Students at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School took slap shots for Black History Month.

As part of the festivities at the school, students learned about hockey by playing in the gymnasium — with a polished parquet wood surface gleaming like ice and a ball replacing the puck — and toured a mobile museum highlighting Black NHL players.

The academic schedule was modified Feb. 15 to provide students opportunities to learn about the sport, hockey careers and the St. Louis Blues.

Abria Miller, a Cardinal Ritter senior and Blues intern, said that it’s important to close the gap between African Americans and hockey. “I think if our community was to get more in tune with hockey, they would love it as well.”

A panel discussion in the afternoon addressed careers “beyond what you can do on the ice,” Principal Craige Edwards said. “We want to expand their interests because, as I said in the classroom, the more diverse interests you have, the more diverse opportunities you can have.”

The school has an ongoing partnership with the St. Louis Blues, including student internship opportunities. The partnership with the Blues also includes scholarships, the Feb. 15 event and Cardinal Ritter night

at a Blues game, scheduled for March 13 when the Blues take on the Winnipeg Jets at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.