Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) teams are set to begin training camps this November in 6 cities across North America. Normally, November is not an exciting month because it’s colder, and the leaves are falling off the trees (making an absolute mess of my yard in the process). BUT the PWHL gives us some excitement; here’s why.
Reason #1 – Merch
If this was the year 2000, I never… eeeeeeever …. would have thought that I would be purchasing a professional female hockey players jersey on the internet. I would have never thought that I’d be able to track that package as it drives along in a truck (inevitably to Dieppe), on a computer that fits in my pocket. Not only has technology advanced since Will Smith sung “Will2K” ; so has female hockey. Click that link if you want a little banger this week.
In all seriousness…
I really want a Maggie Connors Toronto jersey. Maybe it’s the jersey collector in me, maybe it’s the desire to support the new female pro league. Whatever the reason – I’ll be rocking a new chemise in November (practicing my french, bear with me).
Reason #2 – Dreams
There have been female professional league’s before, but all of them were more semi-professional. In years past, a professional female player had a second job (maybe a side hustle on top of that). Fast forward to 2023, and the best female players in the world can now play hockey for a living. Having a true professional league gives elite female players something to look forward to past the collegiate level, and inspires the next generation that it could be them, too.
From a female hockey player development perspective, the PWHL gives a player who may hmm and haa about playing Division-3 hockey in the United States a desire to keep pushing for that eureka moment. Instead of packing it in if Division-1 doesn’t come calling, a couple of years under the tutelage of a high-quality D-3 coach could be enough to propel a 3 star prospect into a 5 star prospect. The PWHL gives the “late bloomer” what every hockey player wants – a chance.
Until Next Time
AP