Blues' Jake Neighbours champions ASL Awareness Night in historic NHL first
The St. Louis Blues will hold their first-ever ASL Awareness Night during their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 14. Forward Jake Neighbours has been promoting the event, even using sign language in a recent video to encourage fans to tune in. Neighbours first learned American Sign Language as a teenager after meeting Nashville Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. Their families grew close while playing together for the U18 AAA Calgary Buffaloes. Wiesblatt's mother is deaf, which inspired Neighbours to pick up the language.
Last season, he designed special team hats featuring 'BLUES' spelled out in ASL. Now, he's helping raise awareness by signing messages to fans ahead of the upcoming game. The club has not shared details on how many players or staff are involved in organising the event. But Neighbours' efforts have put the spotlight on ASL inclusion in hockey.
The ASL Awareness Night aims to make the game more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing fans. Neighbours' long-standing connection to the language has played a key role in bringing the initiative to life. The event marks a first for the Blues organisation.
