Wednesday, Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom announced that Brynas’s annual ‘Black And White Game’ will be held on August 15th.

The sunburned Brynas alum also included some special news along with the date.

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“Hi this is Nicklas Backstrom,” said Nicklas Backstrom. “The ‘Black and White Game’ will be played on August 15th. I’ll participate, of course. This year, there will be four women players invited, which I think is a fantastic initiative because hockey is for everyone. Hope I’ll see you there.”

Brynas IF arranges an annual internal scrimmage every season to kick start the season. Normally, the game is all men and features alumni of the team playing against the current roster of players.

Lara Stalder, a defenseman for Switzerland’s national team, is the first woman committed to playing after recently signing with Brynäs. She has represented Switzerland at the Winter Olympics in 2014 and won a bronze medal. The other women players have not yet been named, but they will all come from Brynäs’ team.

“We have many fantastic ambassadors for women’s hockey. The idea of ​​seeing Nicklas Bäckström set up Lara Stalder for a direct shot or vice versa is, of course, awesome in several different ways. Not least through the symbolism of how it shows that we want to be an association where both girls and boys can dream of becoming hockey stars and playing in front of our audience in this way,” Johan Cahling, Director of Brand, Sustainability, and Strategic Partnership said on Brynäs’s website.

“When my generation grew up we didn’t have any female hockey players to look up to,” Lara Stalder added. “Now hockey is changing and today young girls actually have role models. But this also shows, not only young girls but everyone in the stands and in society, that us women have a place in hockey, just like men.

Backstrom and Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos have been regular participates in the scrimmage over the years. Admission is free to the game.

Scrimmage Schedule

1:00 pm: The arena opens with sales of serial cards, open shop and bistro

2:00 – 3:30: Ice skating and walking tour of the arena

3:30 – 5:00: Autographs with NHL players, SDHL players, and SHL players

4:30: The lodge, restaurant and Skybar open

6:00: Skills competition

6:30: Match begins (played 2×20 minutes with penalty shootout)