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With the recent introduction of the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) to my living room, my thoughts turned to memories of a young hockey player, one whom I am very proud to call my daughter.
On a Northern Ontario backyard rink, this four-year-old learned to skate. I would ask her to complete 10 laps, without falling, then we would head in, partially because it was getting late, but mostly because it was getting cold.
Around her 9th or 10th lap, she would fall. It didn’t take me long to figure out that she just wanted to skate.
When not on the ice, she played hockey with her favourite stuffed bear, “Buddy”. Buddy was a goalie, protected with carefully constructed cardboard equipment.
With dreams of one day playing professional hockey, this young lady would out deke Buddy the goalie for hours. At a very young age, she was asked to play on a local, predominantly male, rep team, She excelled.
Whether she realized this or not, her style and understanding of the game earned her the nickname, “Energizer Bunny”, with her fans.
That year, the “Bell Capital Cup” was hosted by Ottawa. Her team attended.
Much to the dismay of some of her teammates and their parents this young woman was hand-picked to participate in an “East / West All Star Game”. She came home with the Capital Cups MVP Trophy.
The trophy was a male hockey player, but with some black yarn and tape it soon resembled a female player with a beautiful ponytail. Her dream of playing professional hockey never diminished and she played for a female rep team until her late teens.
These years of organized hockey rewarded her with many valuable life skills included, but not limited to; discipline, respect, team work, communication, humility, confidence and failure.
The introduction of the Professional Women’s Hockey League can only inspire young female hockey players to chase, what is now, an attainable dream.
Michael McKerral
Greater Sudbury