2024 is officially the year of women’s hockey! It has been a long time coming, and it looks as though hard work has finally paid off.
For many young girls such as myself, hockey was only temporary growing up. Most stopped playing once they aged out of minor hockey, but for a select few, they were lucky enough to play in University or College. However, after that, it was a dead end. From then on, it was about finding a way to pay the bills, and unfortunately, that was not going to be through hockey. For years, there have been leagues that have tried to make it off the ground and provide a league for women to play in, however, they never offered the same things the men’s leagues could: benefits and a livable wage. Almost all the women playing in these leagues had a full-time job or a couple of jobs.
Since the beginning of the season on January 1st, the PWHL, which stands for the Professional Women’s Hockey League, has broken record after record, many of those include setting and breaking attendance records, with the most recent being 19,285 people at Scotiabank Arena. The games are broadcast on many sports networks, as well as on YouTube, where thousands of people tune in to each game. It has been the most incredible thing to watch. Not only were the teams selling out the smaller arenas they use as home rinks, but they also sold out NHL arenas with numbers higher than some actual NHL teams attract. Currently, there are six teams — three Canadian teams (Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal) and three American teams (Minnesota, Boston, and New York).
The one thing that has made this league different from the others that came before them is that the PWHL has been advertised in such a smart fashion. It has reached many more people than the other leagues had, and it’s backed by many of the big-name NHL players that are so widely known. Also, many of the girls are using social media to reach out to fans and encourage them to support women’s sports. The ability to reach a large audience allows them to attract new fans and encourage women of all ages to play hockey. Apart from hockey players and fans, the PWHL has amassed huge names in terms of partners, including Canadian Tire, Air Canada, Hockey Life, SportChek, CCM, Bauer, Tim Hortons, Rogers, UPS, and so many more.
The main thing that drives the PWHL is “If you can see it, you can be it”. The world seems to tell women that there are only certain jobs that they can do and that professional sports are a man’s field. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. The problem was that that was all young girls could see: men playing professional sports. It was never a thought in my mind that hockey would be something I could do for a living, and as many have said since the league has taken off, “If I would have known there would be a league, I would have tried a little harder”. As bittersweet as it is that I’m not in the position to ever play hockey as a career, it provides me with such joy and hope for all the little girls who can now see that this is something they can do. It is clear that this league is doing all the right things, and somehow, it has only been two months. There is so much potential, and they are backed by many. It is up to us — those who wish to one day be in their skates and those who someday hope to be — to ensure that this league reaches as many young girls as possible and that all young girls see that this is who they can be. 2024 is shaping up to be the year when female athletes finally get the recognition that they very much deserve. These women have proved that they deserve to be on the ice just as much as the men do, and this is only the beginning.