Power Players Home

Emma Bracken

Age 16 | Cary, NC

Emma has been passionately following the Hurricanes since 5th grade. She loves going to games with her family and engaging with other hockey fans online. Emma also enjoys making art, especially art centered around hockey. She markets it towards hockey fans, players, and teams and so far, has sold over 20 original works. Apart from hockey art, Emma tries to raise awareness of our impacts on the environment through art projects and local charities.

Emma is a junior in high school in Raleigh, NC. She is on the cross-country team and leads the Ethics Bowl team, book club, art club, and is editor of the school newspaper. Outside of school, she works on the junior board of Polka Dot Mama, a Melanoma charity, to help spread awareness about skin cancer. In her free time, she is an avid reader and writer when she is not watching hockey. Emma is so excited to be joining the Power Players and to help them grow their youth fanbase!

Chloe Brinson

Age 14 | Larchmont, NY

Chloe is a 14-year-old from Larchmont, New York. Chloe's love of hockey began at age 7 and her determination to continue to develop in the sport has never wavered. Typically, being the only girl and person of color on her team has only propelled her to want to excel and share her love for the sport. Chloe is a proud member of the Black Girls Hockey club that promotes diversity in the sport. This past summer she was selected to the U14 USA Hockey Eastern Regional camp and is now a freshman at Bishop Kearney Highschool in Rochester, New York. She is a forward on the U16 BK Selects Girl's hockey team. Chloe looks forwards to being a member of the NHL Power Players and being part of the movement to address inclusion and access within the sport.

Dean Butler

Age 13 | New York, NY

Dean is a native New Yorker, a devoted New York Islanders fan, and a committed Tier 1 AAA hockey player, who has been playing ice hockey since before he can remember.

Playing ice hockey has brought Dean fitness, fun, and friends, and given him the opportunity to see the world. Dean has played hockey throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including at the 62nd Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, the Lions Cup in Prague, and the Amerigol LatAm Cup at the Panthers' Ice Dean in South Florida, where he represented Team Caribbean. Next spring he'll be playing at the World Hockey Championships in Innsbruck.

Since he doesn't think it's fair for other kids to miss out on the fun, Dean is committed to helping level the playing field so that kids living in cities, children of color, and girls all have an equal chance to enjoy hockey.

Though hockey is Dean's passion, he also enjoys school, particularly his math and science classes at Newark Academy, and a broad range of sports including lacrosse, wrestling, and cross-country. He also has fun attending NHL games with his family, playing with his dogs, Leo and Cooper, and gaming when time permits.

Dean is very excited to be working with the NHL Power Players to grow the game.

Quinn Carley

Age 17 | Boston, MA

Quinn is 17 years old from Boston, MA. They grew up with friends and family who played hockey, but they fell in love with the sport during quarantine and have been (obsessively) watching ever since. Despite growing up in Boston, their favorite teams are the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders. They've enjoyed watching the growth of the League these past two seasons and is looking forward to sharing their ideas surrounding inclusivity and diversity.

Quinn enjoys reading, cooking, and baking. They love listening to music, and some of their favorite artists are Noah Kahan, Mt. Joy and Hozier. They are also looking forward to this season as a Power Player and the opportunities that will come with it.

Liam Caven

Age 15 | Hammonds Plains, NS

Liam is a 15-year-old who is currently in the tenth grade at Charles P. Allen High School. He has been playing Hockey for 11 years as well as Baseball for seven. He watches a lot of sports as well, including Football, MMA, Basketball and Baseball, but Hockey is his favourite. He is a huge Montreal Canadiens fan, and he loves to cheer them on with his dad. He wants to be a sports Journalist or Broadcaster when he gets older and is always spending his time looking at sports stats, watching sports videos, playing sports video games, and playing his favourite sports. Hockey, and sports in general, have taught Liam many important life lessons which he will use for the rest of his life. Liam is happy to be an NHL Power Player and is excited for the 2022-23 Season!

Brook Chapman

Age 16 | Potomac, MD

Brook has been a hockey fan all his life. His father grew up in Buffalo and was a hockey fan throughout his childhood and had a huge impact on Brook's love for the game. To know Brook, you must know his love for the Washington Capitals. Ever since he moved from Atlanta to the D.C. area when he was five, Brook has loved to watch and cheer for the Caps. He feels lucky to have had the once in a lifetime experience of seeing his favorite team get their first Stanley Cup win. When he's not watching the Caps, you'll find Brook playing hockey for the AAA Washington Little Caps. Brook is an active member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and his church. Brook is looking forward to working with the Power Players once again to spread the love of the game of hockey.

Brooke Danna

Age 17 | Shakopee, MN

Growing up in the state of hockey, Brooke has known and loved the sport for as long as she can remember. She holds a great love for the Minnesota Wild and like many NHL fans she has yet to witness her team win the Cup, however, she cannot wait for the day she gets to watch Jared Spurgeon lift the greatest trophy in all of sports. Aside from cheering on the Wild, you can also find Brooke cheering on her Michigan Wolverines in any and every sport, specifically Hockey, Softball, and Football, as well as the Chicago Bears.

Brooke has had a long history in the world of sports, playing softball for 12 years and diving for five, as well as managing her local girls high school hockey team pre-Covid. She absolutely loves being involved with sports in any way she can which leads into her plans for majoring in sport management and communications after she graduates this upcoming spring. She hopes that this program will allow her to help motivate other girls to know and love this sport like she does as well as making the sport of hockey more accessible to all people.

Taj Gervan

Age 14 | Ottawa, ON

Taj is a 14-year-old freshman at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa, Ontario. Hockey has always been a passion of his from a young age. The age-old battle of Ontario lives through in his household, where there is an - ahem - friendly rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leaf fans and the Ottawa Senator fans! For now, Taj's loyalties are divided at 68% Leafs and 32% Senators! In his free time, Taj enjoys playing in the West End Hockey League along with his sister and friends. He also enjoys downhill skiing, snowboarding, biking and practicing hockey in his backyard rink. Diversity and inclusiveness in hockey are meaningful topics for Taj, and he hopes to be able to contribute in a positive way toward these important issues. He is excited to be a part of NHL Power Players and is looking forward to learning from others as well as contributing his perspective.

Faith Harris

Age 16 | Brandywine, MD

Faith grew up in a hockey family and was always intrigued by the game. She became a die-hard fan in 2018 during her hometown team, The Washington Capitals Stanley Cup run. Since then, hockey has been just about her whole life. Faith has always had a passion for writing and wants to turn her love for hockey into a career in sports journalism. She's already started on that journey and currently works as a BEAT Writer for the popular Capitals' blog, Russian Machine Never Breaks. She also has always strived to help people find a sense of community in the League. She shouts out Black Girl Hockey Club for doing that for her.

Faith is a junior at Bishop McNamara High School, where she enjoys playing Varsity Softball and managing her school's Boys' Varsity Soccer team. She also serves as Editor in Chief for their rebranded school newspaper.

Faith could not be more excited for her 2nd year with the NHL Power Players!

Khaleela Hodge

Age 15 | Ann Arbor, MI

Khaleela Hodge is currently a junior in high school from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has played hockey for most of her life and is in love with the sport. She loves the action, the speed, but most of all, she loves the memories that come with it. Outside of hockey, she loves to read, make digital art, and spend time with friends and family. She's a part of her school's student council and science Olympiad teams as well. She's super excited to join the NHL Power Players this season and is looking forward to passing on her love of hockey to others!

Blake Humphrey

Age 14 | Toronto, ON

Blake lives in Toronto, Canada and has a passion for playing and watching sports, but his love for hockey tops all. He is a 14-year-old in grade nine who plays competitive A Hockey and knows hockey stats like no one else. Blake is a Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs fan, and he also enjoys playing shinny and hanging out with friends along with spending time with his family in cottage country during summer breaks.

Seth Hyde

Age 14 | St. John's, NL

Seth is an active 14-year-old EFI student at MacDonald Drive Junior High who is extremely passionate about hockey. While he plays hockey with his local association, the Avalon Celtics, his love of hockey extends well beyond the rink.

As president of the student council at his junior high school, he hosts the H2O Morning Show and always incorporates the latest updates about hockey, as well as fun hockey facts and trivia.

Also, during COVID, Seth started broadcasting hockey games at his local arena (DF Barnes) and doing the play by play for the Avalon Celtics so parents, grandparents and friends could see the games during the pandemic restrictions. His broadcasting has exploded since that first year and he is now the voice of several teams from U11A and U11AAA, to U18AAA and U21. He's covered full regular season games, playoffs, tournaments, gold medal games and is known as Seth Hyde Sport Side on social media. He's known for his energetic calls and zingers, which he likes to give a local flare! One of his zingers was Tweeted by a player's father and it reached 44,500 views. He's garnered national coverage in Canada from television, print and radio media outlets and has been truly blessed with overwhelming support from the local community.

Seth was also honored to be a part of Alex Newhook's Stanley Cup Day in August, which saw him emcee the official welcoming of the cup to the Province, walking in the parade and providing play-by-play for the private ball hockey game that Alex hosted for his lifelong friends and hockey player buddies.

Seth has his sights set on pursuing Broadcasting as a career when he finishes high school. Until then, he is eager to get started with the NHL Power Players Youth Advisory Board!

Gabriella Kaplan

Age 16 | Austin, TX

Gabriella Kaplan is 16 years old, originally from Boston, MA, but currently resides in Austin, TX. She is a huge Boston Bruins fan, and loves the Montreal Canadiens as her mother is from Montreal. Gabriella was a figure skater for four years but decided to switch to hockey about a year and a half ago at her local rink. About a year ago, Gabriella also started coaching Snowplow in the learn to skate hockey program as well as helping with the learn to play program. Outside of hockey, she has been a Girl Scout for ten years and is also a singer/songwriter. Gabriella released her first music single back in April 2021 called "Your Name." She also loves to cook and makes up tons of new recipes each week.

Zach Kay

Age 17 | Toronto, ON

Zach Kay is a second-year member of the NHL Power Players and a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan. He is 17 years old and lives in Toronto, the home of his favorite team's rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Zach enjoys watching a plethora of sports including hockey, soccer, football and basketball. Zach has aspirations of pursuing marketing in sports later in life as he dreams of spreading his love of hockey with everyone from all cultural backgrounds. He plays hockey for the Forest Hill Force and is looking forward to his final season before going to university where he hopes to continue playing through intramural sports leagues. Zach is very excited for his second season with the Power Players where he aims to become more involved with his local community and assist in building programs to make hockey more accessible.

Olive Koerner

Age 16 | Gardner, KS

Olive was born in Chicago, Illinois and watched the Chicago Blackhawks win all three of their Stanley Cups. Even after she moved to Kansas City, hockey made her new home feel a little more familiar. Olive has loved sports since she started playing soccer when she was seven years old. Whether it was playing or watching, Olive wanted to try any and every sport she could get her hands on, hockey, rugby, tennis, she loved it all. This open mindset also carried over into her school where she enjoys taking a variety of classes, including a sports literature class that brought her passion for sports together with her love for writing. She is a proud proponent for women in sports and her dream is to someday work in the sports media field.

Sophia Lombardo

Age 17 | Winchester, MA

While she hasn't totally gotten the hang of ice skating yet, Sophia is a huge hockey fan. The Boston Bruins are naturally her number one team given that she grew up just outside the city, but she loves every facet of the sport. There's rarely a night during the season where she isn't engrossed in a matchup or diligently keeping tabs on the League's happenings. Sophia is also interested in art, which she combines with her passion for hockey by drawing her favorite NHL players. When she's not absorbed in one of these hobbies, Sophia enjoys her part-time job caring for children at a nonprofit health organization. This is her first year on the NHL's Youth Advisory Board, and she could not be more excited to work with her peers and contribute to the Power Players' initiative!

Kavan Mistry

Age 13 | Redondo Beach, CA

Kavan learned to skate at age six and hasn't looked back since. He is a huge fan of his hometown team, the Los Angeles Kings, and will recite any random fact about them (or any other teams for that matter). He plays center for his Bantam A team, the Bay Harbor Red Wings. Ever since he started following the NHL, his obsession has grown and grown. Through playing hockey, watching pro teams, playing NHL video games, reading, and commenting on hockey websites, participating in fantasy hockey, and teaching stats to anyone who will listen, this passion keeps him busy. It's obvious that there is motivation for him to get more fans in the stands, and he is excited for this new opportunity with the NHL Power Players. Kavan loves to analyze games as he watches them, though that commentary is much to the chagrin of most watching beside him.

Off the ice, Kavan enjoys playing competitive chess, both online and over the board, and even started the chess club in his middle school. Kavan also plays the guitar, bass guitar, and sings. Kavan has been an honor student for all three years of his middle school.

Kavan loves the hockey culture, as well as the entertainment of the NHL, and can't wait to give back. He appreciates this opportunity to be a part of the Power Players to share his passion!

Nolan Muller

Age 17 | Oakville, ON

Nolan Muller, 17, has been playing hockey for the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club since he was six and says his best memories of growing up were spent at the rink or with his teammates travelling to tournaments. He works as a hockey referee and has volunteered on-ice for his local hockey club and for Hockey Cares, a charity that builds connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in Canada through their shared love of hockey. While hockey remains his first love, Nolan also plays rugby and football. When not playing sports, he can be found playing 'Chel' with his buddies and playing with his dog Oakley.

Tina Nguyen

Age 17 | Mississauga, ON

Tina is returning for her second season of Power Players and is a huge fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. She is currently a first-year sport management major at Brock University, with the ultimate goal of working in the professional sports industry. Tina has always enjoyed playing and watching sports but fell in love with hockey in middle school. The new-look Toronto Maple Leafs with up-and-coming stars like Auston Matthews (her favourite player) captivated her, and now she can't imagine her life without the sport. She also hasn't missed a Leafs game in five years! Tina has worked with the Mississauga Sports Council, the Mississauga Steelheads, and was an executive member of her high school's Advanced Athletic Analysis club, where they discussed and analyzed Toronto sports teams. She is passionate about making hockey more inclusive and accessible and is grateful for the opportunity to help grow the game with the NHL Power Players.

Dayton O'Donoghue

Age 17 | Toronto, ON

Dayton Sloan O'Donoghue is a 17-year-old biracial, hockey fanatic. She fell in love with all aspects of the game at a very young age, and over the years, hockey has become much more than a sport to her. Hockey has given Dayton so much and this appreciation has fueled her passion for giving back to her community. She recently partnered with Bauer Hockey as a part of their "Barn" campaign to help provide a $100,000 equipment fund to the Black Girl Hockey Club which she is actively involved with. Dayton regularly volunteers for the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Launchpad and has started a neighbourhood hockey program to teach kids the fundamentals of hockey, with the hopes of inspiring a lifelong love for the game. Dayton currently plays Junior hockey in Toronto and has committed to Dartmouth College to continue her academic and athletic journey. In addition, she is very involved in her school's community; Dayton is the Student Life Prefect, a school ambassador, a member of the Athletics Council and former head of the Black Student Union, which helps her connect to and highlight a more personal side of my identity. Hockey has given her many gifts, however one of the greatest and most memorable was the opportunity to judge the Breakaway Challenge at the 2022 NHL All Star weekend… what an experience!

Matthew Reich

Age 15 | Montreal, QC

Matthew Reich is an avid hockey fan who is currently in grade 10. Ever since he was little, he has been trying his hardest to watch every Montreal Canadiens game since hockey is his passion. As well as hockey, Matthew enjoys watching everything from football to cricket. He also enjoys competing with his high school teams in baseball, football and track and field. When Matthew isn't watching or playing sports, you can find him analyzing stats. Matthew is very excited to be an NHL Power Player and can't wait to contribute his ideas and passion to the program.

Oliver Reid

Age 13 | Palo Alto, CA

Oliver is a diehard Sharks and Leafs fan living in Palo Alto, California. His love of hockey took hold when he was a toddler first learning to skate. Now thirteen years old, he plays defense for the San Mateo Black Stars and has started refereeing for NorCal Youth Hockey. Outside the rink Oliver spends his time biking with friends, playing EA NHL 22, and editing hockey highlights and hype videos for his YouTube channel: Oligator Hockey. He enjoys watching hockey games and cheering on the Sharks both from home and in person at the SAP Center. He loves to meet his favorite players at public practices and fan events where he often leaves with a hockey puck or signature. Oliver's passion for hockey grows by the day and he hopes to one day pursue a career in the sport. He can't wait to start his work as a first year NHL Power Player!

Aidan Sachs

Age 16 | Bel Air, MD

Aidan is a junior at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Maryland. He's been a hockey fan since he first started playing hockey at the age of eight. He played mites for the Harford North Stars all the way through bantam. Aidan is a passionate Washington Capitals fan, and a fan of the Saint Louis Blues after visiting family in Saint Louis during their playoff run in 2019. Outside of hockey, Aidan plays squash for his school and is actively involved in clubs such as Cyber Security, It's Academic, Model UN, and Service and Justice Committee. Hockey has taught Aidan very important lessons about teamwork, leadership, hard work, and commitment. Aidan is very excited to be on the NHL Power Players and cannot wait to talk to others who share his love of hockey.

Aaliaan Samnani

Age 17 | Edmonton, AB

Aaliaan is a grade twelve student from Edmonton, Alberta. He's excited to return for a second season as an NHL Power Player! He has been a life-long Oilers fan and enjoys watching and going to as many Oilers games as possible. He has played ball hockey from the age of five, which has helped to foster his love for the game of hockey. Aaliaan is also a music buff and plays a variety of percussion instruments from around the world. His latest acquisition was a Middle Eastern doumbek. He likes to spend time outdoors, always looking for the best opportunity to take photos of nature. Aaliaan is an avid volunteer and is currently serving as a Team Lead with the Ismaili Volunteers. Aaliaan fundraises annually for the World Partnership Walk, an initiative to fight global poverty. He enjoys following a variety of sports including soccer, golf, and baseball, and recently while in San Diego, watched his first Padres game at Petco Park. In his free time, Aaliaan watches sports, stand-up comedy, and murder-mysteries, and plays NHL 22.

Amrita Samra

Age 17 | Surrey, BC

Raised in a suburb of Vancouver, Amrita grew up as a passionate Canucks fan; however, she became a fan of the Lightning during their 2018 playoff run when Nikita Kucherov threw a heavy hit on Sami Vatanen, formerly of the New Jersey Devils. Amrita's continued support for the Canucks and Lightning offers her valuable insight into two different cities and their respective fanbases.

Amrita also enjoys travelling and enhancing her business acumen. She has had the privilege of wandering through the ancient cobblestone streets of Florence, Italy and visiting 10 NHL arenas. Additionally, she served as the Vice President of Finance and Marketing for a local business; consequently, Amrita intends to pursue an undergraduate degree in business administration.

A year ago, Amrita discovered the Director of Team Services role and was fascinated by the job's vitality to a team's success; subsequently, she began collecting and analyzing data to understand the Lightning's travel this past season. Upon the release of the 2022-23 regular-season schedule, she composed a detailed itinerary and will evaluate her decisions against those of the organization.

Amrita is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the sport that has done so much for her and is looking forward to working with the other Power Players to grow the game of hockey.

Doris Yuan

Age 14 | Vancouver, BC

Doris is currently a sophomore in high school and is excited for her first year in the Power Players program! Growing up in Vancouver, one of Doris' first memories was watching the 2011 Canucks Riot unfold on TV. Ever since then, hockey has been a major part of her life. When she's not watching hockey, you can find her hanging out with her friends, volunteering in her community, and managing her school's Instagram page. At school, Doris is involved with Model UN, Speech and Debate, and Volleyball. She aspires to study International Relations in college and hopefully become a Human Rights Lawyer someday.

Claire Zhang

Age 17 | Boulder, CO

Claire is a senior in high school in Boulder, Colorado. She discovered her love for hockey recently, but ever since watching her first game, she's been hooked by the fast pace and the electric atmosphere. She's a diehard Colorado Avalanche fan and can talk about them for hours on end. Claire is incredibly passionate about politics and advocacy work, and she hopes to bring that insight and lived experience to the Power Players.

In her school community, Claire runs communications for the robotics team, is concertmaster and co-president of her orchestra, and plays varsity softball, but she'll never turn down any opportunity that lets her connect with people.