Girls.^[1][2] These teams were historically all-female but some have become co-ed in the 21st century.^[3] NHL Cheerleaders are involved in dancing and performances, charity work, modeling, and public relations for the league's hockey teams.^[4][1]

The NHL's first Ice Girls team, affiliated with the New York Islanders, made its debut during the 2000–01 NHL season.^[5] Traditionally, NHL teams had all-male ice teams to clean the ice during the games, and the Islanders rebranded the concept to incorporate dancers and models.^[5] The Dallas Stars followed suit, launching their inaugural Dallas Stars Ice Girls in the 2001–02 NHL season.^[5] Their first team consisted of ten women ice skaters to clear away accumulation of snow around the goals and boards during period time outs.^[5][6] By the 2006–07 NHL season, the Ice Girls performed choreographed dances and engaged in promotional activities and community events.^[5][7] The first Canadian team in the NHL to introduce an Ice Girls group was the Edmonton Oilers in 2010.^[8] The Oilers disbanded the cheer team in 2016.^[9]

In the 2010s and 2020s, some NHL teams did away with the traditional Ice Girls and opted for co-ed "promo teams", including the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes, with more emphasis on fan relations and less on performances.^[10][11] This was due to several NHL teams facing criticism for sexual exploitation and objectification of the women dancers and arguments about poor working conditions and low pay.^[12][13][14]