Ahead of the puck dropping on the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League season, it still feels like the holidays for some players.
“We just went through Christmas buts its almost like that Christmas morning feeling of something extraordinary that is about to unveil here,” says Montreal goaltender Marlené Boissonnault.
“It’s hard to put into words how excited we are,” admits teammate Sarah Bujold. “In a couple of days we are going to be hitting the ice with thousands of fans and thousands of people watching on air so I mean we are all so pumped and obviously a little bit nervous but excited in general to be able to finally play with and against the best.”
The season gets underway New Years Day when Toronto hosts New York. It will be the start of a 72-game regular season for the PWHL. There are a total of six teams in the league that also include Montreal, Ottawa, Boston and Minnesota.
Having a best on best league is a long time coming for women’s hockey after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded in 2019, and the U.S. based National Women’s Hockey League was bought out in June to pave the way for what is being seen as the best chance for a professional women’s hockey league to succeed.
“The goal of us creating this league was so that it would be something sustainable so young girls can dream to be apart of it one day,” Jill Saulnier, a forward for New York says. “The goal is so girls can go out and buy a jersey of their favourite female player and I think that is just kind of the direction that we’re heading and for young girls to be able to dream to play pro it’s pretty special. Obviously we didn’t have that opportunity so being a part of it is an honour and I’m excited to see the future.”
The opening game in Toronto is sold out, as are most of their games this season. Montreal finds themselves in a similar spot, while Ottawa has sold upwards of 8,000 tickets for its opener.
“It’s a pretty special time in women’s hockey and I think the word historic has been thrown around quite a bit because it is just that,” says Saulnier. “It’s going to be a big day and the start of something pretty wonderful and I’m honestly privileged to be a part of it.”
MARITIME PRIDE
Six Maritimers have cracked the opening day rosters across the league. There are a trio of Nova Scotians playing in Toronto led by team captain Blayre Turnbull from Stellarton, N.S. Yarmouth, N.S., Allie Munroe and Carly Jackson of Amherst, N.S., are also on the team. Spryfield, N.S., native Troy Ryan is the head coach of Toronto.
Halifax’s Jill Sauliner is the lone Maritimer playing south of the border in New York. She says she is good friends with Turnbull and the other Maritime players around the league, but she promises that won’t carry over into the games.
“I’m excited to play against Allie and Blayre tomorrow and Blayre is one of my best buddies but not really when we are on the ice and I think we both know that,” Saunier jokes. “Coming from the Maritimes when we were little there weren’t that many girls playing so to be able to hop on the ice and pretty much guarantee you’re going to see another Maritimer is pretty special.”
There are two New Brunswickers set to lace up their skates, both of whom play for Montreal who open their season January 2 against Ottawa. Sarah Bujold of Riverview, N.B., and Marlené Boissonnault of Dundee, N.B., are looking forward to playing alongside one another, especially given their history.
“So her uncle is my godfather,” Boissonnault laughs. “New Brunswick is a very small area so I think it’s that much more exciting that there’s that weird little fun connection there but I think it is obviously very exciting to have the Maritimes being represented.”
“It’s a funny connection we have,” chuckles Bujold. “But it is cool to be on her team and have a fellow New Brunswicker with me.”
For the pair, they are also excited for the opportunity to play close to home. Boissonnault has been out west with the national program for a number of years, while Bujold has spent the past four seasons playing overseas in Sweden and in the United States.
Bujold played post-secondary hockey at St. Francis Xavier University, but since then her parents hasn’t been able to see her play live.
“This is going to be the first time in our season opener they will actually be able to come and watch a game in person,” beams Bujold. “They are so excited to come watch as are my friends and family so it’s going to be awesome.”
“Being within driving distance is very exciting,” says Boissonault, with about seven and half hours of driving distance between Montreal and her hometown. “Being able to drive home for the holidays is something I haven’t done in nearly ten years so that’s very exciting for me.”
FUTURE FOR THE SPORT
It has been a long time coming to get women’s hockey to this point. All the games will be broadcasted on TV, and there is a collective bargaining agreement in place between the league and players through 2031.
Tennis legend Billie Jean King is on the board of the PWHL, and her influence along with the deep pockets of Los Angles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra are big reasons for getting the league to the “starting line.”
Everything is moving in the right direction for a sustainable league for years to come, and it’s something the players have been searching for since they first picked up a hockey stick.
“As a player growing up in Riverview there wasn’t that many options for me to play women’s hockey,” reflects Bujold. “I played boys all the way up until grade ten and then I switched over to girls so now that there people girls and the young players can look up to I mean it’s huge. Now they can dream and play about being in the PWHL one day.”
“The generations that have come before us, they didn’t have the opportunity that we are about to have tomorrow,” Saulnier says. “I think we are playing for ourselves to have this wonderful experience but more so for them and definitely for the next generation as well so it’s pretty special to be a part of.”
And for those out there that aren’t interested in the sport, the players say once you see a game you’ll have a different opinion.
“I promise you that if you watch it once you’ll be hooked,” Boissonnault iterates. “It’s one of those things where you can’t speak badly about it, you can turn away until you see it and see the product.”
