Women’s hockey takes over Vancouver in PWHL West Coast showcase
Posted January 8, 2025 9:38 am.
An expected sell-out crowd of over 18,000 people is converging on Rogers Arena on Wednesday night for the first-ever Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game in Vancouver.
The puck will drop just after 7 p.m. with the Toronto Sceptres and the Montreal Victoire set to battle it out.
“It’s always very special when I come back here to Vancouver, my first Olympic experience, it’s quite special,” Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin told reporters on Tuesday.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Poulin says she’s excited to hit the ice, as it’s where she began her legendary hockey career, winning the first of three gold medals for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
“Being here in Canada, in Vancouver … I think having a fan base here, knowing that they support women’s hockey, I think it says a lot,” she explained. “It’s going to be an exciting game against Toronto, just being here out west in Vancouver is something special, and we’re really happy to be here.
Along with Poulin, the game will feature some of the best hockey players in the world, including a handful of players from B.C.
Hannah Miller from North Vancouver, Rylind MacKinnon, who played for UBC last year, and forward Jennifer Gardiner from Surrey, are set to take the ice. Their expecting a massive turnout from family and friends in their hometown.
“I called my mom right away and told everyone back home that there’s a rumour of a game in Vancouver, but I didn’t want to get too excited until it was officially announced,” Gardiner said.
“When it was, I think I’ve heard from every person I’ve ever met, or that’s related to me, it was incredible. Just to be able to share this moment in this league, and being a female athlete right now is just to special, and to be able to inspire the little girls out here is really special,” she added.
But the burning question British Columbian hockey fans want to know is whether will there be an expansion, and when.
“This whole tour is about learning and learning different markets, fan bases, buildings, and the support that we have. Its just great to be able to play in these markets and we are constantly trying to figure out what the right growth is for us,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations.
Poulin says after just a year of competition, already speaking of an expansion is telling of the health of the league.
“We want to make sure everything is set and well done and we’ll see how long it takes but I think it’s a great first start even thinking and talking about it,” Poulin said.
Toronto superstar Sarah Nurse says maybe Wednesday’s showing will be a stepping stone to getting Vancouver a women’s franchise.
“We know there’s a huge hockey fan base here, and so we’re excited to maybe bring women’s hockey here in a couple years. I think it would be great, hopefully having a Western Conference in a couple of years, just so that we can really expand and bring our product everywhere,” Nurse told Sportsnet 650.
Nurse says all the players know that the West Coast loves the game.
“Any time that we go to a new place, you never know what the response is going to be like. And so there is some nerves and some anxiousness there, but honestly, the markets out west have embraced us with open arms, and so we’re very excited.”
With files from Sportsnet 650 and Sonia Aslam.
