YORKTON - The new year has arrived and a new professional sports league launched to significant fanfare.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) officially kicked off its inaugural season Jan. 1, with New York topping Toronto by a score of 4-0 in a sold out Mattamy Athletic Centre in Downtown Toronto.
Ella Shelton from Ingersoll, Ont. scored the first PWHL goal on a shot from the point off a draw won by teammate Alex Carpenter at 10:43 of the first period to launch NY toward its win.
The league has announced that history was made as the inaugural PWHL game reached 2.9 million Canadian viewers with the game airing on CBC, Sportsnet, and TSN.
The 2.9 million viewers across Canada represent a combined reach over the league’s three Canadian national broadcast partners, including pre-game coverage, noted the league.
The game included Prince Albert’s Kaitlin Willoughby playing for TO.
A day later Montreal and Ottawa met in the nation’s capital where again history was made.
It was a record-breaking home crowd of 8,318, now the most attended game in professional women’s hockey history, who saw Ann-Sophie Bettez from Sept-Îles, Que. score just 1:05 into overtime, and PWHL Montréal took home 2 points against Ottawa by a score of 3-2.
Saskatoon’s Emily Clark is a member of Ottawa. She said she had every confidence the PWHL was going to be a success … but the level of success is surprising so soon.
“Right from the outset,” Clark said her expectation was high given the likes of Billie Jean King, who was in the locker room to read PWHL Toronto's starting lineup for game one, behind the league. “. . . I knew it was going to be special.”
The big crowds though are gratifying.
“I’m not sure I expected a sold out crowd game one ... It’s a really good starting point with a sold out crowd ... As a player that’s super exciting ... It’s really exciting ... to see the positive response. . . It shows so much confidence in what we’ve been doing,” said Clark.
Clark said as a player the opening games were very special. She said her Mom was in Ottawa and they watched with excitement the New Year’s Day game.
Then Clark found sleep hard to come by as she knew she was going to be in an historic game Jan. 2.
Clark said Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod even addressed the nerves ahead of the game.
“She said it was OK to have giddy minutes,” said Clark, adding it was important to let the emotions in and have them work for the player.
“You definitely feel the importance – not in a bad way – but you feel it is history in the making.”
Now the work begins to build off the opening games foundation.
“Eventually we have to work toward selling out every game,” said Clark, adding in general she believes women in sport want “to leave the game better than it was. . . It’s moving the needle forward.”
Clark said a key to the PWHL for participants is that players are able to be full time hockey, and not needing a side job.
It’s a case players knew they were elite athletes playing hockey with previous women’s league, but with the PWHL allowing a singular focus on the game, the rest of the world can see they are now fully professional.
And Clark sees even better things ahead.
“Women’s sport around the world are growing exponentially,” she said, adding she believes PWHL will be the next league to grow and be a success.
That success will come by having people follow and enjoy the game.
“The biggest thing is to have eyes on it,” said Clark.
And of course having the league will inspire the next generation of female players. Clark said she dreamed as a young player of being in the NHL, and sort of gave up on the idea of being a pro player at a young age.
Now that dream can exist, she said.
“One of the proudest feeling is to know that’s changing. “It’s important we’re inspiring the next generation of boys and girls,” said Clark.
